7.3 Welding Records, Traceability & Inspector Logs

7.3 Welding Records, Traceability & Inspector Logs

API 1104 has no single "records section" — documentation duties are distributed across the standard. For the endorsement exam (whose AWS blueprint includes "reports and records"), know exactly where each requirement lives.

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1. Where API 1104:2021 Puts Each Records Requirement

Federal pipeline safety regulations (49 CFR Parts 192 and 195) layer retention duties on regulated operators on top of these, and company specifications commonly extend retention for the life of the pipeline — but the exam answer for the standard itself is the table above.

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2. Welder Identification Practice (7.9)

The code sentence is short — "each welder shall identify the welder's work in the manner agreed by the company." Standard implementation:

• Each qualified welder gets a unique stencil or ID code, applied adjacent to each completed weld (die stamp or paint marker per company rules; low-stress, round-bottom stamps on thin-wall or high-strength pipe to avoid notch effects).
• Where multiple welders share a joint, every contributing welder's ID is recorded.
• On coated or thin-wall pipe where stamping is prohibited, weld maps tied to joint tally numbers carry the traceability.

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3. The Inspector's Daily Log

The CWI's daily report ties the whole system together. A compliant log captures, per weld: date and line section/stationing; weld ID number; pipe heat and joint numbers, OD and wall; WPS number and revision; welder IDs for each pass; ambient conditions, preheat and interpass readings; visual results; NDT method, report cross-reference, and disposition (accept / repair / cut out); and for repairs, the repair WPS, defect code, excavation, and re-inspection result.

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4. Welder Performance Tracking (Industry Practice)

Beyond the code's record rules, contractors track each welder's repair rate to catch skill or process drift early:

$\text{Repair Rate (\%)} = \frac{\text{welds repaired}}{\text{welds produced}} \times 100$

Mainline projects typically investigate when a welder's repair rate exceeds a few percent; sustained high rates lead to retraining, reassignment, or requalification under 6.8 (questioned competence).

5. The Radiograph Review Form (11.1.12.6)

The radiographer prepares a review form for each examination containing, at minimum:

1. Company, customer, or manufacturer;
2. Contract or purchase order number tied to the project;
3. Project or line number;
4. The material(s) or weld(s) examined;
5. Evaluation and disposition of each;
6. Number of exposures for each weld;
7. Name, certification, and signature of the radiographer/interpreter;
8. Date of examination;
9. Procedure number and revision;
10. The acceptance criteria used for the disposition.

Remember also from Section 11.1: only Level II or III radiographers interpret production radiographs; radiographers report all defects observed (or all imperfections, if the company requires); and the company determines the final disposition of the weld.

6. Why the Records Chain Matters Operationally

The records chain is what makes a rejection defensible and a trace-back possible: the weld ID (7.9) ties the joint to welders; the welder record (6.8) ties welders to qualified procedures; the procedure record (5.2) ties the WPS to its qualification evidence; and the radiograph review form (11.1.12.6) ties the NDT disposition to the acceptance criteria actually applied. During regulatory audits or failure investigations, breaks in that chain are treated as seriously as the weld defects themselves — an undocumented weld is, for integrity purposes, an unverified weld.