THE APPLIED INSPECTION
NEWSLETTER

Issue No. 88 - December 2001

FROM THE EDITOR

BINDT Yorkshire Branch Dinner
Clive Millard, Ivan Hutson, Steve Wilkes, Bob Theaker, John Morris, Lew Devine, Mark Skelland, Keith Dashper and Lee Armstrong attended a British Institute of NDT dinner event. The goals were to have a good evening and raise money for the Institute Benevolent Fund. Both goals were achieved.

Red Tape
A recent survey of SME (Small to Medium Sized Enterprise) directors by the Small Business Research Trust revealed that their greatest source of frustration is complying with regulations. Quotation

At Applied Inspection we echo this view. But at the same time, we feel that it is our ability to comply with the mass of regulations inflicted upon us that gives us a competitive advantage. Our policy is to attack the source of the problem, government agencies etc, whilst at the same time ensuring that we comply with all regulations imposed upon us. However, in general health & safety and environmental issues are excluded. We view both these areas as essential to the well being of our staff and the general public, and we will not compromise where they are concerned.

The Small Business Research Trust is based at the Open University Business School and is sponsored by Lloyds TSB. It has a web site at www.sbrt.co.uk.

Quotation
"Trust yourself, then you will know how to live."

Goethe

PERSONNEL

Welcome
To Geoff Booth who started at Burton during November. Geoff is very well known in the NDT world, previously working at PCN and British Rail. Amongst his many NDT approvals he holds ASNT NDT Level III in Ultrasonics, Eddy-current Testing, Magnetic Testing and Penetrant Testing, and PCN Level III in Ultrasonics (Welds), Ultrasonics (Railway Axles - H1 and H2), Magnetic Testing (General) and Penetrant Testing (General).

Congratulations
To Fred Hawksworth, Richard Ringrose, Ian Harrison, Graham Stapleton, David Swain, Tom Leary, Haigh Buckley and Ben Clamp who all passed PCN level 2 Magnetic Testing.

To Fred Hawksworth, Ian Harrison, Graham Stapleton and Haigh Buckley who all passed PCN level 2 Penetrant Testing.

To David Swain and Tom Leary who passed examinations in ultrasonic rail testing, categories U1 and U2.

To Ian Harrison and Graham Stapleton who both passed ASNT Level 2 MPI.

To Martin Stansfield who has successfully completed a Basic Slinging and Rigging training course and a Lifting Tackle Inspection course.

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)
2000 - £270.00 (53 weeks)
January - June 2001 - £180.00 (26 Weeks)
July 2001 - £40.00 (4 weeks)
August 2001 - £10.00 (4 weeks)
September 2001 - £30.00 (5 weeks)
6 October 2001 - £20.00
13 October 2001 - £10.00
20 October 2001 - £0.00
27 October 2001 - £0.00
3 November 2001 - £10.00
10 November 2001 - £0.00
17 November 2001 - £0.00
24 November 2001 - £72.00
Any errors in the above list will be corrected as soon as possible.

Joke of the Month
Five surgeons were taking a coffee break one morning. The first surgeon said, "Accountants are the best people to operate on because when you open them up, everything inside is numbered."

The second surgeon said, "Nah, librarians are the best, because everything inside them is in alphabetical order."

The third responds, "You ought to take a look inside an electrician, they are all colour coded!"

The fourth surgeon intercedes, "I like operating on engineers, because they always understand if you have a few parts left over at the end!"

To which the fifth surgeon, who has been quietly listening to the conversation, adds, "You're all quite wrong. Lawyers are the easiest to operate on because they have no guts, no heart, no spine and their heads and backsides are inter-changeable!"

Ted and Ev Rowland

QUALITY & TRAINING

Standards and Specifications
ASTM E 709 - 01, Standard Guide for Magnetic Particle Examination, has superseded ASTM E 709 - 95.

ASME B31.3b-2001 Addenda to ASME B31.3-1999 Edition, Process Piping, has been issued. Date of issuance was August 31, 2001 and the date at which it becomes mandatory is March 1, 2002.

ASME Sections V and IX, 2001 ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, have now been purchased. Date of issuance was July 1, 2001 and the date at which they become mandatory is January, 2002.

BS EN ISO 3059: 2001, Non-destructive testing - Penetrant testing and magnetic particle testing - Viewing conditions, has superseded BS 4489: 1984, which is withdrawn.

BS EN ISO 9001: 2000 - Third Party Auditing
There will always be at least six procedures to check for compliance related to essential control aspects of the Quality Management System (QMS). However, in many cases the management will have decided to raise additional procedures, for example those considered by the management as essential to the QMS or to control processes.

The setting of QMS objectives is given a greater emphasis in the new standard. Such quality objectives will be looked at by the third party auditor, but failure to attain given targets is unlikely to justify a 'non-compliance', unless there is evidence that no attempt has been made to achieve them.

Third party auditors should interview top management to ascertain commitment to the QMS, and objective evidence should be sought that the organisation is focusing on continual improvement.

NDT Training
The answers to the questions on Eddy-current Testing in last month's NEWSLETTER are as follows:

1) C     2) D      3) B     4) C     

Here are some more questions, this time on Magnetic Testing:

1. The permeability of a material describes:

     A. The ease with which it can be magnetized.
     B. The depth of the magnetic field in the part.
     C. The length of time required to demagnetize it.
     D. The ability to retain the magnetic field.

2. The retentivity of a material describes:

     A. The ease with which it can be magnetized.
     B. The depth of the magnetic field in the part.
     C. The length of time required to demagnetize it.
     D. The ability to retain the magnetic field.

3. Magnetic flux lines which are parallel to a discontinuity produce:

     A. Strong indications.
     B. Weak indications.
     C. No indications.
     D. Fuzzy indications.

4. A part is adaptable to magnetic particle inspection if:

     A. It is attached to an electrostatic field.
     B. The material is ferromagnetic.
     C. The material is non-ferrous.
     D. The material is an electric conductor.

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 Mission statement. We welcome comments and/or suggestions from staff in relation to any company policy statement. Please contact any director or e-mail us through the company web site.

Mission Statement
Our mission is to make Applied Inspection the best service inspection company in the world. We will provide our customers with a high quality NDT service at an economic price through an ongoing system of quality improvements in all areas of the company's activities. We will promote co-operation internally between divisions and individuals and externally between our staff and our customers and suppliers. The company's intention is to continually strive for higher levels of:

Quality improvements will be achieved through education and training leading to greater empowerment of the workforce.

The strength of the whole workforce is the most effective way of meeting or exceeding the requirements of all of our customers, enabling us to become the best of the best.

HEALTH & SAFETY

Prostate Problems
Only men have a prostate gland, and when they go wrong they cause problems. About 2.5 million men in the UK have symptoms that could be due to prostate problems.

There are three main types of prostate problem:

Some prostate problems are more serious than others. The most common one, BPH, is usually less serious, though it can still be uncomfortable.

Next month we will look at the first two above, BHP and Prostatitis. The following month we will look at Prostate Cancer. If you don't want to wait, sources of information are available from NHS Direct, telephone 0845 4647; on the internet at www.malehealth.co.uk; and from the Prostate Cancer Charity Confidential Helpline, telephone 0845 300 8383 - staffed by experienced nurses.

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 28/11/2001

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