CODE, STANDARD, SPECIFICATION

AND PROCEDURE

K. S. Senanayake
B.Sc. (Hons) Phy. (Sp), Grad. IP (SL)
NDT Level 2 in RT, UT& MT and Level 1 in PT & ET (as per ISO 9712)

CODE
Code is a conventionalized set of rules of good
practice.
They are always using the verbs shall or will to
indicate the mandatory use of certain materials or
action or both.
Code differs from specification in that their use is
mandated with force of law by governmental
jurisdiction.
Example:
ASME Section V (for Non Destructive Examination
covering methods such as Radiography, Ultrasonic,
Eddy Currents, Magnetic Particles and Dye
Penetrants).

STANDARD
Standard is a level of excellence of quality of
product and service.
Example:
British Standard which is classified as a standard
for product such as BS 5000 (specification for
unfired fusion welded pressure vessels and
standard for radiographic examination of fusion
welded butt joints in steel).

SPECIFICATION
Specification is a detailed description of the
criteria for the constituent, construction
appearance, etc., o a material and service.
In the other word, specifications are document
for communication at the engineering,
management and purchasing levels.
The use of specification becomes mandatory
only when they are referred by code or
contractual documents.

PROCEDURE
(WORKING INSTRUCTION)
Procedure is a written document make as step by
step basis which show you HOW to do it.
The procedure should specifically present
everything that the inspector needs to know in
order to inspect the parts as intended.
Procedures are frequently developed in laboratory
conditions on special test objects.
Under such circumstances, procedures should also
be tried under production conditions by production
personnel before their actual implementation.

Procedure
The purpose or function of the standard and/or
codes is to prescribe or guide a test method (e.g.
Radiography) or procedure which could give
correct, reliable, and uniform assessment of the
quality of the product, and will ensure that the
method is reproducible.

Requirements for Code and Standards

Almost all codes and standards are written and issued to
meet demands for safety and quality.
The applications of theses codes and standards are
made either voluntarily (due to realization of
manufacturers to improve their product quality) or by
the instruction of certain authority (for the reason of
safety) and/or to meet the specification by clients (for
the reason of both quality and/or safety)
Example:
The history ASME Codes dates back to 1910 when a big
boiler explosion in a shoe factory destroyed the whole
factory. Following this incident, The US Government asked
the manufacturers to discuss and develop rules concerning
the construction of B & PV.

Various Codes and Standards Pertaining

to Radiographic Inspection

ANSI American National Standard

ASTM American Society for Testing and Materials
ASNT American Society for Non Destructive Testing
ASME American Society of Mechanical Engineers
API American Petroleum Institute
AWS American Welding Society
MIL American Military Standards
JIS Japanese Industrial Standards
NDIS Standards of Japanese Society for NDI
DIN German Industrial Standards
BS British Standards
AS Australian Standards
IIW International Institute of Welding
ISO International Standards Organization

Examples:
ASME Section V, Article 2 (Radiographic
Examination)
BS 2600 (Radiographic Examination of Fusion
Welded Butt Joints in Steel)
API 1104 (Standard for Welding Pipelines and
Related Facilities)
JIS 3104 (Method of Radiographic Test and
Classification of Radiographs for Steel Welds)

Performance of Radiographic Test

In ISO 9000 series these documents are considered as
level III and level IV type document after companys
manual (level I) and companys procedures (level II).
Most NDT works involved with level III and level IV
documentations.
Level III documents are usually called as working
instructions while level IV includes detailed technique
sheet (procedure sheets), report forms, etc.
In NDT it is the responsibility of the radiographer level
III (advanced grade) to prepare and qualified the level
III documents.

 Level II (intermediate grade) personnel should be

able to understand the level III documents and
responsible to write level IV documents.
Finally the level I (basic grade) personnel should
be able to understand level IV documents in order
to execute the radiographic job (excluding film
interpretation).

Detailed descriptions for performing specific NDT function

or a specific way of utilizing NDT methods within the
constraint of an NDT working instruction may includes of
the following:
Equipment Operation Instructions
X-ray machine, Gamma ray projector, densitometer,
radiation Protection Devices (Survey meter etc.)

Radiographic Techniques
Exposure arrangements, Marking (Identification) system

Film Processing Instructions

Chemical preparation used for film processing, Solution
checking and replenishment, Film processing

Radiation Safety Instructions

The use of safety devices, Boundary and Radiation sign
installation.

Recording Methods
Filing report forms, Log books, etc.

Example of Radiography Procedure and

Radiography Report
RT procedure
RT report