Keeping on your toes

As a fan, I find it intriguing to observe the performance gaps between teams at different levels in sport. In general, there is more skill, speed and fitness as you progress up the various leagues. Skill and speed, although both can be developed, are also linked to the inherent qualities of the individuals. But fitness can be obtained by anyone, so I am often surprised when commentators say that a new manager has increased a team’s fitness level. Unless injured, why wouldn’t a professional athlete be at peak fitness?

As is seen every year in the FA Cup, any team can triumph over another despite their difference in league position. The reasons for this are many and varied, not least that football is a low-scoring game where luck can play a disproportionate part. In addition, as we well know in non-destructive testing (NDT), human factors (HF) issues can impair the performance of both individuals and the team as a whole. If players are below par mentally and physically as individuals and collectively on that particular day, this may impair both decision-making and concentration. We often see professional players ball watching despite all the lessons drummed into them as juniors.

I have to admit that when I wrote last month’s article, I was metaphorically caught ball watching 🙁. I finished with the sentence: “When I look at the implementation of the new technologies and the associated signs generated, I cannot help but wonder if we have forgotten the importance of cataloguing signs and patterns?”. Literally days after submitting the article for publication, I had occasion to read BS ISO 23865:2021: ‘Non-destructive testing –Ultrasonic testing – General use of full matrix capture/total focusing technique (FMC/TFM) and related technologies’ and discovered that Annex D gives examples of full matrix capture and total focusing method images for a number of damage types commonly found in industry. These are obviously useful reference images. In my HF studies I have encountered, among others, bridge inspectors being given photographs of defects to help them identify and consistently record those that they find.

The standard states that operators can be trained to recognise specific total focusing method patterns related to specific defects, as defined on qualification blocks or using simulation tools. It goes on to mention a number of factors that are related and associated with typical patterns. The number of these factors, coupled with the variety of different equipment settings available, presents a challenge to generating a series of consistent patterns. It was a bit easier for simple A-scan displays, as described last month in BS EN ISO 16827:2014. The echo dynamics patterns were related to a defect morphology, which fed the analysis of the defect type.

I described in January’s article that with the increasing pace of technological development, continuing professional development is important to merely maintain our expertise, never mind improve on it. It is also important to remind ourselves to apply what we have learned previously. As with the professional footballers who have to be reminded not to ball watch, I have had to be reminded to proactively seek out new information rather than just rely on what I happen to come across. What makes this difficult is the sheer amount of new information being generated. We can help ourselves by connecting with colleagues, both in the workplace and within the wider profession, and by using the information repositories at our disposal.

This is where BINDT and its publications play a big role. I found a recent ‘Boulton’s Bulletin’ in NDT News useful in highlighting the update to BS EN ISO 9712 on employer responsibility. The ‘NDT Info’ section of Insight provides a current awareness service covering British and international publications, conference proceedings and multimedia products. The BINDT website provides a list of international and European standards at www.bindt.org/international-and-european-standards and specifically www.bindt.org/international-and-european-standards/standards-concerned-with-non-destructive-testing

Following my own advice, I am off to delve deeper into patterns generated by advanced technology and, who knows, I may revisit the subject in a future article.

Please note that the views expressed in this column are the author’s own personal ramblings for the purpose of encouraging discussion within NDT News. They do not represent the views of Jacobs or BINDT.

Letters can be mailed to The Editor, NDT News, Midsummer House, Riverside Way, Bedford Road, Northampton NN1 5NX, UK. Email: ndtnews@bindt.org or email Bernard McGrath direct at bernard.mcgrath1@jacobs.com