PB 03-273-99 PDF

Full title and description

PB 03-273-99 — "Правила аттестации сварщиков и специалистов сварочного производства" (Rules for attestation / qualification of welders and welding-production specialists). The document defines the system, levels and procedures for certification (attestation) of welders and welding-production specialists who perform fabrication, reconstruction, erection and repair of equipment and facilities subject to state industrial supervision.

Abstract

These Rules set out required levels of professional training, minimum education and preliminary preparation, rights and responsibilities of certified personnel, and the procedural steps for primary, additional, periodic and extraordinary attestation of welders and welding-production specialists (including test types, reference welds and documentation). The Rules were intended for use by attestation bodies, employers, training centres and occupational safety/regulatory authorities overseeing welding work on industrial and technically controlled objects.

General information

• Status: In force (subject to scheduled cancellation noted by later government acts; see FAQ).
• Publication date: Introduced into force 15 January 2000 (approved 30 October 1998; registered with the Ministry of Justice 4 March 1999).
• Publisher: Approved and issued by Gosgortekhnadzor / Federal Mining and Industrial Supervision of Russia (the federal supervisory authority that developed and promulgated the Rules).
• ICS / categories: ICS 25.160 (Welding, brazing and soldering) — specifically the subfields covering welders' qualifications and attestation.
• Edition / version: PB 03-273-99 (original text approved 1998 / in force 2000); later consolidated editions and amendments exist (amendment Rev.1 — 2012 and subsequent editorial updates in publisher collections).
• Number of pages: Typical published editions range from about 20–30 pages depending on publisher/format (many library/catalogue records list 23 pages; some consolidated editions list up to ~30 pages).

Scope

The Rules apply to welders and welding-production specialists who perform welding and surfacing works by fusion (manual, mechanized, semi-automatic and automatic methods) on equipment, structures and piping under the supervision of the state industrial safety authority. They establish who must be attested, the types of attestation (primary, additional, periodic, extraordinary), criteria for test tasks and reference welds, permitted welding methods/positions, documentation and issuing of attestation certificates.

Key topics and requirements

• Definition of professional training levels and the single attestation level awarded to certified welders (I level — attested welder).
• Types of attestation: primary, additional, periodic and extraordinary; conditions for each.
• Requirements for theoretical and practical training, minimum production experience for different welding methods.
• Specification of test tasks, reference welds, test procedures and acceptance criteria (visual, dimensional, and where required — non-destructive testing).
• Documentation, attestation records and issuance of attestation certificates/ID indicating permitted methods, materials, positions and scopes of work.
• Rights and responsibilities of attested personnel and obligations of attestation centres and employers.

Typical use and users

Regulatory/oversight bodies, independent attestation and certification centres, employers in fabrication and construction (boilers, pressure equipment, pipelines, industrial installations), training schools for welders, HR and quality departments responsible for personnel qualification and compliance with industrial safety supervision requirements.

Related standards

Linked normative documents include the technological regulation for conducting attestation (PB 03-278-99) and various RD (methodological) documents that detail procedures, test methods and application recommendations (for example RD 03-series documents used alongside PB 03-273-99). The Rules interact with other industrial safety and welding technical regulations and standards referenced in attestation procedures.

Keywords

welders; attestation; qualification; certification; welding production; welding tests; reference welds; Gosgortekhnadzor; industrial safety; PB 03-273-99.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: PB 03-273-99 is a Russian regulatory Rules document setting out the attestation (qualification/certification) system for welders and welding-production specialists involved in work subject to state industrial supervision.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers required training and experience levels, the types and procedures of attestation (primary, additional, periodic, extraordinary), testing requirements (practical and theoretical), documentation and issuance of attestation certificates that specify allowable methods, materials and positions.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Employers, attestation/certification centres, welding training organisations, regulatory and industrial safety authorities, and quality/HR departments responsible for ensuring welders are qualified for controlled industrial work.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: As of 28 February 2026 the document remains in force in its consolidated form, but it is listed among normative acts affected by Government Resolution No. 2355 (and subsequent amendments). That legislative package schedules the repeal/withdrawal of certain federal normative acts; published legal information indicates PB 03-273-99 is set to be rescinded according to that timetable (scheduled changes are shown in government/legal registries). Users should verify the legal status on or after 1 March 2026 for the final effect of the repeal.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — PB 03-273-99 is part of a set of PB and associated RD documents governing attestation and industrial safety in welding (for example PB 03-278-99 — technological regulation for conducting attestation — and various RD 03‑xxx methodological documents that expand on test methods and application practice).

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Welders, attestation, qualification, certification, welding production, reference welds, testing procedures, Gosgortekhnadzor, PB 03-273-99.