Reliance on technology during the current climate

Recently, I have been back out in the world of examinations, invigilating an examination for an experienced Level 3 tutor and, rather ironically, there was an issue with the equipment that had been fully functional earlier in the week. Alternative equipment was sourced and this also failed to function as required. Being a very experienced person, the tutor was able to perform in-depth diagnostics and, after a few switching on/off operations, the equipment decided to function correctly.

Many of us are dependent on technology, be it testing equipment or IT equipment and the associated Internet connections, in order to perform our jobs and, with the new normal of ‘working from home where possible’, it can be very frustrating if the IT equipment fails to function. Sometimes it can be simple operator error; I have switched the wrong plug off and wondered why my printer is not working and, taking the ‘glass half empty’ approach, feared the worst, only to be very relieved when I discovered my error.

Historically, NDT equipment had limited functions and options, making it easier to understand what was not working and to try basic remedial ‘tricks’. Credit to the current testing equipment: it is typically more robust and does not have many problems, but the checks and ‘tricks’ that the practitioner can use are more limited and require a different skill set, as the issues tend to be software-related and may require a full reboot back to factory settings, something that should not be attempted without permission from the company Level 3 or another appropriate person.

By the time this has been published there should have been another meeting of the ISO 9712 group, ISO 9712 being the core standard that many third-party certification schemes use. The last meeting was planned as a physical meeting; however, it was postponed due to the pandemic and has been reorganised as a virtual meeting. The review of ISO 9712 is overdue and there will have to be compromises within the group to allow for completion in the near future. Also, BINDT’s NDT 2020 Webinar Week will have taken place and, with the effort from those involved and practice sessions that have been conducted, I would like to think that it will have gone without a glitch, but as it is dependent on technology there is always that risk.

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