Engineering inspection has been a vital part of industrial life for over a century and a half. An essential element of meeting statutory, regulatory and operational requirements, inspection is the mechanism that ensures both employee and public safety and guards against business interruption and damage. This is as important in waste management as any other industry.

Every mechanised stage of the process, from the collection of household waste to managing hazardous materials will involve machinery that needs to be inspected and maintained in order to minimise health and safety risks and business interruption. Where heat and pressure vessels become involved, such as during pyrolysis, gasification or other energy recovery, regular inspection is vital. It is imperative then that machines work at peak efficiency and – if not replaced – are checked for flaws. Fortunately there are many engineer surveyors, whose practical experience and technical expertise make them qualified to carry out these vital checks. But who checks the checkers? This is where the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) comes in.

What is UKAS?

UKAS is the sole accreditation body recognised by the UK Government to assess, against internationally recognised standards, organisations that provide certification, testing, inspection and calibration services. Accreditation by UKAS demonstrates the competence, impartiality and performance capability of organisations or individuals that provide these evaluations. A non-profit-distributing company, limited by guarantee, UKAS operates under a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government through the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Effectively, UKAS assesses assessors. So what does this have to do with engineering inspection, and why is it important to have this additional level of scrutiny? To understand this it is helpful to investigate why engineering inspection came about in the first place.

Trouble at Mill

The beginnings of engineering inspection perhaps owe more to profits than safety, but in the industrial revolution were laid the foundation of the procedures and regulations that protect so many today. Inspection began with the new steam boilers which powered the new heavy industries.  Wondrous when they worked, boilers were hazardous in the extreme when they went wrong. Disasters such as those at the Firth Woollen mill and the Fieldhouse and Hembrigg mills demonstrated the explosive power of a malfunctioning boiler. Rich mill owners and others became very unhappy when their new power houses stopped working, especially since this usually involved a catastrophic explosion.  This stopped production for weeks, not to mention the inconvenience of re-building the factory and having to replace many staff who were injured or dead. This was the impetus for procedures that we take for granted today, including engineering inspection and engineering insurance, and led to the foundation of bodies such as the IMechE (Institution of Mechanical Engineers).

The solution to the dangers posed by new technologies that few understood was to employ someone who really knew boilers and who was competent to check the equipment was up to scratch.  One of the first such inspectors, known as an ‘Engineer-Surveyor’ was the inventor of the first steam rail locomotive, Robert Stephenson.  Other developments followed. In 1854, industrialists and engineers interested in the use of steam decided to form the (Manchester) Steam Users' Association. Members were entitled to use the services of boiler inspectors who were employed by the association. This organisation gave advice on how to prevent explosions and also undertook to guide its members in the safest and most economical method of using the plant. This principle is still maintained today. Plant owners can call upon the engineer-surveyor for advice and suggestions on plant operation and maintenance.

Safety concerns may now trump business interruption as the primary motivation, but the principles behind engineering inspection are the same as they were in Victorian times; that someone who understands the machines should ensure that they are safe. Of course the machines themselves have come a long way from steam engines. Pressure vessels are now joined by a wide variety of plant and equipment, from tower cranes to garage hoists, power stations to air compressors.  Moreover the requirement for inspection has now, in many cases, become enshrined in legislation. Inspection today is a far more sophisticated and complicated process, and is demanded by law. This does not mean that the worst never happens. The terrible death toll of the Piper Alpha disaster is still remembered by many, and the 2005 fire at the Buncefield Oil refinery was the largest fire in Europe since WWII. However, such incidents are comparatively rare, and this is owing in no small part to a far greater emphasis on safety and inspection.

Quid Custodet?

So it is easy to see why it is beneficial for users of equipment to have access to engineer-surveyors, but where does UKAS come in? Just as the point of the engineer-surveyor is to ensure that the equipment is fit for purpose and working at its best, the point of accreditation is to offer assurance that the engineer-surveyor is working for an organisation that is competent to deliver reliable inspection results! UKAS is tasked with delivering confidence across a wide spectrum of assessment areas, and one of these is inspection.

Assessment Managers and technical assessors from UKAS will assess the technical competence of an organisation to the International Standard ISO/IEC 17020 to ensure that the organisation being assessed can demonstrate the highest level of engineering inspection competence for the inspection activities that are being assessed. UKAS carries out the assessment and grants accreditation to those bodies performing to the international standard. The engineering inspection areas currently covered by UKAS include the inspection and verification of:

• Pressure systems & plant
• Lifting equipment / Hoists
• Tanks carrying dangerous goods
• Gas cylinders
• Electrical installations
• Structures
• Machinery
• Local exhaust ventilation
• Cargo / pre-shipment inspection
• Welding inspections
• Offshore verification
• Non Destructive Testing 
• Offshore and on shore asset integrity management
• Oil and gas metering
• Vehicle inspection

And there is potentially limitless scope for expansion. Wherever there is assessment, there is likely to be a need to assess the assessors. UKAS will have an involvement in the accreditation of inspection of safety critical equipment for the planned Nuclear Power Station building programme in the UK.

What is Accreditation?

Accreditation is about confidence and assurance. It provides authoritative assurance of the technical competence if an organisation or a person to undertake specialised inspections. These means that there will be technically competent staff, and that they will be independent, impartial, and operate with integrity. It also means that their organisation, management and procedures are all fit for purpose. And finally it ensures that they have appropriate equipment or facilities. This is underpinned by a Quality Management System that ensures confidentiality, that the customer needs are fully met, that customer concerns are acknowledged and addressed, and that there is an internal review to make certain that these standards are maintained.

The Bottom Line

The benefits of being accredited are many. For some areas, it is mandatory. But even where it is not, demonstrating competence is the best way to win business and widen market access. Thanks to international multilateral agreements, UKAS accreditation is recognised worldwide, which means access to overseas markets as well as at home. There are also internal benefits for an organisation. A robust assessment of managements procedure opens the way for greater internal efficiency, and as UKAS accreditation is increasingly recognised as a demonstration of best practice, there is also the potential for reduced insurance costs. Already some insurers are offering reduced premiums or more comprehensive cover to UKAS-accredited organisations.

For companies that use the services of engineering inspectors, there are also benefits. Choosing a UKAS-accredited body means that they are able to make an informed choice. UKAS-accredited bodies have been rigorously assessed against internationally-recognised criteria and pronounced fit for purpose and competent. The trail of accountability is robust and demonstrates both best practice and due diligence.

Delivering Confidence

Engineering inspection has evolved significantly since the beginnings in the 19th century. But whilst the number of areas where it is demanded has grown and continues to grow, and the technical expertise required has developed over time, the principle remains the same – that inspection by outside experts is the surest way to guarantee public safety. It is vital that organisations can have confidence in these experts, and that is where UKAS accreditation comes in. Accreditation continues to ensure that users of inspection services can have confidence in the organisations they use.

Author: Jon Murthy, Marketing Manager, UKAS