THE APPLIED INSPECTION
NEWSLETTER

Issue No. 111 - November 2003

FROM THE EDITOR

ISO 9001 Audit from BSI

The final audits were carried out by British Standards Institution at the end of September in respect of the transition to ISO 9001:2000. Two minor nonconformities were raised and, following corrective action, the approval has been awarded.

Thanks to all staff for maintaining such a high standard, in particular John Morris, QHS&E Manager, and James Bailey, Quality Manager - Burton.

Applied Inspection received its three-year assessment to the Investors in People (IIP) standard during the period 30 September to 1 October 2003. Mr John Jones, the IIP assessor, stated that the company had passed the assessment, and thanked all staff for their cooperation. The award applies to the whole company.

We wish to thank all those who worked hard to achieve the award, in particular John Morris who co-ordinated the work at the various sites, and the individuals chosen by Mr Jones for interview, these include Steve Redshaw, Alan Bartlett, Dawn Andrews, Kelly Harper, Carol Beatson, Ivan Hutson, Steve Wilkes, Richard Johnson, Leigh Clark, Kelly Shacklock, Teresa Geary, Rachel Brittain, Lee Davies and Gail Sanderson.

Joke of the Month

Manager: "You should have been here at 8.30 am."
Employee: "Why, what happened?"

Anon

PERSONNEL

Congratulations
To Jordan Barnett who passed PCN Level 2 Magnetic Particle Inspection.

Welcome
To Martin Lambert, who has started at Burton as Sales Manager. Also welcome back to Ben Lyon.

To Ray Thompson who started at Ossett during October. Ray holds PCN Level 2 Ultrasonic Testing (Welds) and Magnetic Testing.

To Dean Bradshaw (known to everyone as Brad) who has started at Chesterfield.

Goodbye
To Richard Ringrose, Haig Buckley and Dean Bayliss. We wish them well for the future.

The National Lottery
Dawn Andrews at Holmewood and Keith Dashper at Ossett 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)
2001 - £382.00 (52 weeks)
2002 - £330.00 (52 weeks)
January to June 2003 - £90.00 (26 weeks)
July - £30.00 (4 weeks)
August - £30.00
6 September - £0.00
13 September - £10.00
20 September - £0.00
27 September - £0.00
4 October - £10.00
11 October - £20.00
18 October - £0.00
25 October - £0.00
Any errors in the above list will be corrected as soon as possible.

QUALITY & TRAINING

Standards and Specifications
ISO 17636 (First edition 2003-09-15) - Non-destructive testing of welds - Radiographic testing of fusion-welded joints, has superseded ISO 1106-1: 1984, ISO 1106-2: 1985 and ISO 1106-3: 1984 which are now withdrawn.

BS EN ISO 10012: 2003 - Measurement management systems - Requirements for measurement processes and measuring equipment, has been amended by AMD14611 (Corrigendum No. 1).

NIGHT OUT IN SHEFFIELD

SATURDAY 29TH NOVEMBER 2003

MEET AT BAR 69 IN CHESTERFIELD AT 7.15 PM
(FANCY DRESS OPTIONAL)

PLEASE RING KELLY, STEVE OR IVAN AT CHESTERFIELD IF YOU WANT ANY FURTHER INFORMATION, OR JUST TURN UP AT BAR 69 AT THE DATE AND TIME ABOVE FOR A GOOD NIGHT OUT.

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

1) A     2) D      3) C     4) C     

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

Here are some more questions, this time on Radiographic Testing: 1. Source size, specimen thickness, and source-to-specimen distance are the three factors that determine the:

     A. Density of the radiograph.
     B. Exposure of the radiograph.
     C. Film size.
     D. Unsharpness recorded on the radiograph.

2. The range of specimen thicknesses that can be adequately recorded on the radiograph is referred to as the:

     A. Sensitivity of the radiograph.
     B. Latitude of the radiograph.
     C. Accuracy of the radiograph.
     D. Intensity of the source.

3. Approximately how long would it take for a 10 curie cobalt-60 source to decay to 2 1/2 curies?

     A. 5.3 days.
     B. 5.3 years.
     C. 10.6 years.
     D. None of the above.

4. The "photoelectric" effect involves:

     A. The visible electromagnetic spectrum.
     B. An electric camera.
     C. Complete absorption of a photon.
     D. All of the above.

Quote of the month

Our path through life is a reflection of our determination.

Anon

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 recently revised Health and Safety Policy 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.

Health & 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 policy is applicable to all activities carried out by the company in-house and on-site, including driving and radiation safety.

4. The company has a responsibility to:

5. It is the duty of each employee to:

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

HEALTH & SAFETY

COSHH Assessments
The COSHH assessments have been reviewed and re-issued. Copies are available at each of the company's laboratories.

Equal Distribution of Weight in Road Vehicles
An incident occurred recently where a driver (not an Applied Inspection employee) was involved in a skid and was unable to control the vehicle. Accident investigation revealed the vehicle contained a heavy crate in the boot. This extra weight positioned behind the rear axle added extra momentum to each swing of the car and meant the driver over-compensated on each steering correction.

Drivers must distribute the weight of equipment evenly throughout the vehicle with the majority of the weight between the front and rear axles. This may involve placing items in the front foot-well or lowering the rear seats on hatchbacks and placing the items further forward in the vehicle.

Also items must be secured to ensure they are not thrown forward in the event of a collision.

CONTACTS

Holmewood, Derbyshire: Tel: 01246 851864 (4 Lines) Fax: 01246 852243
Burton, Staffordshire: Tel: 01283 515163 (4 Lines) Fax: 01283 539729
Ossett, W Yorks: Tel/Fax: 01924 270006 (2 lines)
Glasgow, Scotland: Tel/Fax: 0141 3355191
Internet Website: www.appliedinspection.co.uk

Published by: Applied Inspection Ltd., Holmewood, Chesterfield, UK. Editor: D K Thomas 29/10/2003

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