1 / 29

‘ RAILSAFE’

Appendix 9. ‘ RAILSAFE’. A Harmonised System for Education, Qualification and Certification of Railway Track Welders Developed in a Leonardo da Vinci Project. Background.

edward
Download Presentation

‘ RAILSAFE’

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Appendix 9 ‘RAILSAFE’ A Harmonised System for Education, Qualification and Certification of Railway Track Welders Developed in a Leonardo da Vinci Project

  2. Background Rail contractors want uniform education, qualification and certification of railway track welders in Europe to improve mobility of welders New European Standards on rail welding Public call for improved maintenance of railway tracks to improve safety and to reduce delays EC policy to improve ‘interoperability’ between national railway systems EC policy to stimulate life-long learning to improve employability EC policy: free movement of people in the EU

  3. RAILSAFE A European Commission project under the Leonardo da Vinci Community Vocational Training Action Programme Duration three years, started October 2004 Focussing on Aluminothermic Welding (ATW) Nine partners from seven countries

  4. RAILSAFE Partners SLV Schweißtechnische Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt Hannover, Germany IIS Istituto Italiano della Saldatura, Italy RI Ir. J.B. van den Brug Raadgevend Ingenieur, the Netherlands (Co-ordinator) VR VolkerRail, the Netherlands EWF European Welding Federation, Portugal ISQ Instituto de Soldadura e Qualidade, Portugal SWC Svetskommissionen (Swedish Welding Commission) PZ Prva Zvaracska a.s. (First Welding Company), Slovakia TWI TWI Ltd, UK (Promoter)

  5. European harmonisation Education, training and qualification makes exchange of welders possible, nationally and throughout Europe Certification assures continuing vocational competence for life-long development Qualification and certification in accordance with harmonised European guidelines provides a single, widely recognised, visible verification of a welder’s competence

  6. Benefits Effective and uniform implementation of new European Standards: EN 14730-1 approval of aluminothermic welding processes EN 14730-2 qualification of aluminothermic welders Improvement of the ‘interoperability’ between national railway systems More effective maintenance, reduction of track possession time and improvement of workforce safety Free movement of welders in the EU Implementation of RAILSAFE is entirely voluntary

  7. Project phases Understanding industry requirements for ATW of rails Guideline for the education, training, qualification and certification of ATW railway track welders Plan for an organisation to operate the system Database of qualified and certified welders Pilot courses with examination and qualification

  8. First phase Understanding industry requirements for training and competence in ATW of rails 50 experts from: railway authorities contractors process suppliers research and consultancy organisations training establishments and welding institutes took part in five workshops in UK, Germany, Sweden, Slovakia and Italy. Report completed in 2006, at www.ewf.be/railsafe

  9. Second phase - Guideline • Minimum requirements for the education, training, examination, qualification and certification of railway track welding personnel • European Aluminothermic Welder (EAW) • Completed July 2007, at www.ewf.be/railsafe

  10. Guideline - purpose • A system to train, qualify and certify a European Aluminothermic Welder (EAW) • To describe the knowledge and skills a welder requires to produce ATW joints on rails independently • To describe the process of training and qualifying/certifying welders • To support compliance with EN 14730-2 • To achieve European harmonisation in the competence of rail welders • Wide range of expert input

  11. Guideline – structure and format • Complies with the tried-and-tested formula of the European Welding Federation (EWF) and the International Institute of Welding (IIW) • Instruction programme is defined topic-by-topic in terms of: • Objective • Scope • Expected results • Recommended teaching hours

  12. Guideline – main contents • Overall structure • Access conditions - prior knowledge required • Instruction programme (for one ATW process) • Theoretical • Practical • Examinations and tests • Award of a generic Diploma • Award of a Certificate – Process variant specific • Renewal of a Certificate • Transition arrangements

  13. Definitions • ‘Qualification’ – a diploma confirming successful completion of a training/examination programme. Valid for life • ‘Certification’ – confirmation of specific competence to do a job. Limited period of validity – proof of continuing competence needed for renewal.

  14. Guideline – key organisations and people • RANB - RAILSAFE Authorised National Body • ATB - Approved Training Body • AE - Authorised Examiner • European ATW Instructor All above have to satisfy strict criteria

  15. Theoretical education (40 hours) Practical training (80 hours) (By Approved Training Body) Theoretical examination Practical test (By Authorised Examiner) Diploma (Issued by RAILSAFE Authorised National Body) One year's experience followed by assessment of competence (By Authorised Examiner) Certificate (process variant specific), 2 years validity (Issued by RAILSAFE Authorised National Body) Renewed by re-assessment of competence (By Authorised Examiner) Guideline – outline structure

