A Day in the Life of... BASEC's lead cable assessor

Born and raised in Warsash Southampton, Richard Bryden is a familiar face in the cable industry.  He’s been working with cables for over 32 years, beginning his career as a lab technician for Pirelli (now Prysmian).

“I didn’t intend to work in cables, it’s just the way it happened,” said Richard, whose hard work helped move him up the career ladder all the way to Quality Systems Manager and eventually into an Export Sales Manager position.

Richard’s dedication and skill did not go unnoticed, as he was soon to be headhunted by Proctor and Gamble, and accepted their offer to work as a Quality Manager for their consumer goods.

Combining his experience and expertise with both cables and auditing, it only makes sense that Richard eventually joined forces with cable inspection organisation, BASEC. His original intention was only to do part time work, but that was quickly tossed aside when offered the prestigious position of Lead Assessor.  After a series of BASEC specific qualification training, Richard travels the globe making sure cable manufacturers and their products are up to British Standard.


September 25, 2007:

6:30am:	Richard’s alarm goes off bright and early.
7:00am:	It’s time for some tea and toast to fuel up for the busy day ahead.  Richard then looks over his audit pack, which includes the proposed program for the upcoming Prysmian Cables & Systems Ltd assessment.
8:30am:	Richard arrives at Prysmian’s Bishopstoke cable manufacturing plant, where he will conduct a one day surveillance assessment.  This type of audit takes place four times a year, making sure the cable manufacturer is running a quality system and creating quality products.
8:45am:	Richard meets with Prysmian Quality & Environment Systems Manager, Andrew Watt, where they go over confidentiality agreements and agree on the scope that will be covered during the assessment.  More formalities are also tackled, including going over health and safety requirements and recording changes within the organization, both staff and system.  Richard then looks over the internal audit conducted by Prysmian.  The meeting concludes with amendments being made to the scope of the audit, making the day a smooth running one for both parties. “At the end of the day, it’s the company’s needs that come first,” said Richard.
9:45am:	Richard and Andrew select available samples of cable to be assessed for the Product Certification Scheme.
10:00pm:	The selected cable is then located, marked, and sealed by Richard, where it is then sent off to be cut to a specified length and delivered to BSI.  It is here the cable will be tested to determine if it meets British Standard. While walking through the factory, Richard inspects the factory’s segregation of waste into bins for copper, PVC, and steel.
11:30am:	Richard reviews test results and checks the calibration of the test equipment along with the corresponding certificates.  In the test lab, he witnesses the dimensional checking of a cable sample to determine the thickness of insulation.  He also witnesses a tensile test of insulation, where the sample is clamped at opposite ends and pulled until it breaks. Richard checks all the details of the test including the jaw separation speed.  “The equipment needs to be accurate and meet standard requirements,” said Richard.  “This then gives you confidence in the results.”
12:30pm:	Richard and Andrew break for lunch, indulging in a few tasty sandwiches and chatting about what is still left to be assessed.
1:00pm:	It’s paperwork time again, and Richard goes through files with Andrew, including Prysmian’s corrective and preventative actions and customer complaints.
1:45pm:	The audit is beginning to heat up as Richard makes his way into the Fire Testing Lab.  Here he is met and guided by Ray Colwell, Fire Test Laboratory Manager, and witnesses a flame propagation test (also known as a ladder test), which simulates real fire conditions in a controlled environment.  Prior to the test, Richard measures the dimensions of the burner inside the enclosure, as well as the width of the ladder rungs.  Cables are  then mounted on the ladder to certain specifications and then the ladder is placed inside an enclosure which is sealed and fired up.
3:00pm:	Richard and Andrew now head to the heart of the Prysmian’s  Special Cables manufacturing area.  Here Richard checks  an extruder line and its temperature settings.  He also checks the  indented BASEC marking on the side of the cable. Next on the list is assessing the Spark Testers.  Richard checks the kV settings and all the inspection tools along the way.  He also inspects the water filled cooling troughs that cool the cables once the PVC is extruded.  This is important, as water testing can prevent harmful bacteria, such as Legionnaires’ disease.
4:45pm:	Armed with a days worth of assessment notes, Richard heads to a quiet and isolated area where he can type his report.
5:15pm:	Richard and Andrew sit down together for a closing meeting.  Here they discuss the assessment, addressing the non-compliances that need to be tended to and go over the data included in the report.
5:30pm:	The audit is now complete and Richard can head home to “have a meal and take it easy” with his wife.  He looks forward to reading Michael Connelly’s latest book and perhaps taking a stroll along nearby Hill Head beach. Said Richard jokingly when asked if his beach wandering is a solo affair: “No. My wife won’t let me out that long on my own.”

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Source: Francoise Snobel - Voltimum