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All you need to know: responsible Welding Coordinator (rWC)

Wed, 17 May, 2023

Are you looking to achieve certification in accordance with ISO 3834, EN 1090 or EN 15085? Are you confused as to what a responsible Welding Coordinator (rWC) is? Who can be an rWC? What do you need to do or have, to be an rWC? Then look no further than this handy guide, where we answer the most commonly asked questions about rWCs!

First things first - what exactly is an rWC?

According to ISO 14731, an rWC is an individual (or individuals!) appointed by the manufacturer to oversee the welding coordination of the organisation. These welding coordination responsibilities must be allocated to specific job roles defined by the manufacturer. An appointed rWC must be competent to fulfil their allocated responsibilities, and their competence is assessed on a combination of knowledge, skills and experience.

But how do you know, or make sure, your rWC is competent?

Incorporate ISO 14731: Welding Coordination – Tasks and Responsibilities, into your quality management system. This is the only way to ensure that an rWC is competent to discharge their responsibilities. The standard provides specific guidelines on the general and specialised technical knowledge required of an rWC, as well as the specific knowledge (comprehensive, specific, and basic) they need to meet the requirements of standards such as, ISO 3834, EN 1090 and EN 15085.

A common misconception is that an individual is required to have a specific qualification or certification to be an rWC. This is incorrect. There is no specific qualification or certification required to be named an rWC. Rather, an individual has to demonstrate their competence to carry out the responsibilities of an rWC. This competence is ascertained during an assessment, and there are various combinations of different qualifications, certifications, and work experience, that can be viewed collectively in order to show compliance.

What if I you don’t have a member of your organisation that can meet the competence requirements?

The role of the rWC can be subcontracted, and individuals can often be the rWC for multiple different organisations. However, the ultimate responsibility for welding coordination still remains with you, the manufacturer. The subcontracted rWC must still be assessed as competent (even if they are acting in the same capacity for another organisation) and have the appropriate authority within your organisation to discharge their responsibilities as mandated by the relevant standard.

The role of rWC is not portable. Should an rWC change employers and seek to be an rWC within their new company, they would have to be assessed again. This is to ensure competence within the confines of their new organisation, the requirements of that organisations scope, and the relevant standard.

More information about the certifications available from TWI Certification Ltd (TWI CL) can be found on our website, or if you have any questions about rWCs please contact us.

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