Profession construction quality inspector

Construction quality inspectors monitor the activities at larger construction sites to make sure everything happens according to standards and specifications. They pay close attention to potential safety problems and take samples of products to test for conformity with standards and specifications.

Personality Type

• Realistic / Conventional
• Conventional / Realistic
• Enterprising / Realistic
• Realistic / Investigative

Knowledge

• Construction product regulation

  Regulations on construction products quality standards applied throughout the European Union.

Skills

• Check compatibility of materials

  Make sure the materials are fit to be used together, and if there are any foreseeable interferences.

• Make time-critical decisions

  Pursue optimal time-critical decision making within the organisation.

• Process incoming construction supplies

  Receive incoming construction supplies, handle the transaction and enter the supplies into any internal administration system.

• Liaise with managers

  Liaise with managers of other departments ensuring effective service and communication, i.e. sales, planning, purchasing, trading, distribution and technical.

• Work ergonomically

  Apply ergonomy principles in the organisation of the workplace while manually handling equipment and materials.

• Maintain work area cleanliness

  Keep the working area and equipment clean and orderly.

• Follow health and safety procedures in construction

  Apply the relevant health and safety procedures in construction in order to prevent accidents, pollution and other risks.

• Supervise staff

  Oversee the selection, training, performance and motivation of staff.

• Evaluate employees work

  Evaluate the need for labour for the work ahead. Evaluate the performance of the team of workers and inform superiors. Encourage and support the employees in learning, teach them techniques and check the application to ensure product quality and labour productivity.

• Use safety equipment in construction

  Use elements of protective clothing such as steel-tipped shoes, and gear such as protective goggles, in order to minimise risk of accidents in construction and to mitigate any injury if an accident does occur.

• Monitor construction site

  Keep an overview of what happens at the construction site at all times. Identify who is present and what stage of the construction work each crew is in.

• Inspect construction supplies

  Check construction supplies for damage, moisture, loss or other problems before using the material.

• Test construction material samples

  Randomly select samples from a batch of construction materials and test their quality visually and using a variety of tests to gauge their relevant characteristics.

• Keep records of work progress

  Maintain records of the progress of the work including time, defects, malfunctions, etc.

• Ensure conformity to specifications

  Ensure that the assembled products are conform to the specifications given.

• Recognise signs of wood rot

  Check whether a wood element shows signs of rot. Aurally inspect the wood by testing what sound it makes on impact. Check for visual signs of rot.

• Advise on construction materials

  Provide advice on and test a wide range of construction materials.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB