REMOTE VISUAL INSPECTION - Our world’s first

GDi’s Inspection Department achieved a significant milestone in December 2022 when we were accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) against the requirements of ISO/IEC 17020, the international standard for bodies performing inspection.

GDi Inspection’s ISO/IEC 17020 accreditation includes a world’s first; the accreditation of Remote Visual Inspection using point cloud data and photographic images captured by GDi’s Survey team.

GDi’s Remote Visual Inspection method allows desktop visual inspection utilising our digital twin application GDi Vision. Data is captured using laser scanning and is used as a powerful and efficient visual inspection tool, allowing Inspectors to remotely undertake routine visual inspection and intrusive inspections. Through our own in-house validation procedures, GDi Inspection were able to demonstrate to UKAS the effectiveness of our Remote Visual Inspection method in identifying defects.

Gareth McIntyre, GDi’s Director of R&D, QHSE and Integrity said:

“GDi’s journey to accreditation started in August 2021, and following a thorough assessment process by UKAS, we are delighted to achieve this accreditation. GDi are committed to delivering technology driven inspection to our clients, and we are extremely proud that UKAS have granted accreditation for our wide range of inspection activities including, for the first time, remote visual inspection using our unique inspection delivery model”

ISO/IEC 17020 and the Accreditation Process

ISO/IEC 17020 is an International Standard which has been drawn up with the objective of promoting confidence in bodies performing inspection. It covers the application of quality management principles for inspection bodies performing inspection in a wide variety of industries and is used as the basis for accreditation.

Accreditation is highly regarded both nationally and internationally as a reliable indicator of technical competence, and as an accredited body, GDi’s clients can be confident in the quality of inspection services they will receive.

In order to achieve accreditation, GDi were required to successfully demonstrate to UKAS, compliance with a number of specific requirements laid out in the standard. These include:

• Conducting inspection in an impartial manner, prohibiting or resolving conflicts of interest, and ensuring the independence of GDi’s Inspection department from other activities.

• Ensuring the confidentiality of information and data obtained during inspection activities.

• Organising and managing the Inspection department and resources including personnel, facilities and equipment to ensure we can effectively perform inspection activities

• Ensuring the competence of our people, including requirements for education, training, technical knowledge, skills and experience.

• Effective management of equipment including arrangements for purchase, storage and identification, inspection and maintenance, calibration and quarantine.

• The adequacy of inspection methods and procedures, and inspection reports.

• Robust processes for recording, evaluating and making decisions on complaints and appeals related to inspection activities; and

• The maintenance of a Management System capable of consistently fulfilling the requirements of ISO/IEC 17020.

GDi Inspection are a Type C accredited Inspection Body, which means that we have the ability to provide impartial inspection services both internally to GDi and to our clients and other third parties.

Accreditation allows GDi to demonstrate our technical competence and ensure that we continue to deliver inspection services which play an important role in providing assurance of the operational safety of our clients’ assets.

Remote Visual Inspection – Our Process

The collection of data used in our Remote Visual Inspections starts with GDi’s Survey Team who capture the point cloud data and photography using laser scan technology to either blanket scan a whole asset or target specific areas for intrusive inspections. The scan data is then subject to post capture processing, allowing 3D modelling of the asset or equipment by GDi’s Design Team. GDi Inspection can then conduct desktop inspection using GDi Vision, eliminating the need for traditional photography and descriptive text reporting. The outputs of inspections are fully auditable, not subjective, and can be overlaid over any number of previous inspections to view in detail where changes or degradation is taking place. Within GDi Vision, clients can view the outputs of the inspection in our web-based visual platform allowing a digital walkthrough of the asset, including annotations, and equipment and defect tags.

The benefits of our Remote Visual Inspection method are wide ranging and include the reduction of on-site resource requirements and logistical costs, and increased assurance on inspection deliverables.

GDi have seen reductions of up to 40% of overall inspection delivery costs for our clients, and the model is a true enabler for down manning installations and campaign-based inspection delivery.

Next Steps

By achieving accreditation, GDi Inspection have demonstrated that we perform our work in accordance with appropriate standards and we now have a benchmark for maintaining that competence.

As per the requirements of accreditation, GDi Inspection shall be regularly re-assessed by UKAS to ensure continued compliance with requirements and to check that the standard of our delivery to our clients is being maintained. We actively look forward to engaging with UKAS in the months and years to come as our integrated inspection delivery model develops further.