When conducting any type of code work, properly documenting the steps taken is key not only to ensuring that code requirements are met, but also that all necessary operations have been completed.
Both the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code and the National Board Inspection Code (NBIC) have requirements for elements of quality-control systems. Traceability is what ties every element of a quality system back to a standard of some type, makes correction of nonconformities possible, and helps support the final product’s quality.
Effect on Quality of Work
Documentation is crucial to any good quality control system. When carried out correctly, every operation of every job can be verified, and all parts, measurements, and operations can be tracked. This gives assurance of the quality of work but also allows for the correction of any issues that may be discovered. Proper documentation and traceability can also help identify weak points in the quality control process when problems arise with the final product.
As part of a National Board or ASME review, one of the elements that must be examined is previous job files. During this audit of past work, mistakes in documentation or missing traceability information are sometimes discovered. While this is obviously something that the applicant would want to avoid as an implementation deficiency during their review, it also shows a breakdown in the quality control process. When parts of the production or repair process are not being properly documented, or the necessary information to trace materials, parts, or equipment back to the correct standard is missing, there is no way to verify that this was done correctly. Pressure retaining equipment and pressure relief devices are too important, and mistakes are too dangerous to make assumptions with quality.
Code Requirements
The NBIC has specific requirements for repair documents that follow a pressure relief device through the VR or T/O process. Both the repair nameplate and the repair document must be marked with the same unique identifier that ties the actual, physical product to the documentation, ensuring traceability. The repair document must describe the valve’s original nameplate information, as well as material checks, replacement or conversion parts, testing, and final stamping. Any special processes, such as machining, welding, or NDE, along with their associated procedures, must also be recorded.
In the case of replacement or conversion parts, maintaining purchase orders, packing lists, and receipt inspection documents is critical for ensuring traceability. Any replacement or conversion parts that may affect the valve flow passage, capacity, function, or pressure retaining integrity must be fabricated by the valve manufacturer or to their specifications. Being able to follow the paper trail for these parts from the repair document back to the valve manufacturer is absolutely necessary. Another key point is that, according to the NBIC, sign-offs are required at every operation. This ensures that not only was the work completed, but the individual who completed it was also documented. This helps ensure that work has been done by competent, trained individuals qualified to perform it.
The NBIC also requires that all measurement and test equipment used in the repair process must be calibrated. Calibration records must be maintained, and calibrations must be traceable to a nationally recognized standard. Traceability to a national standard for calibrations is important because it ensures that all measurements taken are as consistent as possible across all repair organizations.
Troubleshooting and Tracking Problems
Another benefit of proper documentation and traceability is the ability to track equipment used in case of non-conformances. For example, if a piece of measurement and test equipment is found to be out of tolerance during calibration, past work will need to be evaluated. When a shop can’t properly trace where and when that piece of equipment has been used, it makes it impossible to narrow down the possible effects, and all work becomes suspect. Proper documentation and traceability not only make it much easier to track down the affected work; they may also help determine the next steps to take. If only part of the equipment’s measurement range was out of tolerance, or if the deviation was small enough, the necessary corrective action may vary.
All this is crucial to the quality control process, as it is how a company backs up the work they are doing with objective evidence. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and the same is true for the quality control process. The quality of the final product is only as good as the quality of the work and parts that go into it. If any element of the process is in doubt due to poor documentation or lack of traceability, the entire product becomes suspect.