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Technical field

Inspection bodies

Inspection uses professional judgement. The inspector examines an identified item or installation against specified requirements and reports whether it conforms, often with findings that explain the conclusion.

Engineers reviewing reinforcement on a building under construction
The photograph illustrates the kind of setting associated with this work. It does not show AKZERT staff, AKZERT premises or an accredited body.

ISO/IEC 17020

ISO/IEC 17020 specifies requirements for the competence of bodies performing inspection and for the impartiality and consistency of their inspection activities. It is the standard ordinarily used for this field.

The standard distinguishes types of inspection body by independence from the items inspected. The type is part of understanding the body. So is the field of inspection: a body competent to inspect lifting equipment is not, by that fact, competent to inspect pressure equipment or buildings.

The scope names the inspections and the requirements against which they are made. Because inspection depends on judgement, the competence of the individual inspector and the control of that competence by the body are central.

An inspection certificate or report is issued by the inspection body. Accreditation attests the body’s competence for the inspections in the scope. It does not replace the inspection of a particular item, and it does not make AKZERT the author of the inspection report.

Matters ordinarily examined

  • The field of inspection and the requirements used are defined.
  • The independence arrangements match the type of body and are maintained.
  • Inspectors are competent, authorised and free of conflicts in the work they carry out.
  • Findings are recorded so that the conclusion can be understood.
  • The report identifies the item inspected and the requirements applied.

Questions

How does inspection differ from testing?

Testing determines a characteristic by a procedure and reports the result. Inspection examines an item and uses professional judgement to decide conformity with requirements. A single body may do both. They are different activities and, where accredited, they are accredited against different standards.

What does the type of an inspection body describe?

It describes the body’s independence from the design, manufacture, supply, installation, purchase, ownership or maintenance of the items it inspects. The type is information a user needs when judging the inspection. It is not a ranking of technical competence.