MISUSE AND MISREPRESENTATION
OF THE ASNT LOGO
Welcome to Material Evaluation’s quarterly column on
ethics in nondestructive testing (NDT). This month, we
will discuss ethics regarding the misuse of ASNT’s logo.
We addressed this subject in August 2024, and we had
a multitude of responses on the subject of ASNT’s logo.
For this month’s column, we decided to publish one of
the letters sent to ASNT in October 2024, written by
Michael T. Corbett, Sales Engineer for DÜRR NDT GmbH &Co. KG.
Introduction
Nondestructive testing (NDT) is critical
in almost every industry. NDT reduces
costs, ensures safety and reliability, and
enhances quality assurance. Regular
inspection is used for asset integrity
management, and NDT helps identify
potential environmental hazards.
There are many industry regulations,
codes, and even laws that mandate
NDT on components to ensure that
they are operating reliably and safely.
The American Society of Mechanical
Engineers (ASME) and American
Petroleum Institute (API), for example,
have several codes and standards that
shall be followed. These codes and
standards outline the rules and require-
ments for NDT including the qualification
of NDT personnel. All the previously
mentioned standards specify that the
American Society for Nondestructive
Testing (ASNT) be followed for the qualifi-
cation and certification of NDT personnel.
History of ASNT
The American Industrial Radium and
X-ray Society Inc. was founded in 1941
prior to WWII when Philip B. Johnson,
along with eight of his colleagues, recog-
nized the need to form an association
to serve the needs of the radiographic
profession. Later they changed their
name to the Society for Non-Destructive
Testing. In 1967 the name was again
changed to the American Society for
Nondestructive Testing (ASNT), which is
what we know it as today. ASNT has over
17 000 members and certificate holders
and has become the most recognized
name globally for not only personnel
certification but for the publication of
materials and information on NDT.
Misuse of the ASNT Logo
We have already established that ASNT
is the most recognized name globally for
personnel certification and NDT materials
and information, and because of that, it
is critical that the use of any of the ASNT
names and marks must be limited. Only
ASNT Certification Services (a subsidiary
of ASNT) or other authorized persons
may issue an ASNT NDT credential
bearing the ASNT name and logo.
There have been many examples of
where this has not been the case and the
ASNT name or logo has been misused.
Some were intentional, like an example
given in the August 2024 edition of
Materials Evaluation where a Corporate
Level III altered their NDT certification
record to state they were certified as
an ASNT NDT Level III in five different
methods. Then there are examples of
unintentional use of the ASNT, which I
can speak to personally.
Before I give you my example, let me
give you a little background. In 2010,
our Level III took an expat assignment
overseas. With his new assignment, I was
given the opportunity to fill his shoes
and take the ASNT NDT Level III exam.
I flew to Columbus, Ohio, that year, for
Level III Basic and liquid penetrant testing
(PT), and then one year later, I took and
passed the Level III exam at an exam
partner in Anaheim, California. I was then
promoted to Level III and was now in
charge of our certification and qualifica-
tion process. At the time it was not very
difficult since our previous Level III had
already developed the written practice
for the qualification and certification of
NDT personnel, most of the NDT inspec-
tion procedures, and the internal training
and certification templates. Some of
these internal training certificates bore
the ASNT logo, and at the time that may
not have been a problem, but it would
become so in the future.
Prior to the pandemic we became very
busy, and we had a large backlog at our
NDT lab. To help reduce the backlog, we
decided to give a limited certification to
an operator from the production floor
to assist with reviewing rework and veri-
fication radiographs. Once the operator
had sufficient experience and training,
I issued them an internal training docu-
ment—the same template that bore the
ASNT logo. At the time it did not occur
to me that this was a direct violation of
both ASNT Policy G-14, “Use of the ASNT
Name and ASNT Marks,” and O-03,
“Member Code of Ethics.”
Policy G-14, Section 6.7, addresses the
sanctions for unauthorized use of ASNT
marks, and in Section 6.7.1, it states: “If
ASNT, in its sole discretion, deems any
use of an ASNT mark to be in violation
of this Policy, ASNT will communicate
the nature of the violation to the Affiliate
Program company of record and/or
the legal person responsible for such
use and demand that such use cease.”
Section 6.7.2 states: “If such use does
not cease within the time limit deemed
reasonable by ASNT, then such company
of record and/or legal person shall be
subject to the following sanctions: termi-
nation of membership in ASNT and loss
SCOPE
|
NDTETHICS
62
M A T E R I A L S E V A L U A T I O N • F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 5
2502 ME Feb.indd 62 1/23/25 1:21 PM
OF THE ASNT LOGO
Welcome to Material Evaluation’s quarterly column on
ethics in nondestructive testing (NDT). This month, we
will discuss ethics regarding the misuse of ASNT’s logo.
