McElroy Discussion Forums

A Contractor has submitted a Certificate of Fusion Proficiency stating qualification of an individual as an operator of McElroy fusion equipment (Large Diameter Fusion School).
Will this certificate ever expire (no expiration date)?

Could you please expand on the performance during training required of the individual certified?

McElroy Fusion Training Schools teaches the safe and correct operation of our equipment, using the fusion paramaters of the Pipe Manufacurers material the student is using. It is then tested in accordance with one of the approved D.O.T.methods listed in Title 49 of the CTFR 192.283 - 285 - 287.
If the student meets all the criteria and joint testing passes, He is then given a ceritficate of course completion.

As for how long the certificate is good for is up to the system operator. In the Gas Industry a person generally must requalify every 12 months.
DOT makes this statement:
(c) A person must be requalified under an applicable procedure, if
during any 12-month period that person:
(1) Does not make any joints under that procedure; or
(2) Has 3 joints or 3 percent of the joints made, whichever is
greater, under that procedure that are found unacceptable by testing
under Sec. 192.513.

McElroy Manufacturing, Inc. recommends every 12 months.

Which DOT test is actually performed?

We first visually inspect the joint. If it does not pass visually the joint is rejected. If it passes the visual criteria it is then cut into strips and bent. If the samples passes then a certificate is issured to the student.

The re-qualification requirements do leave some ambiguity on what constitute acceptable fusion experience to maintain qualification. Under the guidelines of 192.285 and 192.287 a “qualified” person only needs to perform a single fusion joint every 12 months to maintain their status as “qualified”. This leads towards abuse especially if factored in training programs that may have been less thorough compared to MMI University training programs. Also include the situation of an installer who obtained a “qualified” status for a one-time project and maintains his qualifications year after year by completing a single joint.
I concur with McElroy on the concept that a requalification should be required every 12 months. Not only is this a good idea to brush up on ones skills, correct bad habits, and amend undesirable short cuts. But also it gives a great opportunity to update the "qualified" with new industry standards in equipment and pipe fusion procedures.