Quality grading and inspections

Courtesy: Quality grading and inspections

In government and politics, an inspection is the act of a monitoring authority administering an official review of various criteria (such as documents, facilities, records, and any other assets) that are deemed by the authority to be related to the inspection. Inspections are used for the purpose of determining if a body is complying with regulations. The inspector examines the criteria and talks with involved individuals. A report and evaluation follows such visits.

In the United States, the Food Safety Inspection Service is charged with ensuring that all meat and egg products are safe to consume and accurately labeled. The Meat Inspection Act of 1906 authorized the Secretary of Agriculture to order meat inspections and condemn any found unfit for human consumption.

The United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission is a regulatory body that inspects for weapons of mass destruction.

The Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care regulates and inspects care services in Scotland.

A labour inspectorate is a government body that executes checks on compliance to the labour law. It performs inspections on the workplace or building site.

A vehicle inspection, e.g., an annual inspection, is a necessary inspection required on vehicles to conform with laws regarding safety, emissions, or both. It consists of an examination of a vehicle’s components, usually done by a certified mechanic. Vehicles pass a pre-warranty inspection, if, and only if, a mechanic provide evidence for the proper working condition of the vehicle systems specified in the type of inspection.

A mechanical inspection is usually undertaken to ensure the safety or reliability of structures or machinery.

In Europe bodies involved in engineering inspection may be assessed by accreditation bodies according to ISO 17020 “General criteria for the operation of various types of bodies performing inspection”. This standard defines inspection as “examination of a product, process, service, or installation or their design and determination of its conformity with specific requirements or, on the basis of professional judgment, with general requirements”.

Non-destructive examination (NDE) or nondestructive testing (NDT) is a family of technologies used during inspection to analyze materials, components and products for either inherent defects (such as fractures or cracks), or service induced defects (damage from use). Some common methods are visual, industrial computed tomography scanning, microscopy, dye penetrant inspection, magnetic-particle inspection, X-ray or radiographic testing, ultrasonic testing, eddy-current testing, acoustic emission testing, and thermographic inspection. In addition, many non-destructive inspections can be performed by a precision scale, or when in motion, a checkweigher. Stereo microscopes are often used for examining small products like circuit boards for product defects.

Inspection and technical assistance during turnarounds helps to decrease costly downtime as well as ensures restart of operations quickly and safely.