Welding inspector admits falsifying reports, says he 'made a bi...

[Mom of a Navy Vet]

Dual Weld Inspections wrote:

This is why there should be two separate people inspecting the welds each and everytime. Especially on submarines.

Great idea having 2 people inspecting, the problem is this guy has 2 brothers who also work there. Two idiots inspecting don't make it any better, then add in the third what do you have. Three people who probably can't change a light bulb.

[Old Mule]

Wow, as a 20 year vet and a AWS Certified Welding Inspector, Former underwater / Hyperbaric Welder and an old fabrication welder - the market is flooded with these guys, nothing new. if a CWI is working for 20 bucks / hour (which is what most shipyards want to pay) then you are going to get these lazy bums, probably certified under API 1104 (flluid transfer pipeline - like 40 pages)and not D1.1 Structural Steel code(like 600 - 700 pages). also to qualify you don't need former welding experience. you need 3 years "Around" welding processes, so listen up fab shop receptionists, you can qualify to take this easy test. Besides, any welding inspector not making at least 50/hour on land should perhaps do himself a favor and look at another career, like Walmart stocker. Last 10 years I have been running large projects for a major oil company, my question is - Where is the Chief Inspector? Why wasn't he doing his job and making sure his inspectors were doing their's? Where is QA at? Why Weren't they doing their job either? Thus inspector is 100% at fault for not doing his job, but there is alot of people that weren't doing it either.

[Esse Quam Videri]

Old Mule wrote:

Wow, as a 20 year vet and a AWS Certified Welding Inspector, Former underwater / Hyperbaric Welder and an old fabrication welder - the market is flooded with these guys, nothing new. if a CWI is working for 20 bucks / hour (which is what most shipyards want to pay) then you are going to get these lazy bums, probably certified under API 1104 (flluid transfer pipeline - like 40 pages)and not D1.1 Structural Steel code(like 600 - 700 pages). also to qualify you don't need former welding experience. you need 3 years "Around" welding processes, so listen up fab shop receptionists, you can qualify to take this easy test. Besides, any welding inspector not making at least 50/hour on land should perhaps do himself a favor and look at another career, like Walmart stocker. Last 10 years I have been running large projects for a major oil company, my question is - Where is the Chief Inspector? Why wasn't he doing his job and making sure his inspectors were doing their's? Where is QA at? Why Weren't they doing their job either? Thus inspector is 100% at fault for not doing his job, but there is alot of people that weren't doing it either.

All good questions/comments.

When I was at the shipyard, the vast majority (99.99%) of the workers took GREAT PRIDE in their personal craftsmanship and accountability. This guy was the exception - NOT THE RULE!

My opinion on this is, he's just wired incorrectly. He has some sort of personal issues. Again, just my opinion. I've never knowingly worked around any individual that just blatantly falsified official inspection documents. Noticed I said "knowingly", so don't go jumping on me! LOL! Personal accountibility, sense of self worth, self respect and respect for your fellow man was totally disregarded in this situation. He has some "issues" - period. Good, honest hard working men and women don't do that. At least in my opinion they don't.

I recall years ago that those inspectors were always going to some sort of training or refresher training classes.

No excuses - do your job! He'll play HELL working as anything other than a bag boy at Walmart when he gets out of jail! They certainly won't trust him to stock shelves in a safe manner...come to think of it, he'd probably smash bread and crush eggs with his halfazzed work ethic....maybe a bagger is too complicated for him also....

[Shane]

To the guy that thinks the API 1104 is an "easy test", try taking it!! I was certified in D1.1 for 9 years and am now taking the API 1104 test. Much more difficult as there are more questions (less time to answer each question), and no structured "code book" as API 1104 is a standard, not a code. ANY of the CWI certification tests are difficult not only mentally, but physically and psychologically as well!! To say they are "easy" is the biggest load of crap I have ever heard!!

[aryastark]

What a horrible story! Definitely not like the guys at http://www.suburbanweldingandsteel.com/ who take pride in doing their job well and above standard!