SAIW News: SAIW Level 3 NDT courses
SAIW reintroduced Level 3 NDT courses to its offering
• The Visual Testing (VT) Level 3 course covers the principles, techniques, and equipment used in visual inspection to detect surface defects. The course includes inspection procedures, evalu- ation and reporting, quality require- ments, and developments in visual testing. • The Penetrant Testing (PT) course pro- vides advanced knowledge of liquid penetrant testing for detecting surface- breaking defects. Topics include test- ing principles, equipment, inspection procedures, results evaluation, quality control, and safety considerations. • Magnetic Particle Testing (MT) Level 3 focuses on magnetic particle inspection for identifying surface and near-surface defects in ferromagnetic materials. The course covers testing principles, equipment, inspection procedures, evaluation, quality aspects, and safety considerations. • Ultrasonic Testing (UT) Level 3 develops expertise in ultrasonic inspection for de- tecting internal material defects. Train- ing covers the principles of ultrasonic testing, equipment operation, inspec- tion techniques, result interpretation and quality assurance. • Radiographic Testing (RT) provides advanced knowledge of radiographic testing for identifying internal defects in materials and welds. The course includes radiographic principles, equip- ment, inspection procedures, result interpretation, and quality aspects. At Level 3, technicians progress from per- forming inspections to designing inspec- tion plans, selecting and approving tech- niques, interpreting codes and standards, validating results, and taking responsibility for inspection outcomes.
Lemogang Maclean, SAIW’s Acting Training and Technical Manager, explains why the SAIW has reintroduced Level 3 NDT courses in Visual, Liquid Penetrant, Magnetic Particle, Ulrasonic and Radiographic Testing for 2026, motivated by the increasing need to secure the safety and integrity of new and in-service structures and industrial plants.
S outh Africa has an increasing num- ber of high-risk industrial sectors where structural integrity is es- sential. We therefore need NDT inspectors with the knowledge and skills to validate the integrity of the welded connections in these structures, to minimise the risk of expensive failure and, more importantly, the potential for loss of life. Safety is the key motivation for NDT. From a localisation perspective, offering Level 3 NDT training here at the SAIW also helps develop high-level technical exper- tise within the country, reducing reliance on external specialists and strengthening our national inspection capability. This is particularly relevant to key in- dustries the SAIW serves, including power
generation, oil and gas, petrochemical pro- cessing, mining, rail, pressure equipment and fabrication, where inspection reliability directly impacts safety, regulatory compli- ance and asset life. The new Level 3 courses on offer This year, we have introduced Level 3 courses in the common NDT Techniques: Penetrant Testing (PT), Magnetic Particle Testing (MT), Ultrasonic Testing (UT), Radio- graphic Testing (RT) and Visual Testing (VT). While these courses are not new, they have not been available locally over the past 4-5 years, so their reintroduction provides an important opportunity for professionals to upgrade their skills and progress into senior inspection roles.
This year, SAIW has introduced Level 3 courses in Penetrant Testing (PT), Magnetic Particle Testing (MT), Visual Testing (VT), Radiographic Testing (RT) and Ultrasonic Testing (UT).
6
March-April 2026
AFRICAN FUSION
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker