What Do Inspectors, Testers and Weighers Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Inspectors, Testers and Weighers inspect, test, sort, sample, or weigh nonagricultural raw materials or processed, machined, fabricated, or assembled parts or products for defects, wear, and deviations from specifications. May use precision measuring instruments and complex test equipment. They also inspect, test, or measure materials, products, installations, or work for conformance to specifications.

Other tasks include:

• Measure dimensions of products to verify conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments such as rulers, calipers, gauges, or micrometers.
• Read blueprints, data, manuals, or other materials to determine specifications, inspection and testing procedures, adjustment methods, certification processes, formulas, or measuring instruments required.
• Record inspection or test data, such as weights, temperatures, grades, or moisture content, and quantities inspected or graded.
• Mark items with details such as grade or acceptance-rejection status.
• Notify supervisors or other personnel of production problems.
• Discard or reject products, materials, or equipment not meeting specifications.

We asked Inspectors, Testers and Weighers how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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62% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 54% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Inspectors, Testers and Weighers inspect, test, or measure materials, products, installations, or work for conformance to specifications. They measure dimensions of products to verify conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments such as rulers, calipers, gauges, or micrometers.

A typical day for an Inspector, Tester, Sorter, Sampler and Weigher will also include:

• Notify supervisors or other personnel of production problems.
• Record inspection or test data, such as weights, temperatures, grades, or moisture content, and quantities inspected or graded.
• Fabricate, install, position, or connect components, parts, finished products, or instruments for testing or operational purposes.
• Compute usable amounts of items in shipments.
• Write test or inspection reports describing results, recommendations, or needed repairs.

We asked some Inspectors, Testers and Weighers a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	40% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	50% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	67% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	21% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	15% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	57% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Inspectors, Testers and Weighers also disassemble defective parts or components, such as inaccurate or worn gauges or measuring instruments. They may also interpret legal requirements, provide safety information, or recommend compliance procedures to contractors, craft workers, engineers, or property owners.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Inspectors, Testers and Weighers Compute defect percentages or averages, using formulas and calculators. They might also Clean, maintain, calibrate, or repair measuring instruments or test equipment, such as dial indicators, fixed gauges, or height gauges.

In addition, they Adjust, clean, or repair products or processing equipment to correct defects found during inspections.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Administer tests to assess whether engineers or operators are qualified to use equipment.

To some Inspectors, Testers and Weighers, it is also their responsibility to Compute usable amounts of items in shipments.

Working life

Standard 40 hour work week

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as an Inspector, Tester, Sorter, Sampler and Weigher, you can expect to work 40 hour work week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like following set procedures and routines. They like working with data and details more than with ideas..

They also like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/production/quality-control-inspectors.htm

http://www.asq.org/