EN 13018: Non-Destructive Testing - Visual Testing
European standard for visual inspection methods and procedures, equivalent to ISO 17637.
The European Committee for Standardization (CEN) publishes EN standards that are adopted as national standards across the EU and EFTA.
EN standards underpin the Pressure Equipment Directive (2014/68/EU) and are mandatory for CE-marking in the EU; outside the EU they remain widely used as accepted technical references.
EN 13018 is invoked when the scope of work matches its title — non-destructive testing - visual testing — and when the contract or regulatory regime cites it as the controlling document.
Methods covered
Industries
- All Industries
- Personnel qualification: examinations under EN 13018 must be performed by inspectors qualified and certified to a recognised scheme (typically ASNT SNT-TC-1A, CP-189, or ISO 9712 depending on jurisdiction), with documented training hours, vision tests, and a controlling written practice.
- Written procedure: every examination requires a written, controlled procedure that names the method, equipment, calibration steps, scanning pattern, and acceptance criteria — and is qualified before first use.
- Acceptance criteria: indications are evaluated against the standard's tabulated limits (length, depth, alignment, frequency); any indication exceeding the criteria is recorded, dispositioned, and either repaired or evaluated for fitness-for-service.
- Documentation: examination reports must include enough information for a third party to reproduce the inspection — equipment serial numbers, calibration records, inspector ID, sketches of indications, and the controlling procedure revision.
EN standards are managed under CEN's revision cycle and are republished as the European harmonised version of an ISO document where one exists. Updates to EN 13018 flow into the harmonised standards list under the relevant EU directive (e.g. PED 2014/68/EU); compliance with the latest harmonised version provides a presumption of conformity with the directive's essential requirements.
On a typical All Industries job, EN 13018 is reproduced inside the inspection company's written procedure, the procedure is qualified for the customer, and each examination report cites the procedure revision back to the controlling clause of the standard.
What does EN 13018 cover?
EN 13018 (Non-Destructive Testing - Visual Testing) is published by CEN. European standard for visual inspection methods and procedures, equivalent to ISO 17637..
Is EN 13018 mandatory or voluntary?
EN 13018 is a consensus standard. It becomes mandatory when invoked by a contract, by another code that cites it (for example ASME Section V calling out an ASTM practice), or by a regulator that has adopted it into law in a specific jurisdiction.
Who is qualified to perform inspections under EN 13018?
Inspections under EN 13018 must be performed by personnel qualified and certified to a recognised NDT certification scheme — most commonly ASNT SNT-TC-1A or CP-189 in the United States, ISO 9712 in much of the rest of the world, and NAS 410 for aerospace work. The written practice that controls qualification must be in place before any examination is started.
Which other standards are commonly cited alongside EN 13018?
EN 13018 is most often cited together with the parent code that brings it into the contract — typically ASME Section V or VIII for U.S. pressure equipment, AWS D1.1 for structural welding, API 510/570/653 for in-service petroleum equipment, or the matching EN/ISO standard for European and international work.
Standard Code
EN 13018
Organization
CEN
Methods Covered
1 method(s)
Industries
1 sector(s)
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