Plant Inspector Job Description

What is the job description of a Plant Inspector? What are the duties and responsibilities of a Plant Inspector? What does a Plant Inspector do?

Job description of a Plant Inspector

Plant Inspectors inspect, test, sort, sample, or weigh raw materials or processed, machined, fabricated, or assembled parts or machines/products for defects, wear, and deviations from specifications. Plant Inspectors may use precision measuring instruments and complex test equipment.

This Plant Inspector job description example includes the list of most important Plant Inspector duties and responsibilities as shown below. It can be modified to fit the specific Plant Inspector profile you're trying to fill as a recruiter or job seeker.

Plant Inspector Duties and Responsibilities

Plant Inspector job description should contain a variety of functions and roles including:

  • Observe and monitor production operations and equipment to ensure conformance to specifications and make or order necessary process or assembly adjustments.
  • Write test or inspection reports describing results, recommendations, or needed repairs.
  • Collect or select samples for testing or for use as models.
  • Discard or reject products, materials, or equipment not meeting specifications.
  • Mark items with details such as grade or acceptance-rejection status.
  • Record inspection or test data, such as weights, temperatures, grades, or moisture content, and quantities inspected or graded.
  • Analyze and interpret blueprints, data, manuals, and other materials to determine specifications, inspection and testing procedures, adjustment and certification methods, formulas, and measuring instruments required.
  • Grade, classify, or sort products according to sizes, weights, colors, or other specifications.
  • Measure dimensions of products to verify conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments such as rulers, calipers, gauges, or micrometers.
  • Read dials or meters to verify that equipment is functioning at specified levels.
  • Check arriving materials to ensure that they match purchase orders and submit discrepancy reports when problems are found.
  • Compare colors, shapes, textures, or grades of products or materials with color charts, templates, or samples to verify conformance to standards.
  • Position products, components, or parts for testing, or direct other workers to position them.
  • Clean, maintain, repair, and calibrate measuring instruments and test equipment such as dial indicators, fixed gauges, and height gauges.
  • Weigh materials, products, containers, or samples to verify packaging weights and ingredient quantities, or to determine sorting.
  • Stack and arrange tested products for further processing, shipping, or packaging and transport products to other work stations as necessary.
  • Analyze test data, making computations as necessary, to determine test results.
  • Set controls, start and monitor machines that automatically measure, sort, or inspect products.
  • Compute defect percentages or averages, using formulas and calculators, and prepare reports of inspection or test findings.
  • Disassemble defective parts and components, such as inaccurate or worn gauges and measuring instruments, using hand tools.
  • Compute usable amounts of items in shipments and determine prices, based on quantities and grade assessments.
  • Interpret legal requirements, provide safety information, or recommend compliance procedures to contractors, craft workers, engineers, or property owners.
  • Administer tests to engineers and operators to assess whether they are qualified to use equipment.
  • Discuss inspection results with those responsible for products, and recommend necessary corrective actions.
  • Remove defects, such as chips, burrs, or lap corroded or pitted surfaces.
  • Adjust, clean, or repair products or processing equipment to correct defects found during inspections.
  • Make minor adjustments to equipment, such as turning setscrews to calibrate instruments to required tolerances.
  • Supervise testing or drilling activities.
  • Fabricate, install, position, or connect components, parts, finished products, or instruments for testing or operational purposes.
  • Inspect, test, or measure materials, products, installations, or work for conformance to specifications.
  • Notify supervisors and other personnel of production problems, and assist in identifying and correcting these problems.

Plant Inspector Requirements / Skills / Qualifications

Plant Inspector job description should include these common skills and qualifications:

  • An Engineering degree
  • Competence in Quality control analysis
  • Active listening skills
  • Critical thinking skills
  • Good in writing and Reading Comprehension
  • Good judgment and decision making skills
  • Excellent operation monitoring skills
  • Complex problem solving skills
  • Time management skills
  • Good in Maths

As a hiring manager, recruiting an ideal Plant Inspector starts with crafting a good job description. Use this Plant Inspector job description template to save yourself time and help you attract the most qualified candidates. Feel free to revise it to meet your specific needs.

Job seekers interviewing for the role of a Plant Inspector may also reference it in preparation for the interview.