Published with kind permission of BINT from the article OnTheJob

written by Bernard McGarth

I have previously written about the difficulty of explaining the NDT profession to those who have no knowledge of it. It is not so much the description, as the willingness of the target to maintain their attention. So I have been thinking of using an alternative tack.

What did you do at work today?

I Queued:

I queued on the motorway and A roads;

I queued to get in the car park;

I queued to get on to site, to get my pass.

What did you really do at work today?

I was Briefed:

I was briefed on Health & Safety;

I was briefed on the work scope;

I was briefed on the procedure.

I Checked:

I performed equipment checks;

I performed weekly checks on the flaw detector;

I performed weekly checks on the probes;

I performed daily checks on the probes.

I Assessed:

I assessed the component;

I assessed the access;

I assessed the numbering;

I assessed the surface finish;

I assessed the datums;

I assessed the attenuation.

What did you really do at work today?

My Craft, finally:

I scanned the weld;

I plotted indications;

I analysed the results;

I wrote the report;

I ensured the integrity of the weld.

Did you do anything else?

I protected the plant.

I protected the workforce.

I protected the community.

And?

I preserved the environment and I made the world a safer place.

I don’t claim to be a poet and I know there will be readers out there who could do a much better job. So if you have a poem or a limerick, short or long, rhyming or not, and are willing to share, then send them in to the editor.

Bernard welcomes feedback you can write to him at bernard.mcgrath@woodplc.com