THE APPLIED INSPECTION
NEWSLETTER

Issue No. 77 - January 2001

FROM THE EDITOR

Xmas Dinner and Dance
This year's Christmas dinner and dance will be held at the New Bath Hotel, Matlock Bath, Derbyshire, on Saturday 23 December. There will be approximately 75 employees and guests who should arrive between 7.00 and 7.30 pm, finishing at about 1.00 am. Anyone who has an overnight room booked can arrive any time after 2.00 pm. The hotel has a heated indoor swimming pool, sauna and solarium. It is situated along side the A6 just south of Matlock Bath.

PERSONNEL

Welcome
Welcome to Fred Hawkesworth who joined the company last month. Fred is working at Applied Inspection's Burton facility carrying out Welder training in another joint venture with TWI.

Congratulations
To Paul Lemmon who has passed examinations in ultrasonic rail testing, categories U3 and U14. Paul has carried out rail testing since gaining the approval at various locations in the UK.

To David Baker who has passed PCN Level 2 Ultrasonic Testing (Welds) Critical Defect Sizing category.

To the following who have passed PCN Level 2 Ultrasonic Testing (Welds) initial examinations:
Kevin Armstrong - Categories 3.1 and 3.2
Scott Young - Category 3.2
Anthony Mitchell - Category 3.1
Jamie Bacon - Category 3.1
Mark Hutsby - Category 3.8

To the following who have passed PCN re-certification examinations:
Luke Urquart - RT Level 1 (Welds)
Paul Burton - RT Level 2 (Welds) and BRS
Ian Donaldson - BRS
Jamie Bacon - PT Level 2 (General)

Pool Tournament
The Applied Inspection Pool Knockout Tournament is nearing its conclusion. Two of the pre-tournament favourites, Paul Goss from Burton and Steve Wilkes from Chesterfield are through to the final. Paul has been hotly tipped to collect the £50 prize money, but Steve hasn't dropped a frame on his journey to the final.

Final: Paul Goss v Steve Wilkes

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)
4 November, 2000 - £0.00
11 November, 2000 - £0.00
18 November, 2000 - £0.00
25 November, 2000 - £0.00
2 December, 2000 - £0.00
9 December, 2000 - £20.00
16 December, 2000 - £10.00
An additional £150.00 has been spent from our winnings in an attempt to win the three roll over jackpots in 1996.
Any errors in the above list will be corrected as soon as possible.

INDISPENSABLE MAN
Sometime, when you are feeling important
Sometime, when your ego's in bloom
Sometime, when you take it for granted
You're the best qualified in the room

Sometime, when you feel that you're going
Would leave an unfillable hole
Just follow these simple instructions
And see how it humbles the soul

Take a bucket and fill it with water
Put your hand in up to the wrist
Pull it out, and the hole that's remaining
Is a measure of how you'll be missed

You may splash all you please when you enter
You can stir up the water galore
But stop, and you'll find in a minute
That it looks quite the same as before

The moral in this quaint example
Is to do just the best that you can
Be proud of yourself, but remember
There's no indispensable man!

Poem written by Saxon White Kessinger
(Submitted by Pat Slater)

QUALITY & TRAINING

Standards and Specifications
BS EN 473: 2000, Non-destructive testing - Qualification and certification of NDT personnel - General principles, has superseded BS EN 473: 1993 and PD 6606: 1997, which are now withdrawn. The standard came into effect on 15 December 2000.

One significant change in the standard is the clarification of the need for Level 3 certificate holders to maintain Level 2 in the same method. BS EN 473: 2000, para. 5.3.3.1 (e) states that an individual certified to Level 3 may "carry out and supervise all Level 1 and Level 2 duties". However, PCN still "strongly recommend" that a Level 3 should also hold Level 2 in the method in order to carry out Level 2 duties. BS EN ISO 9001: 2000, Quality management systems - Requirements supersedes BS EN ISO 9001/2/3: 1994, which are now obsolescent.

Note: 'Obsolescent' means 'becoming obsolete'. The old standards therefore remain in use until superseded by the new one. There will be more information on BS EN ISO 9001: 2000 in next month's NEWSLETTER.

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 Particle Inspection:

1. Ferromagnetic material is:

     A. Strongly attracted by a magnet.
     B. Capable of being magnetized.
     C. Both A and B.
     D. Not capable of being magnetized.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. Why are magnetic particles available in different colors?

     A. For color contrast with the part surface.
     B. To enhance the detection of indications.
     C. For both A and B.
     D. Different colors are used with different magnetic flux values.

Quality at Applied Inspection
As do most other companies, 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 Health and Safety Policy statement:

1. Our policy is to conduct all our operations with the health and safety of our employees as a prime objective.

2. The company's policy is to do all that is reasonably practicable to prevent injury to all its employees and to the general public.

3. The company has a responsibility to:
o Comply with all statutory requirements.
o Provide and maintain healthy and safe working conditions.
o Provide adequate training and instruction to enable employees to perform their work safely and efficiently.
o Make available all necessary safety devices and to supervise their use.
o Liaise with employees or their representatives whenever possible in all matters relating to health and safety.
o Review this health and safety policy annually, or whenever the need arises, whichever is the sooner.

Radiation Safety
o Ensure that all "classified" personnel have had adequate training/instruction in radiation safety.

4. It is the duty of each employee to:
o Comply with all statutory requirements.
o Always work in a safe and efficient manner, ensuring the health and safety of him or herself and others.
o Use protective clothing and equipment provided by the company.
o Report incidents that have led or may lead to injury or damage.
o Comply with the company safety procedures.
o Assist in the investigation of accidents in order to prevent any future occurrence.

Radiation Safety
o Make himself/herself available for medical examination and blood test by the Appointed Doctor as and when required by the company (classified personnel only).
o Wear in a proper manner any dosemeter (TLD) or other radiation safety device provided for him/her (classified personnel only).

5. Arrangements for implementation of this health and safety policy are shown in the Company Rules (Health & Safety).

Joke of the Month
A man went to his boss's house for dinner. He said, "I'll have one potato, please". The boss's wife said, "You don't have to be polite you know". He said, "OK, I'll have one potato you silly cow".

Anon

HEALTH & SAFETY

IRR99 and Risk Assessments
Prior risk assessment is a key part of the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999 (IRR99). Before IRR99 came into force, employers should have already carried out a 'suitable and sufficient' risk assessment in accordance with regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSWR99). It is important that the risk assessments are reviewed when there has been a significant change in the matters to which they relate, e.g. the introduction of new health and safety requirements such as IRR99.

The essential difference relating to risk assessment between IRR99 and MHSWR99 is that anyone thinking of undertaking work involving ionising radiation must carry out a prior risk assessment. Therefore any new activity involving work with ionising radiation may not begin until the risk assessment has been made. This includes carrying out radiography at a site for the first time.

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 20/12/2000

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