In the coatings industry, the role of the inspector is essential to ensure compliance with specifications and the quality of the work performed.
This article seeks to clarify the responsibilities and limitations of the coating surveyor, highlighting their importance in quality control and specification compliance on your yacht’s projects.
It is essential to understand the key responsibilities and differences from other roles within a project. The following details the functions of the coatings inspector and highlights the distinctions with other professionals involved in coatings projects:
Verify Compliance with Specifications:
The inspector is responsible for properly understanding and interpreting the technical project specifications and ensuring that the work performed complies with them.
Visual Observation and Testing:
Through visual observation, performance and interpretation of non-destructive and destructive test results, the inspector evaluates the quality of the applied coatings and detects possible defects or non-compliances.
Documentation and communication:
It is essential that the inspector thoroughly documents his inspection findings and clearly and accurately communicates any deviations or problems encountered during the process.
Differences from other roles:
Does not practice as an expert in coatings projects:
Unlike a coatings technologist or expert, the inspector does not need to be a paint specialist, but must have a sound technical knowledge of coatings application and quality control processes.
He/she does not make operational decisions:
The inspector, as a rule, does not have the authority to change specifications, modify the scope of work or establish corrective actions. These decisions, which affect operability, economy and safety, correspond to the project manager or the asset owner.
Limitations on decision-making:
Although an inspector may identify problems or non-conformities, his role is focused on reporting and documenting these findings so that corrective decisions can be made by the project managers.
The coating inspector plays a key role in quality assurance and specification compliance on marine projects. It is vital to recognise their specific functions and differentiate them from roles such as technologists, experts or project managers, to ensure proper management of coating inspection at each stage of the project.