Non-destructive testing (NDT) has a number of important roles to play in ensuring the through-life quality and reliability of many important products whose integrity is of paramount importance. The traditional role of NDT in quality control during manufacture - predominantly defect detection - has been complemented in recent years with increasingly important inspections in-service on plant and equipment at varying stages through life. The correct application of NDT can prevent accidents, save lives, protect the environment and avoid economic loss.

It is an increasing requirement of quality assurance systems that a company’s engineers, technicians and craftsmen are able to demonstrate that they have the required level of knowledge and skill. This is particularly so since NDT and inspection activities are very operator dependent and those in authority have to place great reliance on the skill, experience, judgement and integrity of the personnel involved. Indeed, during fabrication, NDT and inspection provides the last line of defence before the product enters service, whilst once a product or structure enters service, in-service NDT often provides an even more crucial line of defence against failure.

Many of the necessary controls are available through the “NDT infrastructure” which has been established in many countries. These infrastructures are quite sophisticated and most complete in the manufacturing quality control sphere of NDT, particularly in those geographical areas where ISO 9001 certification of quality assurance demands comprehensive systems to be in place. For the newer applications of NDT or in-service inspection, some of the infrastructure is being developed. As world trade rapidly becomes more liberalised, and equipment is sourced more widely, the NDT infrastructures which were originally national in their coverage, need to become international.

These new Guidelines developed within EFNDT provide a unique, comprehensive description of the infrastructure which has grown up to assist in the achievement of reliability, identifying gaps and pointing out where users can either directly, or through their national societies or the European Federation for NDT (EFNDT), assist in achieving high quality in NDT. Internet links are provided to other relevant information sources.

The Guidelines are essential reading for users and providers of NDT services as well as organisations which seek to regulate NDT activities.