30 C.F.R. § 250.917 – What are the CVA's primary duties during the fabrication phase?

(a) The CVA must use good engineering judgment and practices in conducting an independent assessment of the fabrication activities. The CVA must monitor the fabrication of the platform or major modification to ensure that it has been built according to the approved design and the fabrication plan. If the CVA finds that fabrication procedures are changed or design specifications are modified, the CVA must inform you. If you accept the modifications, then the CVA must so inform the Regional Supervisor.

(b) Primary duties of the CVA during the fabrication phase include the following:

Type of facility . . .	The CVA must . . .
(1) For all fixed platforms and non-ship-shaped floating facilities,	Make periodic onsite inspections while fabrication is in progress and must verify the following fabrication items, as appropriate:
	(i) Quality control by lessee and builder;
	(ii) Fabrication site facilities;
	(iii) Material quality and identification methods;
	(iv) Fabrication procedures specified in the approved plan, and adherence to such procedures;
	(v) Welder and welding procedure qualification and identification;
	(vi) Structural tolerances specified and adherence to those tolerances;
	(vii) The nondestructive examination requirements, and evaluation results of the specified examinations;
	(viii) Destructive testing requirements and results;
	(ix) Repair procedures;
	(x) Installation of corrosion-protection systems and splash-zone protection;
	(xi) Erection procedures to ensure that overstressing of structural members does not occur;
	(xii) Alignment procedures;
	(xiii) Dimensional check of the overall structure, including any turrets, turret-and-hull interfaces, any mooring line and chain and riser tensioning line segments; and
	(xiv) Status of quality-control records at various stages of fabrication.
(2) For all floating facilities,	Ensure that the requirements of the U.S. Coast Guard floating for structural integrity and stability, e.g., verification of center of gravity, etc., have been met. The CVA must also consider:
	(i) Drilling, production, and pipeline risers, and riser tensioning systems (at least for the initial fabrication of these elements);
	(ii) Turrets and turret-and-hull interfaces;
	(iii) Foundation pilings and templates, and anchoring systems; and
	(iv) Mooring or tethering systems.

(c) The CVA must submit interim reports and a final report to the Regional Supervisor, and to you, during the fabrication phase in accordance with the approved schedule required by § 250.911(d). In each interim and final report the CVA must:
1. (1) Give details of how, by whom, and when the independent monitoring activities were conducted;
2. (2) Describe the CVA's activities during the verification process;
3. (3) Summarize the CVA's findings;
4. (4) Confirm or deny compliance with the design specifications and the approved fabrication plan;
5. (5) In the final CVA report, make a recommendation to accept or reject the fabrication unless such a recommendation has been previously made in an interim report; and
6. (6) Provide any additional comments that the CVA deems necessary.