Types of Inspection Failure
- Omitted inspection. A required inspection was never performed.
- Late inspection. The inspection occurred after the work was covered, so it could not see what it was meant to see.
- Incomplete inspection. Only part of the work was inspected, or a sample was treated as representative without basis.
- Missed deficiency. The inspection occurred but did not identify a deficiency that was visible at the time.
- Unrecorded finding. A deficiency was seen but not documented.
- No follow-up. A deficiency was recorded but never corrected or reinspected.
Each type has a different significance, and the records usually show which, if any, occurred.
What Was the Inspection Supposed to Cover?
Before calling something an inspection failure, Paul identifies the inspection requirement: the contract, specification, quality control plan, owner program or code provision that required it, and what it was supposed to check. An inspection cannot fail to find something it was never intended to look for. Many disputes are resolved simply by establishing what an inspection's scope actually was.
When an Inspection Establishes Compliance
An inspection can establish compliance for the items it covered, when it was performed at the right stage by someone qualified to make the check, against the applicable requirement, and when it was documented. Under those conditions, a passed inspection is meaningful evidence that the inspected item conformed at that time.
When Additional Investigation Is Required
Additional investigation is needed when:
- The disputed condition was outside the inspection's scope
- The inspection was performed after the relevant work was covered
- The record does not show what was actually checked
- The condition could have developed after the inspection
- The inspection was based on a sample and the condition appears elsewhere
- Later work, alterations or damage may have changed the condition
In those cases, Paul explains why the inspection does not answer the question and what further investigation, such as a field inspection or a review of photographs from the relevant period, would.
Documentation of Inspections
Inspection records are the foundation of these disputes. Paul looks for signed checklists, inspection reports, photographs taken at the time, daily report entries and correspondence. He compares them with each other and with the schedule to see whether the inspection could have occurred when and as recorded. See quality control documentation and construction quality assurance.
Sampling Inspections
Many quality programs inspect a sample rather than every item. Paul evaluates whether the sample was reasonable for the work and whether conditions found later fall inside or outside what was sampled.