Inspection Guide

Work stage Potential defects How determined Likely cause Suggestions for action
and code
A. Raw steel
1 Inaccessibility for Visual Design precludes access for inform Engineer that the work cannot be performed specified,
treatment of surfaces specified treatment provide him with a record of work actually done
2 Oil or grease Visual Cranes, jigs, machinery, trucks Scrub with emulsion cleaner.. Rinse with fresh
etc.
3 Excessive corrosion Visual Old stock or severe storage Allow for longer or improved surface preparation; then check
with pitting conditions for removal of soluble corrosion products

4 Welding discontinuities, Visual Poor welding practice Refer to Engineer for re-welding as necessary.
residues, spatter. remove residues and spatter

5 Sharp edges, rough welds, Visual Poor fabrication Radius edges; fettle welds and burrs as necessary. Grind out
burrs, laminations, laminations and shelling. Undercut welds (extent of treatment
shelling. undercut welds dependent on type of coating and severity of exposure)

6 Distortion, dishing, Visual Poor fabrication

buckling, undercut welds

B. Blast- cleaned
steel
1 Oil or grease,dirt, dust, Visual or adhesive (a) Poor working conditions Treat oil grease Shield working area from contamination.
detritus, water tape or filter paper Improve vacuum cleaning
or reflectomer (b) Contaminated grit Discard grit and re-blast with fresh supply.

(c) Contaminated Improve oil and water traps on air supply.

compressed air

2 Surface too rough relative to Visual a) Excessively corroded Longer blasting time and extra coats, refer to steel inspector
coating thickness raw steel
(b) Incorrect grit size Extra costs to be agreed. Change grit for subsequent work
and/or angle of blast and/or improved angle of blast
By instrumental
comparison of blast
profile with standard
3 Residual mill-scale Visual and/or Inadequate blasting Re-blast to the required standard. Heavy mill-scale may
‘Surclean’ comparison require initial treatment with larger size abrasive or a switch
with standard to mixture of grit and shot
Inspection guide (continued)
Work stage Potential defects How determined Likely cause Suggestions for action
4 Residual rust Visual Inadequate blasting Re-blast to the required standard (heavily corroded steel
may require smaller size abrasive; then check for
removal of soluble corrosion products

5 General darkening Visual and/or Too long delay Re-blast to the required standard and coat quickly
or rusting ‘Surclean’ comparison between cleaning and improve conditions
with standard coating or conditions too
humid or metal too cold

6 Lamination/shelling Visual Poor rolling of steel at mill Refer to steel Inspector/engineer for possible quality
regarding of steel. Grind out

C. Pickled steel

1 Rough and/or pitted Visual (a) Incorrect concentration Correct acid and inhibitor concentrations and
surface of acid and/or inhibitor temperatures of the pickling bath

(b) Too long in

pickling tank

(c) Corroded surfaces

before pickling

2 Dark patches Visual Residual mill-scale or rust Re-pickle

3 Dark patches with sticky (a)Test with pH-paper Residual acid Re-rinse or scrub small areas with clean water
surface
(b) Test with chloride Residual chlorides
paper

4 Powdery or crystalline Visual or pH-paper test Poor rinsing Re-rinse

deposits

5 Carbon deposits or smut Visual or with white cloth Contamination of pickling Brush off and re-treat if severe. filter reagents and
baths replace rinse

6 Acid surface
7 Too heavy
deposits
8 Cold surface
pH-paper Poor rinsing. or overacidity of Re-rinse or re-treat after pH adjustments of tanks
final process concerned
phosphate Laboratory check Too long or too strong a Special re-treatment necessary
process
Contact thermometer Too long delay before priming Adjust program to ensure that advantage of coating on
warm surface is maintained
Inspection guide (continued)
Work Potential defects How determined Likely cause Suggestions for action
stageand code
D. Flame - cleaned
steel

1 Moisture deposits Visual or filter paper Rate of travel of flame too high Reduce rate of travel until no moisture is deposited

2 Detritus residues Visual or adhesive tape poor wire-brushing and cleaning Improve remove of dust and detritus after flame-cleaning be
air blow or vacuum

3 Cold surface Touch or contact Too long delay before priming Adjust program so that coating is applied to warm surface
thermometer

