The weight of steel and the people who carry it at Aker Verdal

“There is so much production that you cannot stand behind every welder at all times. That is why the reporting system is essential”

Per Gunnar Johansen, Level III Inspector at Aker Solutions

A Workplace Carried Across Generations

Per, tell me a bit about yourself and your time at Aker.

“I’m 59 years old, and I’ve been with Aker for 41 years now. I started here in 1984, and honestly, I’ve been here ever since. I’ve never tried any other company, not because I couldn’t, but because it has always been a very good place to work. I’ve travelled with Aker and visited many other companies, and every time I felt that Aker was where I wanted to stay. The environment, the people, the work – it all fit me. So I stayed, year after year, and suddenly it’s been more than four decades.”  

Your family has a long history with the company. How did that start?

“It began with my father. He started here in 1969. I came in 15 years later, in 1984. Now my own son works here too. He first joined Aker at 18 as a pipe fitter and welder, and later moved into NDT. Today, he’s NDT responsible and on Level III. 

One of my daughters also works in logistics at Aker. So, we have been with the same company for three generations. For us, it working in the same company just happened naturally; we grew up around the company, and the workplace has always been a stable part of our lives.”

Can you walk me through your career path and what your current role looks like as a Level III?

“I began my career here in 1984 at the age of 18, starting in production as a plate fitter before moving into the NDT department in 1991, where I worked until 1999. 
When Aker reduced its workforce by approximately 400 people at the end of 1999, I left NDT and worked as a sheet metal foreman in the “jacket area” from 2000 to 2008.  After eight years as a foreman, I moved back into NDT under Vitec AS. Following Aker’s acquisition of Vitec AS two and a half years ago, the companies are once again part of the same organization.  Today, I serve as a Level III, holding an RT certification. Over the years, I have been responsible for all X-ray activities and still support that area when needed, while my main focus in the Level III role is handling standards, interpretations, and technical decisions, drawing on everything I’ve learned throughout my career.”

How is the NDT department organized today, and how does the inspection flow work across the yard?

“We have a large NDT department with a range of methods depending on the need, and because the activity level is high, the team has grown over the years. Each area has its own responsibilities and coordinators, and inspectors work according to the requirements for MT, UT, RT, or VT, as defined by the system or standard."