Appendix A. Standards for Organizations that Provide Radi- ography Certification

Note: For purposes of this Article an “independent certifying orga- nization” means an organization that meets all of the criteria in this Appendix.

I.  Requirements for an Organization that Provides Radiographer Certification

To qualify to provide radiographer certification an organization shall:

A.      Be a society or association, with members who participate in, or have an interest in, the field of industrial radiography;

B.       Not restrict membership because of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, or disability;

C.      Have a certification program that is open to nonmembers, as well as members;

D.      Be an incorporated, nationally recognized organization that is involved in setting national standards of practice within its fields of expertise;

E.       Have a staff comparable to other nationally recognized organi- zations, a viable system for financing its operations, and a pol- icy-and decision-making review board;

F.       Have a set of written, organizational by-laws and policies that address conflicts of interest and provide a system for monitor- ing and enforcing the by-laws and policies;

G.      Have a committee, with members who can carry out their responsibilities impartially, review and approve the certifica- tion guidelines and procedures, and advise the organization’s staff in implementing the certification program;

H.      Have a committee, with members who can carry out their responsibilities impartially, review complaints against certified individuals and determine sanctions;

I.        Have written procedures describing all aspects of the organiza- tion’s certification program;

J.        Maintain records of the current status of each individual’s cer- tification and administration of the certification program;

K.      Have procedures to ensure that certified individuals are pro- vided due process with respect to administration of the certifi- cation program, including a process for becoming certified and a process for imposing sanctions against certified individuals;

L.       Have procedures for proctoring examinations and qualifying proctors. The organization, through these procedures, shall ensure that an individual who proctors an examination is not employed by the same company or corporation (or a wholly- owned subsidiary of the company or corporation) that employs an examinee;

M.     Exchange information about certified individuals with the Agency, other independent certifying organizations, the NRC, or Agreement States and allow periodic review of its certifica- tion program and related records; and

N.      Provide a description to the Agency of its procedures for choosing examination sites and providing a favorable exam- ination environment.

II.  Requirements for a Certification Program

An independent certifying organization shall ensure that its certifi- cation program:

A.      Requires an applicant for certification to:

1.        Obtain training in the subjects listed in R12-1-543(G) or equivalent NRC or Agreement State regulations, and

2.        Satisfactorily complete a written examination that covers these subjects;

B.       Requires an applicant for certification to provide documenta- tion demonstrating that the applicant has:

1.        Received training in the subjects listed in R12-1-543(G) or equivalent NRC or Agreement State regulations;

2.        Satisfactorily completed the on-the-job training required in R12-1-543(A); and

3.        Received verification by an Agreement State or a NRC licensee that the applicant has demonstrated the capabil- ity of independently working as a radiographer;

C.      Provides procedures that protect examination questions from disclosure;

D.      Provides procedures for denying certification to an applicant and revoking, suspending, and reinstating a certificate;

E.       Provides a certification period that is not less than three years or more than five years, procedures for renewing certifications and, if the procedures allow renewals without examination, a system for assessing evidence of recent full-time employment and annual refresher training; and

F.       Provides a timely response to inquiries, by telephone or letter, from members of the public, about an individual’s certification status.

III.  Requirements for a Written Examination

An independent certifying organization shall ensure that its exam- ination:

A.      Is designed to test an individual’s knowledge and understand- ing of the subjects listed in R12-1-543(G);

B.       Is written in a multiple-choice format; and

C.      Has psychometrically valid questions drawn from a question bank and based on the material in R12-1-543(G).

Historical Note

New Appendix made by final rulemaking at 10 A.A.R.

2122, effective July 3, 2004 (Supp. 04-2).