Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, & Weighers

Video transcript: skip transcript

From food and clothing… to motor vehicles and structural steel… Quality control inspectors examine products and materials for defects… to ensure that consumer products meet regulations and quality standards. Inspectors inspect, test, and measure products… if an item meets specifications, the inspector certifies it… but when a product is faulty, inspectors may reject it, send it for repair, or fix a minor problem themselves. Samplers test or inspect a sample from a production run for malfunctions or defects. Sorters separate goods according to length, size, fabric type, or color. Testers test existing products or prototypes to determine how long a product will last and what will break first, and then identify possible improvements. Weighers weigh out quantities of production materials. Some inspectors spend their day lifting heavy objects, while others sit during their shift and read data printouts. Some work environments may be noisy or expose workers to hazardous materials, while others may be clean and air-conditioned. Inspectors may need to wear protective clothing. Though some quality control inspectors work evenings or weekends, standard full time business hours are common. Most quality control inspectors need a high school diploma and receive on-the-job training that typically lasts from as little as 1 month up to 1 year.. An associate’s degree in a field such as quality control management may help qualify workers for more challenging positions.