Inspections and Tests

TM 55-315

c. Quality assurance records shall be identifiable and retrievable.

d. Measures shall be established to control the issuance of documents, such as instructions, procedures, and

drawings, including changes, that prescribe all activities affecting quality.

(1) Activities affecting quality shall be prescribed by documentation of a type appropriate to the circumstances

and shall be accomplished according to these procedures, instructions, or drawings. This documentation shall include

appropriate qualitative or quantitative acceptance criteria for determining that important activities have been satisfactorily

accomplished.

(2) Document control measures shall assure that documents, including changes, are reviewed for adequacy and

approved for release by authorized personnel. Changes to documents shall be reviewed and approved by the same

organization(s) that performed the original review and approval.

(3) Document control measures shall assure that documents are distributed and used where the prescribed

activity is performed.

9-9. Inspections and Tests

a. A program for inspection of activities affecting quality shall be established and executed by or for the organization

performing the activity.

(1) The inspection shall be performed by person(s) who did not perform the activities being inspected.

(2) Examination, measurements, or tests of material or products shall be performed for each work operation,

where necessary, to assure quality.

(3) If inspection of processed material or products is impossible or impractical, indirect control by monitoring

processing methods, equipment, and personnel shall be provided.

(4) If required to assure adequate quality, both measurement/tests of products and process monitoring shall be

provided.

(5) If mandatory inspection hold points (points beyond which work should not proceed until previous work has

been inspected and approved) are required, they shall be indicated in appropriate documents.

b. A test program shall be established to assure that the packaging/components perform satisfactorily.

(1) Written test procedures will include requirements and acceptance limits contained in applicable packaging

approvals.

(2) Procedures shall contain provisions for assuring that all prerequisites for the given test have been met.

(3) Procedures shall contain provisions to assure that adequate test instrumentation is available and is used and

that the test is performed under suitable environmental conditions.

c. Control measures shall be established to assure that tools, gauges, instruments, and other measuring and testing

devices used in activities affecting quality are properly controlled, calibrated, and adjusted at specified items, to maintain

accuracy within necessary limits.

d. Measures shall be established to indicate, by use of markings such as stamps, tags, labels, routing cards, or other

suitable means:

(1) The status of inspections and tests performed on separate items of the packaging.

(2) The operating status of components of the packaging, such as tagging valves and switches, to prevent

inadvertent operation.

e. Measures shall be established to assure that conditions adverse to quality such as deficiencies, deviations,

defective material and equipment, and nonconformances, are promptly identified and corrected.

(1) In cases of significant condition(s) adverse to quality, the measures shall assure that the cause of the

condition is determined and that corrective action is taken to prevent repetition.

(2) The identification, cause, and corrective actions taken regarding significant condition(s) adverse to quality

shall be documented and reported to appropriate levels of management.

(3) Nonconforming items shall be reviewed and accepted, rejected, repaired, or reworked according to

documented procedures. Control measures must ensure that nonconforming items are not inadvertently used or

installed.

9-10. Special Processes, Handling, Storage, and Shipping

a. Measures shall be established to assure that special processes, including welding, heat treating, and

nondestructive testing, are controlled and accomplished by qualified personnel using qualified procedures according to all

package requirements.

b. Handling, storage, shipping, cleaning, and preservation of materials and equipment to be used in packaging shall

be controlled to prevent damage or deterioration. When necessary, special protective environments shall be specified

and provided.

9-11. Quality Assurance Audits

A comprehensive system of planned and periodic audits shall be carried out to verify compliance with all aspects of the

program and to determine the effectiveness of the program.

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