Author: Professor, Dr. Dietrich Stein - TrenchlessOnline

NEWS
Mears Group Inc. founder Herb Fluharty cuts the ribbon at the company’s new training and testing facility.
zontal directional drilling.
This new facility, which covers 2.75
acres, serves as the cornerstone for the
training and operator qualification
(OQ) programs for Mears employees.
The site offers field training capabilities
for activities including pipe excavation,
pipe coating removal, surface preparation,
coating application, evaluating
casing isolation, External Corrosion
Direct Assessment (ECDA) indirect
inspection surveys and pipe direct
examinations.
As part of their training, employees
will have an opportunity to hone their
survey skills on the test site, which is
comprised of more than 1,000 ft of
pipe, including 10-, 12-, 20-, 24- and 30in.
diameters.The primary loop of pipe
includes more than 50 coating flaws
that were intentionally created ranging
in size, shape and pipe orientation.
Keeping safety at the core of Mears
training, the company’s current vision
for this facility will be to maximize
training opportunities for new and
existing employees.“We are convinced
that a highly trained work force is a
safer work force.And, it is our commitment
to cultivate a culture with a focus
on safety and quality,” said Mark
Gluskin, senior vice president of
pipeline integrity services for Mears.“In
the end, we will have a better trained
work force with a higher skill level.”
Mears president Scot Fluharty said,
“Safety has always been a big priority
at Mears, but as we analyzed our
records, we found that 90 percent of
our safety issues were related to
employees who worked for us one
year or less.”
8 TRENCHLESS TECHNOLOGY September 2007
Circle 5 on reader service card.
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