A conversation with not 1, not 2, but 3 inspectors!

The types of companies operating in the offshore sector are incredibly diverse. Within the sector are innumerable occupations. By whom are these practiced? Who are the people who keep the sector running? This time we speak with three men, all of whom have the same job, with their own expertise within it. All three work as inspectors at Van Gool Hef- en Hijstechniek in Beverwijk. Timo Meijer (left) is a trainee at Van Gool, Kelvin van der Geest (middle) works mainly in the field and Piet van Velzen (right) is an inspector with years of experience. All three speak enthusiastically about their work.

What does the job of inspector entail?

Piet: At Van Gool, we inspect everything to do with lifting and hoisting technology. We inspect above the hook and below the hook. To become an inspector, you must first have several years of experience. You work for about 1 or 2 years on all kinds of projects. Then you do the course for judging below the hook, so all the separate parts. If you pass that, you have the basic certification for inspecting lifting and hoisting equipment. But within that there are a lot of specializations, so you can keep learning. For example, you need another certificate for crack inspection.

I saw all kinds of certificates in the hall near the entrance of the building, including yours!

Timo: Yes, the great thing about Van Gool is that there are a lot of certifications, distributed among the inspectors. That’s why we can offer a very broad package, to serve the customer as best as we can.

Kelvin: Everyone has preferences within the work area. For example, I like the part above the hook, for example fixed equipment and cranes. There’s a bit more technology involved; it’s a bit more complex. But it often happens that I have a breakdown and I can’t solve it myself. Then I call my colleague Nicolay, who knows everything about cranes. Or Edwin, who knows everything about chains, for example. Walter knows everything about steel cables. Because everyone has their own specialization, we actually always have all the knowledge we need to solve problems. And everyone likes to help each other!

What makes it fun to work at Van Gool?

Timo: The atmosphere is good, you can have a good time, but we also work really hard! There is a lot of personal attention for what you like to do and how you can develop yourself.

Piet: What’s special about van Gool is that you get a lot of opportunities for development. I’ve had a lot of opportunities in my time to take all kinds of courses. For example, the course for crack testing, which I mentioned earlier. Those are quite expensive courses. I got that opportunity here.

Kelvin, you’re on location with clients a lot. What’s the craziest place you’ve worked?

Kelvin: You really get to be in a lot of different places. Yesterday, for example, I was standing in a freezer of -40. But you also end up in rooms that are 60 degrees, where you have to go outside every 15 minutes to cool down. These are rooms where certain equipment is kept, which also have a tap. And recently, for example, I was also in the brewery of Jopenbier in Haarlem.

But what I also like about my work is maintaining contact with customers. If a customer can’t really do without something, you have to be solution-oriented. For example, you sometimes get a question like “I have an unapproved crane that I need to use this afternoon.” I really enjoy puzzling and looking for a solution together.

And Piet, what is your most interesting experience in all these years?

Piet: I’ve been to a lot of places, but a special one was an inspection at the KNMI weather station, for example. There’s one in the North Sea, but there’s also a weather station in Eemshaven, in the middle of the Wadden Sea. There they measure wave heights and water temperatures, for example. A measuring instrument like that hangs from a winch or hoist, and of course they have to be inspected. I then go there by boat. Some colleagues also go to such locations by helicopter. But I have also done crack surveys on containers going offshore, so there are plenty of special experiences.

Timo, you mainly work in the workshop. What happens there?

Timo: A lot! I just happened to be calibrating a load meter. Those are used to weigh very precisely what you are lifting at any given moment. We also have a dust-free room, where, for example, air hoists and fall-stoppers are maintained. In the large workshop, we have facilities to disassemble and maintain electric hoists and custom ropes are made. But tensile tests are also performed there. Tensile tests provide important information about the performance of materials in load situations.

So nothing ever really breaks?

Piet: That never happens. All the materials and machines are officially approved, so you have to be able to assume that they work the way they should. I remember that we had to test a certain hook for a large client. This had to be done at night, since the hook was indispensable. During the testing it turned out that the hook was no good. After a non-destructive examination, we found a crack in it, which was not visible to the eye. The hook was rejected immediately. You do not want to think about what could have happened if the hook had been put into service.

What would you like to say to people who are also considering becoming an inspector?

Timo: Go for it! It is fun and diverse work and it is very satisfying. If you receive a dirty, non-working and uninspected part and can completely renovate it so that it works and is inspected again, that is very satisfying. That’s what I do it for!

Kelvin: The profession is challenging and very specialized within engineering. If you like technology and engineering, this is a very good profession. It’s so broad, you can keep learning and keep developing.

Piet: Do you like working with your hands? Do you like technology? Then this is it. You need to have a good sense of responsibility because you are dealing with safety.

Would you like to know more about Van Gool Hef- en Hijstechniek or are you interested in the possibilities for training to become an inspector? We would be happy to put you in touch!