Sepaute kith
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It is sad that John Darker, in his comments to Mr Webb (CM, January 21, "Dear Sir . sees the relationship between fitters and inspectors as one of tension and deception. Both skills, and they are separate skills, have a place in the maintenance system.
A skilled fitter does not always make a good inspector nor does a good inspector necessarily make a skilled fitter.
The inspector's job in the normal maintenance system is to ensure that vehicles are being run safely. and to be aware of the difficulties that can cause dangerous or expensive failures. He is required to know and keep up-to-date with all legislation relating to the vehicles he inspects_ He should not be responsible for the rectification of the faults that he finds, as this could cloud the required objective assessment of the maintenance standards being achieved on the vehicle. In the early 1960s we heard much about "killer lorries' and it was about this time that the idea of separate inspections was being developed. The lorry is now recognised as being one of the best maintained vehicles on the road, principally I believe as a result of most organisations having some form of separate inspection arrangement.
My experience shows that in any balanced organisation one rarely finds aggravation occurring between fitters and inspectors_ In fact it is usually the reverse whereby each respects and helps the other. T. J. GOLDRICK Controller, Engineering Services Freight Transport Association.