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The quality of above ground surveys to inspect the Cathodic Protection and the Protective Coating on a buried pipeline depends upon the training, understanding and diligence of the people carrying out the work. Unfortunately at present there exists no specific assessment as to the “fitness to survey “ of the personnel who actually walk the pipeline to gather the data. The client has little knowledge of the authenticity and quality of the results from such surveys and upon which multi million dollar rehabilitation decisions are made. Garbage data into the decision making process will result, as has already happened, in the wrong pipeline or wrong location being excavated for repair with budget over-runs or less effective rehabilitation for the money spent, being common.
Recognising the importance of Surveyor Education and skills has led a sister company, D C Voltage Gradient Technology and Supply Ltd. to take the lead by the introduction of a Surveyors Accreditation Scheme based on 4 levels of competence initially for the application of the D C Voltage Gradient Survey Technique.
Level 1 :- Basic training with 5 day Theoretical and Practical course.
Level 2 :- Intermediate - with a minimum of 1000 Km of survey work under supervision as part of a team.
Level 3 :- Advanced - as a Project Engineer leading a team and carrying out full project data analysis and reporting to the client.
Level 4 :- Expert - capable of training others and having extensive project supervision etc. - (typically 10,000 Km of survey).
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