SHOP INSPECTION

Reducing Risk from Industrial Supply Purchases

In most industrial sectors (such as chemical, automotive, metallurgical, or oil & gas), large construction projects involve the purchase of a vast number of items supplied by many different manufacturers. Quality and safety are key for these projects, therefore, it is of vital importance to check the quality of every single item, no matter how small. These items range from raw material to finished products. As some indication of the diversity of items concerned, they can include pipes and tubes, equipment ranging from valves and faucets to boilers and motors, and enginesfor anything from lifting equipment to elevators, electrical and electronic devices.

Any purchase carries embedded risk. If a part is faulty, but the fault is not detected, an increased risk of failure becomes embedded within the new asset.

What is Shop Inspection?

Shop Inspection involves inspecting items at their place of manufacture before delivery. This is the most convenient and cost-effective way to determine whether a product, service, process, piece of equipment or installation complies with expressed needs, customer expectations, applicable regulations or other specific requirements.

Shop inspection can include design review, review of material certificates, visual inspection, various Non Destructive Testing (NDT), attendance, supervision or performance of mechanical or functional tests.

What are the key benefits?

• Avoid risks linked to quality and safety problems with supplies;
• The reassurance of an independent assessment;
• Confidence to use supplied items thanks to detailed reports and certificates;
• Cost-effective way to verify Quality Assurance/Quality Control organisation of suppliers;
• Skilled personnel with relevant experience and qualifications at your service.
• Local coordinators act as your primary point of contact which simplifies the coordination and administration of overseas inspections.



Bureau Veritas provide shop inspection services as a third party (Third Party Inspection, or TPI) worldwide. TPI can be statutory (like European Directives or ASME) and carried out within the corresponding regulatory frame.

Shop inspection services are also offered for equipment that does not have to meet mandatory requirements. Conformity can be assessed in line with any specified standards. These may be national/international standards such as the American, ASME, API codes or any other national codes such as those applicable to Australia, New Zealand, India, etc.

TPI can also be voluntary, and carried out completely independent of the parties involved (for example, in the case of ISO/IEC 17020, formerly EN45004). Scope is specified by the client, and the inspection services are then carried out at the manufacturer’s workshop.

Bureau Veritas inspectors are experienced and qualified. Their individual qualifications have been earned both within Bureau Veritas (levels and fields of competence) and externally. We select inspectors to match the needs of a specific inspection.

An experienced local coordinator will be nominated to act as your main point of contact within Bureau Veritas. The coordinator will nominate potential inspectors for each assignment and help in selecting the most appropriate inspector. The coordinator will also manage the administration of ongoing inspection tasks on your behalf.