theofficeofnilsjohansson

Inspection Planning Procedure

Document No.	JDS-PRO-004
Revision	A
Date	2026-03-25
Status	CURRENT
Author	N. Johansson

---

What Is This?

This procedure describes how to plan and schedule inspections for pressurised vessels. It’s the second step after building your equipment register — once you know what you have, you plan when to inspect it.

The Inspection Cycle

Every pressure vessel follows the same basic cycle, regardless of country:

INVENTORY → PLAN → INSPECT → REPORT → UPDATE REGISTER → PLAN NEXT
    ↑                                                        │
    └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

1. Inventory — Know what vessels you have (equipment register)
2. Plan — Schedule inspections based on intervals and due dates
3. Inspect — Perform the inspection (internal, external, pressure test)
4. Report — Document findings (JDS-RPT category)
5. Update — Update the equipment register with results and next date
6. Repeat — The cycle never stops as long as the vessel is in service

Inspection Types

Most regulatory frameworks recognise these inspection types:

Type	What it covers	Typical method
External inspection	Visual check of the outside — corrosion, leaks, supports, safety devices	Visual, surface NDT
Internal inspection	Check inside the vessel — corrosion, cracks, deposits, wall thickness	Visual, UT wall thickness, NDT
Pressure test	Verify the vessel can safely hold pressure	Hydrostatic test (water) or pneumatic test
Functional test	Verify safety devices work — relief valves, gauges, interlocks	Operational test, bench test

Which types apply and how often depends on the country’s regulations. See the 02-regulations/ folder for specifics.

How to Build an Inspection Schedule

Step 1: Export Due Dates from the Equipment Register

Go through the equipment register and list every vessel with its next inspection date:

Vessel ID	Description	Next Inspection	Type Required
PV-001	Air receiver	2027-06-15	External + Internal
PV-002	Hydraulic accumulator	2026-09-01	External
HE-001	Heat exchanger	2026-12-01	Internal

Step 2: Group by Quarter

Organise inspections into quarterly blocks for workload planning:

Quarter	Vessels Due	Count
Q1 (Jan-Mar)	—	0
Q2 (Apr-Jun)	—	0
Q3 (Jul-Sep)	PV-002	1
Q4 (Oct-Dec)	HE-001	1

Step 3: Book Inspectors

For inspections that require an accredited third party (most countries require this for higher-class vessels):

• Book the inspector at least 3 months ahead
• Confirm the inspector is accredited for the vessel type and country
• Ensure access to the vessel (isolation, draining, cleaning if internal)

Step 4: Prepare the Vessel

Before inspection day:

Task	Lead Time	Responsible
Notify operations that vessel will be taken offline	2 weeks	Maintenance planner
Isolate and depressurise the vessel	Day before	Operations
Drain and clean (if internal inspection)	Day before	Maintenance
Remove insulation (if required for external)	Day before	Maintenance
Prepare previous inspection reports for the inspector	1 week	Document controller

Step 5: After the Inspection

1. Receive the inspection report/certificate from the inspector
2. File the report as JDS-RPT-MEC-NNN in the active program folder
3. Update the equipment register:
   • Last Inspection → today’s date
   • Next Inspection → calculate from the interval
   • Certificate Ref → new certificate number
   • Notes → any findings or actions required
4. Log the update in the project CHANGELOG
5. If defects were found, create an action item and track to completion

Inspection Calendar Template

Use this calendar to plan the full year at a glance:

Month	Vessels Due	Type	Inspector	Status
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

Overdue Management

If an inspection is overdue:

Overdue by	Action
0-30 days	Schedule immediately. Vessel may continue in service if risk assessed.
30-90 days	Vessel should be taken out of service until inspected. Notify responsible person.
90+ days	Vessel must be taken out of service. May require re-certification before returning to service.

Note: Specific rules vary by country. Always check the regulatory requirements in 02-regulations/.

---

Revision History

Rev	Date	Author	Description
A	2026-03-25	N. Johansson	Initial release — inspection planning framework