We addressed this subject in August 2024, and we had
a multitude of responses on the subject of ASNT’s logo.
For this month’s column, we decided to publish one of
the letters sent to ASNT in October 2024, written by
Michael T. Corbett, Sales Engineer for DÜRR NDT GmbH &Co. KG.
Introduction
Nondestructive testing (NDT) is critical
in almost every industry. NDT reduces
costs, ensures safety and reliability, and
enhances quality assurance. Regular
inspection is used for asset integrity
management, and NDT helps identify
potential environmental hazards.
There are many industry regulations,
codes, and even laws that mandate
NDT on components to ensure that
they are operating reliably and safely.
The American Society of Mechanical
Engineers (ASME) and American
Petroleum Institute (API), for example,
have several codes and standards that
shall be followed. These codes and
standards outline the rules and require-
ments for NDT including the qualification
of NDT personnel. All the previously
mentioned standards specify that the
American Society for Nondestructive
Testing (ASNT) be followed for the qualifi-
cation and certification of NDT personnel.
History of ASNT
The American Industrial Radium and
X-ray Society Inc. was founded in 1941
prior to WWII when Philip B. Johnson,
along with eight of his colleagues, recog-
nized the need to form an association
to serve the needs of the radiographic
profession. Later they changed their
name to the Society for Non-Destructive
Testing. In 1967 the name was again
changed to the American Society for
Nondestructive Testing (ASNT), which is
what we know it as today. ASNT has over
17 000 members and certificate holders
and has become the most recognized
name globally for not only personnel
certification but for the publication of
materials and information on NDT.
Misuse of the ASNT Logo
We have already established that ASNT
is the most recognized name globally for
personnel certification and NDT materials
and information, and because of that, it
is critical that the use of any of the ASNT
names and marks must be limited. Only
ASNT Certification Services (a subsidiary
of ASNT) or other authorized persons
may issue an ASNT NDT credential
bearing the ASNT name and logo.
There have been many examples of
where this has not been the case and the
ASNT name or logo has been misused.
Some were intentional, like an example
given in the August 2024 edition of
Materials Evaluation where a Corporate
Level III altered their NDT certification
record to state they were certified as
an ASNT NDT Level III in five different
methods. Then there are examples of
unintentional use of the ASNT, which I
can speak to personally.
Before I give you my example, let me
give you a little background. In 2010,
our Level III took an expat assignment
overseas. With his new assignment, I was
given the opportunity to fill his shoes
and take the ASNT NDT Level III exam.
I flew to Columbus, Ohio, that year, for
Level III Basic and liquid penetrant testing
(PT), and then one year later, I took and
passed the Level III exam at an exam
partner in Anaheim, California. I was then
promoted to Level III and was now in
charge of our certification and qualifica-
tion process. At the time it was not very
difficult since our previous Level III had
already developed the written practice
for the qualification and certification of
NDT personnel, most of the NDT inspec-
tion procedures, and the internal training
and certification templates. Some of
these internal training certificates bore
the ASNT logo, and at the time that may
not have been a problem, but it would
become so in the future.
Prior to the pandemic we became very
busy, and we had a large backlog at our
NDT lab. To help reduce the backlog, we
decided to give a limited certification to
an operator from the production floor
to assist with reviewing rework and veri-
fication radiographs. Once the operator
had sufficient experience and training,
I issued them an internal training docu-
ment—the same template that bore the
ASNT logo. At the time it did not occur
to me that this was a direct violation of
both ASNT Policy G-14, “Use of the ASNT
Name and ASNT Marks,” and O-03,
“Member Code of Ethics.”
Policy G-14, Section 6.7, addresses the
sanctions for unauthorized use of ASNT
marks, and in Section 6.7.1, it states: “If
ASNT, in its sole discretion, deems any
use of an ASNT mark to be in violation
of this Policy, ASNT will communicate
the nature of the violation to the Affiliate
Program company of record and/or
the legal person responsible for such
use and demand that such use cease.”
Section 6.7.2 states: “If such use does
not cease within the time limit deemed
reasonable by ASNT, then such company
of record and/or legal person shall be
subject to the following sanctions: termi-
nation of membership in ASNT and loss
SCOPE
|
NDTETHICS
62
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2502 ME Feb.indd 62 1/23/25 1:21 PM
