Welding: integrated quality, environment and safely management system.

Popescu, Mihaela ; Mocuta, Emilia ; Vartolomei, Mihaela 等

1. INTRODUCTION

The need to assure quality of welded constructions has been the basis for the development of a large number of standards in this area, firstly addressing the weld process and joint characteristics and more recently covered the overall activity related with welding technology, in a company, leading to the creation of quality systems (Hisahiro, 2005). Theory is based on standardization of principles in standards: ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. ISO 9001 is a part of the ISO 9000 series of standards, and refer to the quality management system. ISO14001 is part of other large series of standards, ISO 14000 and refer to environment management system. Considering their quality, environment and security conditions free products circulation can be achieved. Integrated Quality Management (QM) System supports welded structure products in order to control mentioned above aspects, which appears as major necessity.

The quality of products has great importance in the manufacturing sector being related to their level of safety, functional nature and durability. Many companies have been certificated according to ISO 9001 or 9002 with respect to their QM- systems. Such certification may be not proper where for special processes like welding are significantly used.

Fig. 1. ISO 9001

ARGUMENTS FOR ISO 9001 QM SYSTEM

* Customer expectations and needs satisfaction

* Customer's request

* Advantages on the market

* European and international market penetration

* Employees motivation raise

* Reduce complaints number

* Better documents and data control over the entire organization

Fig. 2. ISO 14001

ARGUMENTS FOR ISO 14001 QM SYSTEM

* Environmental level

* Social level

* Business level:

* Improved access to permits and authorizations

* Eco-efficiency and cost savings

* Competitiveness

* Satisfy customer requirements

* Improve insurance rates

* Optimize existing management systems

ISO 9001 shows that, in the case of the so called "special processes" such as welding, additional requirements must be considered (figure 1).

The European Welding Federation (EWF) elaborated a system to evaluate and certificate companies producing welded structures, on Environment Management (EWF EMS) considering the requirements of EN 14001 (figure 2). This system is part of a complex evaluation and certification system according to EN 729 (Buono & Scasso, 2001). Fabrication security related to health protection and assurance security condition for employees is a well-known problem, too. A greater importance is given to security due to the social implications and its influence on the quality of products: safety management system (SMS). The base elements of the fabrication Management Integrated System for welded structure producers are represented by the EWF EN 729, EWF EMS and EWF SMS certification system. The EWF evaluates and authorizes the organizations that develop certification activities of welded structure producing companies.

2. WELDING: QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

The EN-729 series, which is also published as ISO 3834, regulates the "technical welding quality requirements" in companies having welding activities and should guarantee the safety of processes. It defines a quality management system, particularly functional, in combination with ISO 9001-series.

The EN 729 has been declared to be binding for all EU member states, which are required to fulfil contracts as manufacturer of technical welding products. It is particularly relevant for the 'regulated sector', namely:

--welded steel and aluminium structures;

--construction of track vehicles (Vartolomei-M, 2009) and railway permanent ways;

--ship construction, ship mechanical engineering and the construction of technical nautical installation;

--military equipment construction (Vartolomei-M, 2009); aeronautics and space travel construction;

--steam-boiler construction, pressure vessel construction, construction of acetylene and fluid gas installations, as well as high pressure gas pipes (plants requiring supervision);

--site-manufactured tanks and storage holders;

--construction of pipes;

--construction of nuclear reactors.

The EWF has also elaborated guidelines for the education and qualification of welding coordinators:

--European Welding Engineer (EWE), Doc. EWF 409;

--European Welding Technologist (EWT), Doc. EWF 410;

--European Welding Specialist (EWS), Doc. EWF 411.

Since 2000 according to the agreement between EWF and IIW the EWE, EWT, EWS guidelines where used also by IIW under the form:

--International Welding Engineer (IWE), Doc. IAB-002;

--International Welding Technologist (IWT), Doc. IAB-003;

--International Welding Specialist (IWS), Doc. IAB-004.

3. WELDING: THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SAFELY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

The implementation of safety management system (SMS) scribes a Scheme which a Manufacturer of welded products can use in his company to protect the health and to assure safety conditions of the personnel involved in the welding fabrication.

* EWF Safety Management System responsibilities

In order to have the EWF SMS properly defined, implemented and under control, the Manufacturer shall appoint a person, who is the representative of the Management for the welding health and safety.

