An interview with Paul Morgan, Technical Director at NDT
Resources
- So, Paul tell us how is Covid-19 affecting the NDT sector right
now?
With Saudi Arabia and Russia each trying to outproduce the
other, coupled with the sharp break put on the world economy caused
by the Covid-19 pandemic, this has led to a glut of oil in the
market which has sent prices tumbling. Because of this, a lot of
activity in this sector has been drastically cut back as they are
deemed to be economically unviable. This has inevitably led to
major NDT job losses in this sector. However, there is a glimmer of
hope as President Trump indicated last Thursday (02 Apr) that he
expected Saudi Arabia and Russia to reach a deal that could end
their price war and likely mitigate a sharp price collapse. Oil
prices surged by as much as 35% on the day. Green shoots indeed for
this beleaguered sector.
In other sectors such as aerospace and automotive, recruitment
has slowed appreciably as hirers wait for an upturn in economic
activity.
- How have you found the recruitment process during this
extraordinary period?
Recruitment is still going on, albeit at a reduced level. Video
interviews are all the rage now as hiring team members are in
disparate locations (working from home) and visiting prospective
work locations is not possible. However, that final face-to-face
and understanding of what a work situation looks like is
unavoidable, but is on hold for the moment. I currently have two
requisitions that highlight this dilemma. The first is an NDT
equipment manufacturer in Norway that wishes to greatly enhance its
sales force, with multiple possible hires. We're nearly at the end
of the video interview road for a Sales Director role and will have
to wait for that final step – when that can be, who knows. The same
goes for the second example: an NDT technician has had two
interviews for a position with a Formula 1 team. Where are they
based? Northern Italy!
- What steps are being taken to enable personnel to work safely
and keep the industry going?
The performance of Non-destructive Testing is generally a solo
effort and tends to be carried out apart from others - it cannot be
done from home though. That part in a factory or that weld on a
pipeline, or that array of NDT equipment has been touched by
others. So, a strict adherence to regular and thorough washing of
hands must be constantly encouraged. Use of gloves only means that
they are a second skin and must be removed before touching of the
face. Like in all walks of life now, social distancing has to be
observed. To help with this, staggering or creating shift patterns
will reduce people density in the workplace.
- Thank you Paul. We look forward to the next month update from
NDT Resources.
