WHAT'S BOGGING YOU?
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The Millennium Bug might still be lurking in a machine near you. Chris Graham considers the risks and reminds those operating workshops of the organisations which can help and the precautions which should have been taken.
If ever there was something designed to promote a "head-in-the-sand" attitude, it's the so-called Millennium Bug. Many in the industry baulked at the latest vehicle spraying regs, thinking the inspectors would never catch them. Then there was the issue of special waste: all too many operators still take a chance with fly-tipping.
Ignoring these issues can lead to hefty fines, so with no legal deterrent, what hope is there for the Millennium Bug to be taken seri
ously? After all, the problems will be confined to the office computer.
Or will they? There is a popular misconception that the Millennium Bug is something that will be restricted to computers alone; that it's an affliction which might cause a bit of chaos at some of the financial institutions in the City, and maybe upset the odd airline.
The reality for commercial vehicle workshops is potentially rather more worrying. Part of the problem might be its name, the Millennium Bug. It tends to suggest that this problem will be con
fined to those whose businesses revolve around computers. The idea that the haulage industry will be adversely affected seems, on the face of it, a wild one.
Unfortunately, the Millennium Bug is not restricted to computers; neither is it an actual bug.
It can't be "caught" and is not spread by sharing floppy discs or using the internet. A more appro. priate but less snappy name might have been the "Millennium Oversight", because the whole problem stems from the infancy of popular computing.
Back in the 197os design engineers decided to save computer space by referring to, say, 1993 as 93. We all do it—but to a computer, or any other piece of equipment which records dates as part of its operating system, this abbreviation poses a fundamental problem.
React wildly The switch from "99" to "oo" is illogical to an electronic brain, so the machine can react wildly by locking up, switching itself off, delivering spurious information and generally behaving like a spoilt child.
The problem for workshops is that microchip technology is so common in our everyday operations. Most hauliers have a range of equipment which is being operated by date-dependent control chips—known as embedded systems—and it is these which are most likely to be affected.
Possible sufferers, apart from the office computer and its operating software, include printers and scanners, company accounts packages. sales order processing
• An excellent series of guides and helpsheets is available to take businesses through every aspect of the Millennium Bug problem.
The underlying message running through all the published material is that action must be taken sooner rather than later. Systems and equipment need to be checked methodically to avoid the risk of disruption as the new year arrives.
Action 2000 advocates training, and has collated lists of participating TECs where this, and information about funding grants, can be obtained. It also offers advice about actually dealing with the problem.
Minimising the risk to your operation involves assessing the equipment and systems you have and, if necessary, testing them. There is already plenty of advice about how to do this, together with an everincreasing range of software designed to carry out the testing procedures for you where possible. Buying the right product is essential and Action 2000 will be able to advise you on this as well.
But problems can be compounded by the fact that many embedded systems are difficult to test. What's more, there can be Health & Safety implications when attempting such operations. To help, the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has pub lished a free leaflet called Health and Safety in the Year 2000, with a booklet called Safety and the Year 2000 which costs £15.
systems, stock control, bar-code reading systems, workshop management packages, telephones and answerphones, fax machines, heating and ventilation, security and CCTV systems, fire control and even credit card payment processing units.
Raise awareness
These are just a few of the categories of equipment listed in the literature produced by Action 2000, the Government-backed body set up to raise awareness about the whole issue.
There are legal implications too. Company directors owe a duty of skill and care to their organisations. Failing to take appropriate steps over the Millennium Bug could leave them liable for any losses incurred as a result, so keep a record of the precautionary steps taken in case of any future investigation.
So, while on the one hand the prospect of the Millennium Bug might seem remote and even irrelevant for some, few of us will be immune. According to Action 2000. in 1996 alone some seven billion "embedded systems" were sold worldwide and research has shown that, of the simple ones, about 5% will be affected by the Millennium Bug,
For the more advanced units the failure rate rises alarmingly, to as high as So%.
There is no excuse for failing to prepare for the Millennium Bug. Choosing to ignore the risks is liable to spoil your millennium celebrations, and the effects could cost your operation dear.