THE APPLIED INSPECTION
NEWSLETTER

Issue No. 80 - April 2001

FROM THE EDITOR

IT Acronyms
We all seem to be using terms like WWW and DVD when referring to new technology, but do we know what they mean?

Here is a short test. Give it a try and see how you go.

1. WWW6. SMS
2. ISP7. GSM
3. WAP8. VPL
4. IT9. DVD
5. URL10. OYWH

Perhaps I should mention that numbers 1 to 9 are IT related, and 10 is NDT related. Answers next month.

PERSONNEL

Congratulations
To Paul Burton and his wife Debbie on the birth of their baby boy Daniel Joseph. He was born on Saturday 24 March at 1.12 AM and weighed in at 9 lbs 3 oz.

More Congratulations
Congratulations to Mark Skelland on two counts. He has completed a railway Axle Testing training course then passed the examination, and on 18 March 2001 he completed 10 years service with Applied Inspection.

John Greenan has completed a railway Axle Testing training course and has reached the required standard.

Steve Redshaw 40 Not Out
Steve reached the grand old age of 40 on 23 March. He celebrated by going out for a meal locally, and he and Lynne are spending a weekend at the Hilton hotel, London.

Lynne and the children placed a 'Congratulations' advert in the Matlock Mercury with a picture of Steve at age 21. He had permed hair, all the rage at the time, but a good source of amusement to friends and family 19 years on.

Overseas
During the last 12 months Applied Inspection staff have carried out overseas work in various parts of the world. Here are the details, although some have made more than one visit to the countries listed:

Kim Sharp - Qatar, Nigeria, Ireland.
Alan Bartlett - Nigeria, Egypt, Qatar, Holland.
John Greenan - Nigeria.
Paul Johnstone - Germany.
Mark Skelland - USA.

The National Lottery
Dawn Andrews at Holmewood and Keith Dashper at Cleckheaton run the Applied Inspection lottery syndicate. There are currently 33 members who each pay £1.00 per week (stopped at source) which is put on the Saturday lottery. Anyone who is not a member, and who would like to join, should contact Dawn or Keith.

Our winnings to date are as follows:
1995 - £160.00 (40 weeks)
1996 - £297.00 (52 weeks)
1997 - £220.00 (52 weeks)
1998 - £251.00 (52 weeks)
1999 - £290.00 (52 weeks)
January, 2000 - £50.00 (5 weeks)
February, 2000 - £30.00 (4 Weeks)
March, 2000 - £50.00 (4 weeks)
April, 2000 - £10.00 (5 weeks)
May, 2000 - £20.00 (4 weeks)
June, 2000 - £0.00 (4 weeks)
July, 2000 - £10.00 (5 weeks)
August, 2000 - £10.00 (4 weeks)
September, 2000 - £30.00 (5 weeks)
October, 2000 - £30.00 (4 weeks)
November, 2000 - £0.00 (4 weeks)
December, 2000 - £30.00 (5 weeks)
January, 2001 - £50.00
3 February, 2001 - £0.00
10 February, 2001 - £10.00
17 February, 2001 - £10.00
24 February, 2001 - £10.00
3 March 2001 - £10.00
10 March 2001 - £0.00
17 March 2001 - £0.00
24 March 2001 - £0.00
Any errors in the above list will be corrected as soon as possible.

Applied Inspection Sponsor Dinala

Dinala Mbewe

As you are aware from previous NEWSLETTERS, Applied Inspection already sponsors Maria Collazos from Bogata, Columbia. She is well and appreciates our sponsorship. We have now decided to sponsor a younger person and the above picture shows:

Dinala Mbewe - she is 7 years old and lives in Eastern Zambia with her family.

Our sponsorship will enable Dinala and her community to have a better standard of life, She lives in a mud brick hut with straw roof and helps out the family by collecting firewood. This is the family's fuel for cooking, heating and lighting.

Plan International is working within Dinala's Community to give them clean drinking water. At present Dinala's family walks 1km to fetch water from the well.

We are allowed to send Dinala a small present twice a year; we have sent her a t-shirt and a small toy. Unfortunately this can take up to 4 months to reach her.

Although our sponsorship is a small amount it makes a huge difference to people like Dinala. In her community it is a great honour to be sponsored by a company or person in the UK.

Hopefully we can watch Dinala growing up and get feedback on what our sponsorship means to her and her family and community.

For more information on either Dinala or Maria contact Ted Peake at our Burton Office.

Ted Peake

QUALITY & TRAINING

Standards and Specifications
BS EN 1011-1: 1998 and BS EN 1011-2: 2001 together have superseded BS 5135: 1984 which is now withdrawn.

