PERSPECTIVE by Phil Matten, executive editor, Fastener + Fixing Magazine
So what am I doing here? Well, where better than the heart of the News pages to reflect on some of the key stories in this issue? There are certainly some worthy of reflection.
Why good journalism matters I commend you to read Jason Sandifur’s excellent reporting (North American News pages 24-28) on the on-going issue of the 32x three inch threaded rods installed in the new Oakland Bay Bridge, San Francisco, which fractured in March under first loading. I’ve followed the story from when it first broke. There appears
little doubt the failure is due to embrittlement as a result of hydrogen contamination as was signalled virtually from the beginning. Initially, the media pointed the finger of blame at the Ohio based manufacturer of the ‘bolts’. I’ll leave you to work out whether non-technical journalists would have recognised the possibility that hydrogen embrittlement could be a result of manufacturing processes so rapidly or whether there just might have been some level of ‘steer’ from the authorities responsible for the project. What has subsequently become clear, through good
investigative journalism and the strength of US freedom of information laws, is that apportioning responsibility is far from black and white. Questions have now been posed about the selection of galvanised high-grade steel for the application; and whether that selection conformed to ASTM specifications and project design requirements. There is acknowledgement that the source of free hydrogen contamination could well be the marine environment in which the rods have sat for several years. Probably most important of all for the integrity of a bridge that has to withstand the possibility of an earthquake, is the recognition that up to reportedly another 932 similar fasteners used in the project cannot be assumed to be safe in the longer term. There’s a fine line between ‘trial by media’ and the need for
good investigative journalism – and it took time for the risk of the former to transmute to the latter. There were clear echoes
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of the Boston ‘Big Dig’ failure, where finding out the exact causes seemed to pay second fiddle to the imperative to apportion blame and recover costs. The reality is the causes of fastener failures are seldom straightforward and all too often can prove the result of a concatenation of factors. Eventually the full truth about this case should be known. Whether the lesson about not being too quick to condemn and instead focusing on unearthing the facts, however inconvenient, will be is another matter.
Trade defence modernisation affects us all Thinking about transparency I have some unease about EU
trade commissioner Karel de Gucht’s claim that the European Commission’s newly published plan to modernise the EU’s trade defence instruments “is a balanced package with real improvements for all stakeholders, including both EU producers and importers”. I admit I am still trying to get my head around the detailed implications of the proposal but it clearly entails strengthened powers for the Commission to initiate investigations under its own initiative and to increase the severity of anti-dumping and subsidy tariffs in certain cases. On the other hand some of the ‘benefits’ argued for importers appear questionable: I know many importers made it clear during the first consultation that the suggested three week notice (now apparently reduced to two weeks) of the imposition of tariffs was inadequate when Asia-Europe transit periods are now a good six weeks. Any stakeholder - be they fastener manufacturer, importer,
local distributor, or user - really needs to scrutinise this document with care and to take full advantage of the second round of consultation to make their views heard in Brussels. In 2014, when the new structure is likely to come into force, it will be too late to complain if it is not good for your business. The consultation deadline is 31st your voice heard.
July - now is the time to make
Cleverer. Visiblerer.
Multilingualerer.
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