60 years with the masters of testing: Pavel Kratochvíl

Standards are not just bureaucracy – they are the basis for safety and uniform rules in Europe. Pavel Kratochvíl, quality manager and expert on normative procedures at the Engineering Test Institute, shows that the world of standards is much more diverse than it seems at first glance.    

His work combines technical knowledge, safety checks, and communication with manufacturers and consumers. How did he get into this profession, and why are standards key to a fair market? Read his story, which is part of our series "60 Years with Masters of Testing."

He is regarded as an expert on normative procedures within the company. From the outside, his field may seem dry, but for Pavel it is a colorful world full of interesting things and surprises: "All approaches should be uniform across Europe; that is the essence of standards," he says.

Like many of our colleagues, Pavel joined SZÚ by chance.

"I worked as an electrical engineer in the field of elevator manufacturing, installation, and servicing. In this job, I was attracted to the field of elevator conformity assessment because I also worked as an inspection technician in the field of lifting and electrical equipment. I worked in this field for more than twenty years, but I was getting bored and decided to cross the river and try to apply my knowledge and experience in the role of a supervisory authority." 

When people hear the word "standards," they immediately think of a lot of bureaucracy and restrictions. Pavel partly sees it that way too:

"It's not about what's written down, but whether it's actually being done. In Europe, everyone has to do it the same way. That's the basic principle of testing, inspection, and certification."

As part of his job at SZÚ, Pavel manages a database of all technical standards to keep track of which ones are valid and which ones aren't. There are roughly five and a half thousand standards. "This does not necessarily mean that we are accredited for all standards, but historically we have come into contact with them."

Pavel Kratochvíl enjoys his work because there is always something going on.

"Companies should not perceive us as their enemies or friends. The Engineering Test Institute (SZÚ) represents the so-called third independent party in an imaginary triangle, where the first party is the manufacturer and the second is the consumer. We are the party that fights for the interests of consumers; that is our role in this imaginary triangle. But we are communicative, and our main goal is to verify the safety of various products."

We would like to thank the editors of Reportáže z průmyslu magazine for conducting the interview, for which it was prepared.

We would also like to thank our colleague Pavel Kratochvíl.

The SZÚ team