Inspection: making the invisible visible

You manufacture products, execute projects, work according to certain processes. How do you make sure they meet the relevant quality standards, requirements and legal obligations? Inspection by Kiwa can help you reduce risks, control quality, verify quantity and meet regulatory requirements. It makes the invisible visible and help you prepare for the unexpected.

Advantages of inspections

  • Inspection brings confidence
  • Inspection improves reliability and safety
  • Inspection improves efficiency
  • Inspection prevents disputes
  • Inspection reduces risk
  • Inspection improves customer satisfaction
  • Inspection safequards your reputation
Two male Kiwa inspectors during an on-site inspection

Inspection brings confidence

Whether mandatory or voluntary, inspections yield essential data you can use to ensure the quality, safety, efficiency and optimal operation of your equipment and your organisation. The resulting information is valuable and provides early warnings for future problems. That way, you can avoid costs or, worse, accidents and emergency breakdowns. Thus, inspections bring confidence: in your employees, production processes and assets, as well as in how you affect your environment.

What can we do for you?

Our inspection services include all kinds of examination, measurement, gauging, and comparison of materials or items. We inspect practically everything, from small measuring devices to powerful pressure vessels. We carry out inspections at every level, ranging from design review, installation and manufacturing to modernisation, maintenance and in-service or batch inspections. Thus, we determine the condition of a certain material, an item, a process or a situation, and whether or not it conforms to the applicable or specified requirements, regulations and standards.

Independence

We act as a strictly independent third party when we inspect your products, (raw) materials, installations or anything else. We are also being ‘inspected’ ourselves by national and European accreditation institutions on a regular basis. Kiwa is a Notified Body (NoBo) for many European directives: we are authorized by a national accreditation body to perform inspections in compliance with international standards. Thus, we close the loop, bringing trust and confidence.

See our Accreditations and notifications

Process of inspection

You want your product, installation or a situation to be independently and impartially inspected according to a certain regime, either because it's mandatory or because you have your own set of regulations. Kiwa helps you by carrying out all the necessary inspections and providing you with results that make sense. Read about the process of an inspection below.

    Preparing for inspection

    Many inspections are mandatory, others are voluntary and perhaps based on regulations you have drawn up yourself. In the latter case, it's up to you to decide what to have inspected. As we know how to navigate the world of inspections, we help you through the entire process, including communication with other parties involved, such as authorities.

    Inspection itself

    An inspection usually takes place on-site or can be performed remotely. It may be a visual inspection or involve sensing technologies such as ultrasonic testing. An inspector may be physically present on-site and perform the inspection manually. When performed remotely, cameras, sensors, drones or other automated devices are used.

    Results

    After the inspection, we'll interpret the results for you and provide you with a comprehensive inspection report.

    Input for improvement

    You use our findings as input for improvement.

    Re-inspection

    If desired or obliged, we return regularly to re-inspect.

    Pricing

    Our high-quality inspection activities have their price. How much you pay depends on the complexity and duration of the inspection process. Naturally, Kiwa will always provide you with an estimate of the time and cost involved. Usually, you can earn back these costs easily as an inspection brings efficiency, confidence and less down-time in general.

Why should I have my product, installation or process inspected?

Want to know quickly what inspection entails? Then check out the handy infographic below. Download the document by clicking on the image.

Infographic explaining what inspection (by Kiwa) entails

Frequently Asked Questions about Inspection

What can Kiwa inspect for me?

Kiwa can inspect virtually anything for you, whether on-site or remotely. Our skilled and experienced inspectors all over the world operate in a wealth of expert areas. Here are just a few examples of areas we are active in.

  • Tank storage, both underground and at ground level, installed temporarily or permanently.

  • Pressure equipment like tanks, pumps, compressors and other vessels.

  • Lifting devices ranging from cranes and lifts to rollercoasters.

  • Real estate, ranging from office buildings to home environments, on all kinds of risks regarding ventilation, electricity, fire safety and so on.

  • Fuel stations for safety, maintenance, legal requirements and environmental aspects.

  • (Underground) lines, pipes and cables that transport any kind of fluids, gases or currents.

  • Surfaces, for example on liquid-tightness or for sports activity purposes.

  • Infrastructure, for example road integrity and rigidity, bridge constructions and safety in general.

  • (Fire) safety and security like fire extinguishing systems and theft prevention systems.

  • Hazardous materials and substances like heavy metals, asbestos, ceramic fibers, PCBs and legionella in living and working environments, from homes to offshore platforms.

Can I have my installations, facilities, products inspected regularly?

Yes, you can. Periodic inspections of building installations, industrial facilities and infrastructure, for example confirm ongoing compliance and performance, and help preserve or extend the life of the asset.

How does inspection help me import or export goods?

Independent inspection helps you to certify the quality and quantity of products you want to import or export. In most cases, these inspections are conducted prior to shipment, sometimes based on (local) regulations. They assure that goods conform to technical specifications and quality standards, and that their quantity is accurate.

What is batch inspection?

Batch inspection means we assess random samples from a production batch and then judge the entire batch based on the sample inspection results.

Why should I have my product, installation or process inspected?

Here are some reasons for having your products, processes, installations or a situation inspected on a regular basis.

Inspection brings confidence

Inspection covers all aspects of quality, health, safety and environmental management, as well as efficiency and (asset) integrity. Inspection minimises the risk of defective products, installation downtime and other drawbacks, shows compliance and safeguards your reputation. Thus, it brings confidence.

Inspection reduces risks

You and others must be able to rely on a product, process, installation or must feel safe in a certain environment. Having it inspected reduces risks like defects, malfunctions or accidents.

Inspection improves efficiency

Defects, malfunctions and downtime can have an adverse effect on your productivity, service towards customers and investments. As having your products, processes or installations inspected regularly helps prevent that, it will improve your efficiency.

Inspection prevents disputes

Our inspections map the integrity of your products, processes and/or installations. We inspect them for their functionality, safety and environmental aspects. We know rules and regulations and help you communicate with authorities. The results of an inspection allow you to demonstrate compliance and prevent related disputes.

Inspection improves customer satisfaction

While you improve the quality, reliability and efficiency of your goods, systems, installations or a situation and have it inspected according to rules and regulations, your customers will have a better customer journey or experience. That way, you'll improve their satisfaction in both the short and the long run.

Meet our Inspection Engineer Sanna Sandkvist

In this video Inspection Engineer Sanna Sandkvist inspects a power station from Ljungby Energy in Sweden. She tells: “You do inspections to make sure facilities are safe. I really love my job, you get to know a lot of different industries.”