TWI Inspection Training Courses

Last summer I undertook probably the most intensive and enjoyable training ever, since I began trying to become a commercial diver. I spent eight days at TWI North's training facilities at Middlesbrough doing the CSWIP preparatory course. As I had to go to be harangued by the H.S.E. onshore diving inspectors at Plymouth and as I do not intend to take the 3.I U exam, I left the course two days early. I left behind the six far more expert divers, all trained at Rosyth, from the Ministry of Defence (Marine Service Division).

The TWI Centre was opened in June 1994 and cost a million pounds, funded by the Welding Institute, the Teeside Training and Enterprise Council and the Cleveland Action Team. It is probably the best equipped such centre anywhere in Europe and contains one of the largest and best-equipped indoor tanks in Europe - the water quality can be adjusted to make diving conditions as realistic as possible. But for the six hours I spent in the water and the exams themselves the water is kept crystal clear.

In addition to the inspection courses and exams, TWI runs commercial acquaint courses for potential divers and has recently started manual metal arc wet welding (ten day) courses, which include considerable dry welding experience. It also carries out experimental underwater work for, amongst others, British Gas.

I had first met Jim Sheppard, the Diving Centre Superintendent, at the University College London's Underwater NDE Centre. He has been diving since the early 1970's and in his time has been an instructor at Bovisand and a North Sea Supervisor. It was a slow process to convince CSWIP that exams could and should be conducted, not in open sea water, but in the controlled conditions of a large purpose-built tank, but after a few months at the Commercial Diving Centre in Poole, the exams were moved to Middlesbrough.

I was allowed the first 'civilian' dive in the then empty tank and again when the large structures were moved in. I was struck by the considerable back-up for the diver in the water and the large amount of space in which to conduct the various complicated tasks underwater. I was delighted when Phil Bosten, whom I first met training at Interdive in Plymouth, was taken on as their assistant.

Now to the course. First of all there are five intensive days in the classroom, learning all about inspection techniques. At my advanced age it is always difficult to get back to studying, but armed with a comprehensive training manual and the expert teaching methods of Pete Atkey, it all fell into shape for a mechanically illiterate history graduate. I had also met Pete at the London University tank and his considerable diving experience and good humour made him an excellent teacher.

We were given a detailed introduction to the types of inspection work, what causes metal stress in the offshore environment, the variety of structures and equipment in use offshore, welding processes and how to report on damage to drilling rings etc. The various methods of recording and assessing damage were outlined - including the human eye, photographs, video work, and magnetic particle and ultrasonic inspection. And so it went on for five days, until we took the exam on the Sunday morning. It is in two parts. The first is multi-choice and the second consists of five detailed questions, which encourage skilled drawings - never my strong point. But I did gain another impressive certificate, of attendance of the NDT Inspection (CSWIP 3.I U) course.

It was now on to the more enjoyable part of the course - using the various inspection techniques in the water and being able to provide an intelligible commentary to top-side. You are required to go over the various methods a number of times and slowly I became quite expert - the photographs I took of a weld defect, which have to overlap, so a complete mosaic, can be obtained, were so good that I queried whether they were mine. As most of the work has to be done mid-water I slowly improved my ability to control my buoyancy.

As I mentioned I had to leave the course slightly early and did not take the exams but caught up with four of the Marine Services (Ministry of Defence) divers, who had looked after me so well, in Portland harbour, just after the Navy moved out. It was good to meet Jim Gallagher again; I had first met him when he was the instructor at the excellent Marine Services School in Rosyth; I was able to dive there just before it sadly closed.

I dived off their well-equipped boat, the RMAS Dornock, and met Shaun Gandy, the Chief Civilian Diving Officer for the Ministry of Defence. The team has been kept busy recovering a Tornado aircraft in the North Sea and another aircraft in Canada. One of their divers, Richard Head, has become an expert in the use of the ADS (Newtsuit). Like most Government departments the Marine Services Department is currently being market-tested but whatever happens I am sure the divers will appreciate for a long time to come their inspection course at Middlesbrough.