Q.A /Q.C

Placing long term assets into use requires the most diligent measures of quality control. 

In the electric utility industry a rapidly aging workforce means newer and younger employee's are performing the work. Often times it is many years before defects that cause corona, cable failure and other issues results in equipment failure and outages. 

Currently many utilities rely on contractors of choice to provide quality auditors as a third party for the contractors project or directly hired by the utility itself. Oftentimes these quality inspectors come armed with a brief and simple checklist to evaluate the work once the contractor has left the jobsite. As they have little to no field experience they look for the obvious defects such as, is the pole the correct class? Is it level? Is it buried to the proper depth? 

What they should be looking for is the finer details during the project. Some examples are to observe the pressing of a dead-end body, Is the contractor achieving 25% overlap (depending on the mfr.), is it soaped with sodium tallowate to prevent excess flashing? Are the correct dies being used? Is the dead-end body properly oriented without tension? Is the contractor putting the correct number of indents on the H-taps? Are the spare conduits in the circuit breaker blocked with Polywater (or similar) to meet NEC code?

We would love to be a partner in your q.c. program. In this partnership we are interested in supporting you with intense inspections, not neccessarily high quantity inspections designed to be part of a quality mill. We are not seeking to  put out q.c. inspectors to fill out run of the mill checklists, but those who will seek out the finer details. Putting the utility and the contractor on the right path, by documenting and sharing lessons learned across the system with all parties subject to the q.c. requirements. 

In short, we are here to support the leadership of  q.c. programs by offering up subject matter experts to teach, instruct and monitor. (But not to perform the day to day inspections, as the R.O.I. would be diminished and the competitive bidding process for those personnel limit the support personnel to less than Journeyman wages).

At SLE, we are dedicated to providing our clients with the highest quality consulting services. Our team of experts has a proven track record of success, and we are committed to delivering innovative and practical solutions that help you achieve your goals. Whether you need assistance with a single project or program support, we have the skills and expertise to meet your needs. Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help you succeed!