A factory inspector inspects various aspects of a factory or plant’s operations to ensure safety, quality, and regulatory compliance. Factory inspectors work for a variety of organizations and have different areas of expertise. A factory inspector’s primary responsibility is to assist in improving the safety of a factory and its products for both workers and consumers.
Factory inspectors became common in the late 1800s, when many governments passed the first laws governing factory procedures. The 1833 Factory Act, one of the first to mandate the creation of inspector positions to ensure that children under the age of nine were not used for factory labor, was one of the first to attempt to root out the use of child labor. As government regulation of manufacturing grew, the number of inspectors in the field grew dramatically all over the world. Government inspections for health compliance, safety preparedness, labor law adherence, environmental standards, and quality assurance are now possible in modern factories.
Although the government employs many factory inspectors, many also work for insurance companies and labor unions. A factory inspector can help either of these organizations by performing regular inspections to ensure that a manufacturing plant complies with insurance or union standards. Insurance violations can result in higher premiums or even the loss of coverage. Union violations can result in labor union strikes, fines, or other punitive measures.
A manufacturing company might also hire a factory inspector. Internal inspectors may be extremely useful to factory management in order to avoid fines, sanctions, and strikes caused by various regulatory violations. Before an external inspection, a dedicated inspector trained in all the regulations that a factory may face can ensure that the company is in compliance with the standards. Internal inspectors may also look into things like production efficiency and uniform quality assurance to ensure that the products produced at a plant are managed efficiently and in accordance with internal quality standards.
The training required to become a factory inspector varies depending on the position. While few training courses lead directly to the field, some factory inspectors have backgrounds in engineering, mechanics, or quality assurance. Factory inspectors receive a lot of their training on the job, but they may also spend a lot of time studying and understanding the regulatory rules in their industry.