  16. Part 1 - Theoretical Education curriculum (40 hours) • 1.1 Health, safety, environment and track fabrication (7) • 1.2 Track fabrication (1) • 1.3 Materials and their behaviour during welding (8) • 1.3.1 Basics of metallurgy • 1.3.2 Welding metallurgy and structure of welded joints • 1.3.3 Rails

  17. Part 1 - Theoretical Education curriculum (40 hours) • 1.4 Application of ATW to rails (23) • 1.4.1 Principles of ATW • 1.4.2 Cutting processes for rails • 1.4.3 ATW application • 1.4.4 Grinding of completed welds • 1.4.5 Welding imperfections and defects • 1.4.6 and 1.4.7 Arc welding, and joining processes other than ATW • Theoretical examination (1) Total time for theoretical education/examination – 40 hours

  18. Part 2 – Practical Training – one ATW process supplier (80 hours) • 2.1 Pre-welding activities • setting up, creating weld gap, rail alignment • 2.2 ATW • preparing, welding, dismantling • 2.3 Post-welding activities • removing risers/moulds, shearing, grinding, inspecting • 2.4 Welding process variants • dissimilar profiles, wide gap, 3 part mould, alternative preheating • Practical test - in one ATW process variant (3) • Total time for practical training/tests - 80 hours

  19. Examinations and tests • Theoretical examination • multiple choice questions approved by RANB • pass mark 60% • sample questions in Guideline • Practical test • in accordance with Practical Test Specification (one process) and with EN 14730-2 (or equivalent) • suggested assessment regime in Guideline • Success in above results in issue of Diploma - European Aluminothermic Welder (EAW) • states applicable process supplier/process variants • valid for life of holder

  20. Certification - European Aluminothermic Welder (EAW) • Requires diploma holder to have 1 year’s satisfactory experience (50 welds) • normally in same process variant as Diploma • alternative process variants acceptable if evidence of training • welding work records assessed by Authorised Examiner • in-track test required in case of doubt • sample certificate and id card in Guideline • Can be used as permit to weld (EN 14730-2) • Valid for 2 years - renewal requires: • continuous satisfactory experience (50 welds per year, no more than 6 months interruption) • in-track test required in case of doubt

  21. Transition arrangements • For existing, practising AT welders • Diplomas and Certificates may be awarded by RANBs • without the AT welder going through the full course and examination/test • providing the AT welder has passed theoretical and practical tests in accordance with the Guideline or under equivalent technical conditions.

  22. Third phase • Plan for an organisation to operate the system • Includes rules for organisations wishing to implement the system resulting in the issue of RAILSAFE diplomas and certificates • Completed July 2007 • Available at www.ewf.be/railsafe

  23. Plan for the organisation of the system Rail welding specialists: European Rail Organisation temporary European Welding Federation Rail authorities Process suppliers Assesses and authorises RANBs Contractors, etc RAILSAFE Authorised National Body (RANB) Assesses and approves ATBs Authorised Examiner (AE) Approved Training Body (ATB) Students Candidates

  24. Fourth phase • Database of qualified and certified welders • Web-based database • Data supplied by ATBs and inserted by RANBs • Data is based on one Diploma and one or more Certificates issued to the welder • Consent of welder/employer required

  25. The database will contain: • name • date of birth/ or other identification number • issue date • expiration date (Certificate) • Diploma and Certificate numbers • Process supplier/ process variant(s) • reference to Guideline (Diploma) • reference to ‘Practical Test Specification’ (Diploma) • company/employer (Certificate) • prolongations, issue and expiry dates (Certificate) • pdf files of supporting documents

  26. Fifth phase • Pilot Courses • Test the implementation of the RAILSAFE Guideline • Covers training, examination and qualification • Pilot Courses have been run in United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, Portugal and the Netherlands • Evaluation of results of Pilot Courses in order to improve the Guideline • Issue Diplomas and enter welders on database

  27. Dissemination • Meetings with IoRW (UK) and Scandinavian welding group AG60 • Meetings with process suppliers: Elektrothermit, Railtech, Plötz, KLK • Partners’ meetings with railway authorities • Meetings with CEN/TC 256/SC1 Chairman and WG4 Convenor • Contact with European Rail Infrastucture Managers (EIM) • Contact with European Federation of Railway Trackworks Contractors (EFRTC) • Various presentations and articles in partner countries • RAILSAFE European Seminar – January 2007 • RAILSAFE Website: www.ewf.be/railsafe

  28. RAILSAFE system implemented • European Welding Federation acts as temporary umbrella organisation in Europe • European welding institutes, members of EWF, are ready to act on behalf of the railway authority, as RANB in each country • Operation of RAILSAFE system by the Netherlands railway authority, ProRail, through NIL • RAILSAFE Guideline available • RAILSAFE Rules available • RAILSAFE Database available

  29. Future step • Proposal to extend the work to arc welding

More Related