* Safety Welding Coordinator responsibilities

--supporting the Management to define the safety policy;

--supporting the Management to define the safety organization structure within the company;

--documenting and disseminating the safety policy inside the organization;

--defining the safety legal prescriptions:

--defining the safety hazards and connected risks;

--alerting, educating and training all personnel on the safety risks;

--dealing with the safety non-conformities and defining the related corrective actions, if any and supervising their correct performance;

--co-ordinating the safety emergencies:

--providing safety audit to assure the correct implementation of EWF SMS;

--Regularly reviewing the complete EWF SMS with the aim of improving current revision following any experience carried out.

4. ENVIRONMENTAL AUDIT AS MECHANISM FOR ENVIRONMENT PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT

The final aim of environment audit is to offer alternatives for industrial activity transition to a sustainable development model (Poenaru, 2008). Environmental auditing is a systematic process in assessing an organization's activities in relation to:

* Assessing compliance with relevant statutory and internal requirements

* Facilitating management control of environmental practices

* Promoting good environmental management

* Maintaining credibility with the public and with the interested parts (business partners)

* Raising staff awareness and enforcing commitment to departmental environmental policy

* Exploring improvement opportunities (reduce the emissions and quantity of waste, reduce the environmental costs, etc.)

* Establishing the performance baseline for developing EMS following ISO 14000 series.

Environmental audit-methodology has three steps:

--pre-audit consists in verification of legislative and regulatory compliance, assessment of internal policy and procedural conformance, establishment of current practice status, identification of improvement opportunities, resources management, savings and alternatives, energy management and savings, water management and economy of use, waste generation, management and disposal, air emissions according to the EU Directives, environmental emergency prevention, staff awareness, participation and training in environmental issues, environmental information publicity, public enquiry and complaints response, EMS set up, suitability and performance (Arimura, Hibiki & Katayama, 2008).

--On-site audit: conduct initial site visit, develop on-site questionnaire and review audit plan and arrange, detailed site inspection, conducting an environmental audit.

--post audit: collate information and follow up outstanding issues, prepare audit report, circulate draft audit report for comments, implement action plan, checking and monitor.

5. CONCLUSIONS

Considering the above mentioned problems, the multiple advantages that both management systems have, and also a series of advantages coming from the integration itself such as: reduce duplication and costs; reduce risks and increase profitability; balance conflicting objectives; eliminate conflicting responsibilities and relationships; diffuse the power system; turn the focus into business goals and objectives; formalize informal systems; harmonize and optimize practices; and create consistency; improve communication; facilitate training and development. A way for increase producers' interest to raise the customers' and dealers' confidence in quality products, to influence competitive advantage (Winthers & Ebrahimpour, 2000) is the implementation and certification of quality systems according to ISO 9000. It was also noticed the increase in the preoccupations of welded structure producers for environmental and safety problems, materialized by the implementation of specific EMS based on EN 14001, by the implementation of specific SMS and the recommendations of the new created EWF and IIW specialty.

6. REFERENCES

Arimura, T.H.; Hibiki, A. & Katayama, H. (2008). Is a voluntary approach an effective environmental policy instrument? A case for environmental Economics and Management, vol. 55, issue 3, May, pp. 281-295, ISSN 0095-0696

Buono, M. & Scasso, M. (2001), Welding fabrication and the environment, Welding International, vol. 15, no. 7, pp. 51-58, ISSN 09507116

Hisahiro, (2005). Trend of welding and joining in japan welding quality assurance and management, Journal of the Japan Welding Society, 2006, vol. 75, no. 5, pp. 383-385, ISSN 0021-4787

Poenaru, G. (2008), Judicial Education--as a premise for environment policies, Buletin AGIR, volXIII, nr.4, oct-dec, pp. 19-24, ISSN 1224-7928

Vartolomei-M, M.S. (2009). Contribution to the management of change and energy in military industry in the frame of suprastate play, Politehnica Publisher, ISBN 978-973-625-803-9, Timisoara

Winthers, B. & Ebrahimpour, M. (2000), Does ISO 9000 Certification affect the dimensions of quality used for competitive advantage? European Management Journal, 2000, vol. 18, no. 4, pp. 431-443, ISSN 0263-2373