4 Distortion Visual Too much heat on too low a gauge

material

E.Manually
cleaned steel
(includes use of
hand-held power
tools)

1 Rust, slag and loose scale Visual comparison with Inadequate work and/or Further work with less worn or more suitable tools, if
standard and/or written tools necessary
instructions

2 Burns, sharp cuts, peaks of Visual and touch Improper use of power tools Remove defects by most appropriate means and control
steel methods of working with power tools

3 Bumished surfaces Visual Too vigorous brushing Mark area for emulsion cleansing before painting and control
(manual or power) more closely the wire brushing operations. Use of a
pretreatment primer would also help subsequent adhesion

F.Environment
during application

1 Too cold Air and contact Poor air conditioning in Improve temperature to acceptable level, but little or no
thermometers works or externally license should be allowed with limit specified. Open-flame
inclement weather heaters should not be used

2 Too hot contact thermometer Heated surfaces Reduce temperature below 35oC or to whatever higher
temperature is allowed with special paints
Inspection guide (continued)
Work stage Potential defects How determined Likely cause Suggestions for action
and code
3 Too damp Hygrometer of visual Poor air conditioning in works or Improve conditioning to acceptable level
externally inclements weather

4 Too wet Visual and/or moisture (a) Rain, sleet or snow Protect operations with suitable sheeting. but avoid causing
(b) Condensation condensation. Provide suitable ventilation

5 Too dusty Visual (a)Too much wind Shield work or delay it till wind abates

(b) Poor dust extraction Protect work from blasting dust, improve extraction
6 Air too foul Smell and/or instruments Poor ventilation Improve ventilation to point where TLVs of solvents, etc. are
not exceeded and/or provide fresh air supply to operators

G. Paint mixing
and storage
1 Wrong weight of container of Spring balance Poor filling containers or wrong Reject all full under weight containers. A check on other
paint paint containers with the same batch number will probably indicate
if material is at fault

2 Wrong specific gravity SG cup and balance (a) Poor mixing of paint Reconstitute if possible

(b) Thinning or over- Reject all paintwork where such paint has been used and
thinning either remove by stripping or, if agreed by the Engineer,
apply an extra coat of the correct paint

3 Thin consistency Visual and/or flow cup (a) Defective or wrong paint

(b) Poor mixing

(c) Thinning or over-thinning

4 Thick consistency Visual and/or flow cup (a) Defective or wrong paint

(b) Poor mixing

(c) Thinning not as specified Control the correct use of thinners . Adjust viscosity
(d) Outside the pot life Discard all paints affected
Inspection guide (continued)
Work stage Potential defects How determined Likely cause Suggestions for action
and code
5 Wrong colour in container Visual comparison with (a) Wrong paint supplied Obtain supplies of correct paint
wet standard
(b)Poor colour matching or Set aside until manufacturer certifies supply as satisfactory
variation in raw materials

(c) Not thoroughly mixed

6 Wrong colour and other Visual , instrumental Wrong proportions of multi-pack Discard unless proportions used are known and can be corrected
characterizes when materials
thoroughly mixed Clean up paint store, provide adequate heating and ventilation
7 Paint contaminated with Visual Dirty paint store, inadequately
moisture heated and or ventilated

8 Deterioration of paint in tins, Visual (A) Old stocks outside the

setting separation. gelling etc. stipulated storage period Refer stocks to manufactures for clearance before permitting further use

(b) Use of stock out of delivery

order, leading to cause (a) above

(c) Storage conditions too hot or

too cold

H. Metal coatings
(sprayed,
galvanized, plated,
sherardized)

1 Thin coating Instrumental Incorrect processing Reject, reprocess where possible or agree additional coats, provided that surface
contaminates .

2 Random bare spots Visual Incorrect processing Reject if areas are large or are the result of unsatisfactory preparation, but by agre
can be made good by adequate surface preparation and suitable zinc-rich paint, low-m
sticks or metal spray

Reject all rusted material and any from which a substantial part of the coating has
3 Corrosion products Visual Poor storage conditions or over- fresh supplies or completely re-treat as specified
long period before further
treatment Reject

4 Unsatisfactory adhesion Instruments Incorrect processing