BS EN ISO 9001: 2000
The ISO 9001: 1994 standard requires a quality manual and documented procedures for 18 of the 20 clauses. ISO 9001: 2000 is much less prescriptive, requiring the quality manual and six procedures as follows:

·   Clause 5.5.6 - control of documents
·   Clause 5.5.7 - control of quality records
·   Clause 8.2.2 - internal audit
·   Clause 8.3 - control of nonconformity
·   Clause 8.5.2 - corrective actions
·   Clause 8.5.3 - preventive actions

Apart from these, an organisation is free to decide what other documentation is required (procedures, work instructions, forms etc.) "… to ensure the effective operation and control of processes".

NDT Training
The answers to the questions on Magnetic Particle Inspection in last month's NEWSLETTER are as follows:

1) C     2) B      3) B     4) B     

Here are some more questions, this time on Visual Testing (VT):

1. The principal biological effect of infrared radiation is:

     A. thermal fatigue.
     B. hypothermia.
     C. blue hazard.
     D. ultraviolet hazard.

2. The light from common sources, particularly light from incandescent lamps, is often compared with light from a theoretical source. This theoretical source is called a:

     A. graybody.
     B. photometer.
     C. blackbody.
     D. light comparator.

3. The simultaneous comparison of a standard lamp and an unknown light source is called:

     A. absolute photometry.
     B. relative photometry.
     C. direct photometry.
     D. substitution photometry.

4. The measurement of radiant energy in the visible spectrum, based on a standard observer response, is called:

     A. photometry.
     B. spectrometry.
     C. geniometry.
     D. spectrodiometry.

Quality at Applied Inspection
Applied Inspection has a number of statements relating to its position on that subject. They are Vision, Mission, Quality, Training, Health & Safety, Environmental, Equal Opportunities and Alcohol & Drugs.

These statements are contained in the Company Rules booklet, available at each site on the Notice Board, and the Health & Safety booklet, issued to all employees. In addition, from time to time we also publish the statements in the NEWSLETTER. Here is our Quality Policy statement. We welcome comments and/or suggestions from staff in relation to any company policy statement. Please contact any Director or Email us through the company Website.

Quality Policy Statement:
It is the aim of the company to provide a service of the highest possible quality with particular emphasis on:

1. Standard of operator competence, qualification and certification;
2. Calibration of equipment and instruments;
3. Standard and accuracy of reporting;
4. Punctuality;
5. Setting and meeting realistic turn-round dates;
6. Continually improving the service we offer.

As part of our commitment to provide our customers with a quality inspection service we have implemented a system which satisfies the requirements of BS EN ISO 9002 : 1994.

The quality director is the appointed management representative who, irrespective of his other responsibilities has the authority and responsibility for ensuring that the requirements of the above standard are implemented and maintained.

The directors assign authority through all Managers, Supervisors and Senior Technicians to implement the requirements of the quality system in the laboratory and on site.

Joke of the Month
An examination paper read, "Give four uses of breast milk?" The student began to answer the question.

1. No need to boil.
2. Cats can't steal the milk.
3. Available whenever necessary.

But the forth point eluded him. When there was barely a couple of minutes to go the much required fourth point flashed to his mind.

4. Available in attractive containers.

From the Internet

HEALTH & SAFETY

Operatives Entering Confined Spaces
It is the responsibility of the Client to provide a safe working environment for contractors on his premises and it is the operator's responsibility to ensure his own safety and that of others in the vicinity. Therefore, when required to enter a confined space do the following:

· Assess the ventilation for the process to be carried out.
· Assess the escape routes.

If you consider that the ventilation or escape routes are inadequate do not enter the confined space, and immediately inform the Client of your requirements. If the Client is unable to fulfill your requirements contact your supervisor.

If the ventilation proves inadequate during the process vacate the confined space and consider the following:

· Alternative process (e.g. Water based, fluorescent method etc).
· Improve the ventilation.
· Reduce the periods of time spent in the confined space.

If you are in any doubt contact your supervisor.

CONTACTS

Holmewood, Derbyshire: Tel: 01246 851864 (3 Lines) Fax: 01246 852243
Burton, Staffordshire: Tel: 01283 515163 (3 Lines) Fax: 01283 539729
Cleckheaton, W Yorks: Tel/Fax: 01274 869900
Glasgow, Scotland: Tel/Fax: 0141 3355191
Internet Website: www.appliedinspection.co.uk

Published by: Applied Inspection Ltd., Holmewood, Chesterfield, UK. Editor: D K Thomas 28/03/2001

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