Improving Global Quality of Life

7.
Legal codes,
rules and
standardisation
7.1 Introduction
This section briefly reviews the current needs of, and challenges for, the global welding community including
governments, for improving quality of life through optimum laws, standards, codes of practice, and various
scientific and technological data and information. It then proposes strategies to meet these challenges by
2020 and beyond. Before doing so it looks back to look forward – “history is the prologue to the future”.
There has been huge progress in welding.
7.2 Background
The introduction of any new technology creates change and difficulties that are unexpected. This is seen by
Figure 7.1 giving approximate data for boilers and other pressure equipment (PE) and motor vehicles.
Min. Alowable Safety Factor
6
1
5
2
3 4
4
8000
10
3
6000
5
7
6
2
4000
8
1
9
2000
0
1800 1900 2000 2100
Falalities per year
Figure 7.1 Impact of technology,
law and standards (Reproduced
courtesy: S. Ambrose)
Curve 1 = Road fatalities in Australia
2 = USA & UK PE fatalities
3 = PE safety factors
With boilers, the huge number of explosions, death toll and loss of trade and profit in the mid 1800s resulted
in many actions to correct this disaster. These included research and development (R&D), training, laws and
appointment of public officials (inspectors) with varying requirements, formation of insurance bodies etc.
To avoid the many problems caused by different requirements and of different bodies and inspectors,
national technical standards were developed in many technologically developed countries.
Overall, this co-operative effort was hugely beneficial to the world. These laws, practices and standards were
then used as models or adopted directly by many other countries. The world has gained from this early work
62 Improving Global Quality of Life Through Optimum Use and Innovation of Welding and Joining Technologies