The typical day of an industrial site inspector

As each site has its own procedures and work methodologies, adapted to the constraints of the site on which it works, there is no “standard day” for an inspector, as a general rule.

Depending on the department in which the inspector works:

• Recognized Inspection Service (RIS)
• Inspection service not recognized
• Site department that has been given the task of monitoring equipment (in addition to its initial load)

His day will not be the same and their tasks may be different.

However, the full range of duties of a Recognized Inspection Service (RIS) inspector can be listed, with the understanding that an inspector may be assigned to the site :

• A particular area
• A set of zones
• A particular type of equipment (e.g. steam generators or a tank farm)
• Or to be dedicated to a more or less administrative task (making inspection plans)

His tasks also differ depending on the time of year: during a shutdown period, his tasks will be different than during a period of equipment activity.

What are the duties of an inspector?

His/her duties when working with pressure equipment:

• Manage schedules
• Carry out inspection plans and regulatory monitoring of NDT and inspection
• Monitor interventions on pressure equipment
• Follow up the works: construction of boilermaking equipment and piping associated with engineering
• Prepare major shutdowns of pressure equipment
• Manage several people during these stops (external inspectors, controllers, boilermakers, pipefitters, etc.)
• Elaborate criticality studies of pressure equipment
• Prepare DREAL audits
• Develop quality procedures
• Versatility on several units
• Etc.

Its tasks within the framework of the equipment subject to the modernization plan (some may be subcontracted):

• Establishment and updating of individual storage tank files
• Setting up of the initial states of the storage tanks
• Routine visits to storage tanks
• Monitoring visits of foundations and retention basins
• Gutter monitoring visits
• Sump monitoring visits
• Pipeline monitoring visits
• Pipe bridge monitoring visits
• Realization of criticality studies according to EEMUA 159, API 581 or other standards, on tanks
• Five-yearly” operating visits of storage tanks
• Non-operational “ten-year” visits to storage tanks

What is the added value of using a digital tool for the inspector?

The inspector’s job is multi-tasking: he must face many situations, some as different as others, have knowledge in many fields, whether intellectual (writing procedures, inspection reports etc. ….) or technical (carrying out inspections, non-destructive testing etc. ….)

Because of the multitude of tasks and knowledge required to perform this job, the inspector could not properly assume his mission without having at his disposal a reliable, user-friendly digital tool that will facilitate his task in many areas.

An adapted digital tool is an “all risk insurance” for the inspector. Even if there is no such thing as “zero” risk, the inspector will be able to limit the industrial risk with a reliable digital tool that he can rely on.