Carbon arc-air gouging is a standard technology for repairing defects in welded structures. The skill of weld gouging operators is equally important, as the skill of welders involved in welding and weld rectification is essential. The skill of gouging operators is considered necessary considering their capability to identify defects during gouging, optimized gouging to avoid joint damage of puncher, process safety etc. but no established documentation or standards are available which will give

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... uidelines to fabricators to judge the skill of gouging operators through proper skill assessment and certification. This work presents detailed guidelines for skill assessment and certification of gouging operators for fabricators to refer. Parameters consisting of safety, preoperational check, technique, defect identification & post-gouging operation checks have been considered for gouging. The skill assessment process involves observation, asking questions & physical sample testing and scoring of individual points of the questioner, which is multiplying factor of weightage & score obtained. Weightage needs to be adjusted by individual fabricators considering their criticality of operation. A standardized matrix has been established.