Improving Global Quality of Life

7 Needs and challenges in legal codes, rules and standardisation
by a few countries – so that today, despite the huge increase in PE numbers, pressure and sizes, the number
of failures and fatalities has been greatly reduced. Welding technology has helped this improvement.
Figure 7.1 also shows a similar trend with motor vehicles a 100 years later – where obviously many different
strategies including laws, technology and standards have been effective in reducing fatalities. Another
example is with welded shipping where a similar trend curve resulted. There were many failures due to
brittle fracture in World War II but now these are fairly rare.
In the above examples and in many other areas, improved technology (including improved understanding,
design, materials, welding, non-destructive testing, inspection, R&D and technical data) plus standards and
laws, coupled with huge improvements in education, training etc., have benefited global quality of life,
though regional inequalities still exist. All countries still have serious failures however – much less frequently
but often with major multi-billion dollar consequences. Thus the world still needs to do better and IIW is
helping.
7.3 Current position with laws, standards and technical knowledge
7.3.1 Laws
In most countries, Acts, Regulations, Directives, and other government orders impact on the “welding
industry” in many varying ways. These include workplace health and safety, environment, safety with
hazardous plant and materials, piping, pipelines, boilers, pressure vessels, gas cylinders, transport equipment,
cranes, lifts, structures, tanks, major hazard facilities, defence, security etc. They also impact on trade within
and between countries (free, fair and with minimum protection to suit each country), industrial relations,
wages, education and training, taxation, immigration and suitable support for industry, research, education etc.
Laws are needed for us to live reasonably and cooperatively, and have been a major contributor to improved
national safety and well-being.
All successes and failure are due almost invariably to human endeavour. Hence actions and functions involving
people need to be clearly identified. Laws may go so far without being specific while standards in some cases
may not be able to fill the gap. This is where help and guidance may be needed from industry bodies such as
welding institutes. The biggest gains can be with improved understanding, use, and performance of people.
The current trend with laws on technical issues is to reduce “prescriptive” requirements which inhibit
innovation and prefer “performance” laws which give objectives, matters to be considered, general criteria
and performance requirements or outcomes, plus duties of important parties and administrative matters.
There is a reluctance to be highly specific in technical issues because of the complexity for politicians and
the wide and changing nature of technology. To help apply the law, competent bodies within or outside
government are sometimes identified – a good example is the European Union Pressure Equipment Directive.
Technical guidance and support is often given by reference to acceptable national or international standards.
7.3.2 Standards
There are thousands of international, regional, national, industry and company standards which are often
far from harmonised. They are the distillation and repository of best thinking and consensus aimed to
help all parties; industry, law and society, and assist in fair economic manufacture and use of, and trade in
quality equipment. Sometimes they are used as trade barriers, but overall have greatly benefited the world.
All leading countries have a variety of standards relating to the welding industry with a general trend to
harmonised ISO Standards for global use. IIW and its members have contributed significantly in this process.
Through Optimum Use and Innovation of Welding and Joining Technologies
Improving Global Quality of Life
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