The nozzle was immersed in water
by Bernard McGrath, Inspection Validation Centre

I think that I have mentioned before that when asked "What do you do for a living?" I will often avoid answering. It is not that I am ashamed of NDT; on the contrary, I am proud to be working in such an important and technical discipline. The reason is that I know that, unless the questioner works in a connected profession, there will become a point when their eyes will glaze over as they lose interest in trying to understand the response. It is at these times that I sometimes wish I had a well-known job like teacher, doctor or train driver.

Looking at the core skills required by my job, I could legitimately say that I am a writer: I am always writing experimental reports, justifications, memos, minutes of meetings or procedures. Admittedly, these documents may not demand the creative powers normally associated with the writing profession but they do not exclude their use. And the pinnacle of a writing career would be to produce a seminal piece of work or a memorable quotation which goes beyond the normal limits of audience and time.

Unfortunately, I achieved the wrong sort of notoriety with one of the first technical reports to which I made a contribution. Being the junior member of the team, I was required to describe the method used in the inspection of the test-piece; my slightly more senior colleague taking responsibility for the results and conclusions. I proudly handed over my contribution only to find out a few days later that, in the pursuit of the perfect report, my colleague had completely re-written my efforts. The only phrase which he was unable to find alternative words for was: "The nozzle was immersed in water". Not exactly the sort of quotation to compete with Shakespeare's "Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious by this sun of York" (Richard III). Unfortunately, other colleagues have never let me forget it.

So what is your favourite quotation? There are not too many quotations about NDT, not ones that I could repeat anyway! One I did find particularly amusing was sent in after I had written one of these articles, bemoaning the negative impression held regarding NDT. The correspondent, whom I shall not name in case he doesn't want it publicly known that he agreed with my article, stated: "Even the light we use is black!"

R V Jones, a key person in scientific intelligence in World War 2, expressed what he called Crow's Law. Although not quoted with NDT in mind, it does carry an important message for any type of investigation: "Do not believe what you want to believe, until you know what you need to know."
Whilst looking at the BBC website recently, I came across the following boxing quote attributed to Marvin Haggler: "It's hard to get out of bed and go for a run at 5am when you're wearing silk pyjamas."

I don’t have silk pyjamas but I do find it applicable to any number of occasions when I pass up the opportunity to do something which requires a strength of will. Whilst we are on the subject of self improvement, we can do no worse than to follow the example of the Quaker Missionary who said: "I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good thing that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now; let me not deter or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again."
 
Psychologist George Kelly said: "Ideal communication takes place when one person understands how another person sees the world".

"The nozzle was immersed in water" may not be the legacy I am looking for, but may be it is just a piece of ideal communication!

Please note that the views expressed in this column are the author’s own personal ramblings for the purpose of encouraging discussion within the NDT Newspaper. They do not represent the views of the IVC, Serco Assurance or the HSE who funded the PANI projects.

Letters can be mailed to The Editor, NDT News, 1 Spencer Parade, Northampton NN1 5AA. Fax: 01604 231489; E-mail: ndtnews@bindt.org or e-mail Bernard McGrath direct at Bernard.McGrath@sercoassurance.com