HSE has investigated a number of instances where the NDT has been falsified, mainly at the fabrication stage. Welds have not been thoroughly tested and/or the results have beenmisrepresented.
Metallic structures fabricated by welding are prone to defects, such as inclusions, porosities and cracking. The absence of significant defects is assured, at the construction phase, by NDT of the welded joints. This assurance of significant defects is often achieved by radiography - the weld can be examined for internal defects using an X-ray or radioactive source and a suitable medium (plate or film). During a large-scale steam boiler construction which required hundreds of internal tube welds and thousands of radiograph images, instances of film duplication were noticed by an inspector. Further investigation revealed large-scale falsification of weld images and shortcuts taken to reduce the time spent on site. | 
