Building on the success of the IMechE bolted joint seminar in Newcastle earlier this year (Bolted Joints – End to End Lifecycle), I recently hosted an online technical webinar on behalf of IMechE Process Industries Division. This webinar addressed the pressing issues of competency and compliance facing the UK’s process industries.
The event attracted participants from diverse sectors, including asset owners, training providers, OEMs, government bodies, mechanical contractor companies, academia, and various institutions.
While addressing the mechanical skills gap, a significant paradox emerged:
Despite strict regulation at COMAH sites, accessible industry standards and guidelines for mechanical joint integrity, and recognised competency-based training courses, non-conformances and defects in bolted joint assemblies persist.
During the webinar, I presented statistics, data, and photographic evidence to examine these issues and discuss the ‘route to competence.’
The skills gap and labour shortage remain critical challenges across all our industry sectors.
Following the webinar, we’ve received overwhelmingly positive feedback and support, affirming this will be the first of many webinars on this crucial, yet often overlooked topic.
For those who missed it, the full recorded webinar is available on the Institution of Mechanical Engineers YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37-QkOgqdZU&ab_channel=InstitutionofMechanicalEngineers-IMechE
I’m very excited to continue this important discussion in future webinars and I’m looking forward to a more wide reaching collaborative approach in addressing the issues from all areas of our industry.