Inspection Trends

There are many different career avenues a welder or welding inspector can take: aerospace, food, sanitation, water treatment, oil and gas, automotive, bridges, skyscrapers . . . the list is endless. However, no matter which path an individual chooses, I have found there is one trait that should not be ignored: patience.

There will always be those who cannot wait to be recognized as competent: the welder with the ink still wet on their pressure ticket or the inspector who just got their certification. I’ve never seen the point in rushing to get crow’s feet around your eyes and gray hairs, which seem to be the industry standard for gaining competence and experience.

As a welding apprentice, I was embarrassed to admit to my first journeyman that I didn’t know what I was doing. He took it as blessing and taught me the patience I needed to hone my welding skills. He was a great mentor, seeing me as an open book waiting for the pages to be written. He taught me not only about welding but also invaluable life lessons.

In my first quality-control (QC) job, I was supplied with a banker’s box filled with unorganized material test reports (MTRs). I was overwhelmed and in way over my head. I reached out for advice to the gentleman who got me started inspecting. He simply said, “If you don’t feel like you’re in over your head for at least the first three years, then you’re not learning enough.” So I dumped out the box of MTRs and got to work organizing things.

I was QC at an oil sands extraction plant where an imposing and angry superintendent unloaded his stress on me verbally. He was sure that I had caused delays, but he had been fed inaccurate information. Somehow, I stayed calm. I explained the truth of the situation without matching his elevated temper. It was like watching a full balloon slowly deflate. Mutual respect was achieved. Patience, again, for the win.

Recently, I was an owner’s inspector on an upgrader turnaround. One of the contractor QC personnel was disorganized and bereft of relevant knowledge. After this individual left our field office, one of the other people in the office commented, “I would have yelled at him by now. Why weren’t you harder on him?” I explained how I required this person to maintain communication with me. I did not need him to be hesitant to speak with me or feel like I was acting superior. Basically, you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Patience, again, made sure that this individual was comfortable working with me and supplying the information how I required it for successful system turnover.

Patience isn’t something we’re all born with. It is a skill that is learned over the years. Whether you’re dealing with a heavy workload, learning new subjects or skills, or speaking with coworkers, it all comes down to patience. Without patience, you can be prone to making snap decisions without knowing all the facts. Without patience, you will push away the very people who are your most valuable resources. Without patience, you could miss that part in the code that would’ve stopped you from making a terrible call. Patience is very much an essential variable.

JAMIE HUNTER (marauderacuity@gmail.com), pressure equipment specialist, CWI/CWB3/API-510/ABSA-ISI, is owner/senior inspector at Marauder Acuity Inc., Westerose, Alberta, Canada.