Inspection Schedule Research Articles

‘Don’t do anything special for us coming’: the mental health impact of Ofsted inspections on teacher educators in England

ABSTRACT Ofsted inspections of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) providers aim to enhance training quality for pre-service teachers in England. However, research rarely examines the impact of these inspections on the wellbeing of Teacher Educators (TEs) based in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). This study, part of a broader investigation into burnout among HEI-based TEs in Ireland and the UK, focuses on the English context, where the inspection practices of Ofsted have been identified as significant stressors. Drawing on data from the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), open-ended survey questions and interviews, this study provides preliminary insights into the mental health effects of Ofsted inspections on TEs. It reveals that inspection processes contribute to anticipatory stress, increased workload, and performative pressures, negatively impacting TEs’ professional morale and wellbeing. The paper recommends reforms such as predictable inspection schedules, streamlined documentation, and dedicated mental health support for TEs during the inspection period.

Національний банк України як суб'єкт адміністрування торгівлі валютними цінностями

Abstract. The article is devoted to the definition of the features of the functioning of the currency market in modern conditions, the analysis of existing challenges and threats caused by military actions, the economic situation of the state, the activities of entities that play an important role in the public administration of banking and financial legal relations. A thorough analysis of the peculiarities of the implementation of functions by the National Bank of Ukraine in the field of public administration of currency trading is presented. Particular attention is paid to determining the competence of the National Bank of Ukraine as a subject of currency control. It was established that in Ukraine it is the National Bank of Ukraine that plays an important role as the subject of foreign exchange control, in particular, regarding compliance with the rules of regulation of foreign exchange transactions in relation to banks, persons who have received a license to carry out foreign exchange transactions, implements scheduled and unscheduled inspections. The effective organization of public administration of the defined sphere of financial relations is achieved through the adoption of normative legal acts of the Board of the National Bank of Ukraine. The peculiarities of the organization and implementation of financial monitoring and currency supervision by the National Bank of Ukraine are analyzed. It was determined that an important area of activity of the National Bank of Ukraine is the protection of the rights of consumers of financial services, supervision of compliance by banks and other providers of financial services with the current laws on the protection of consumer rights. The transformational changes in the banking system that have been taking place in recent years under the leadership of the National Bank of Ukraine, including the digitization of the state's banking sector, have been analyzed. It was found out that the military actions led to the radical actions of the National Bank of Ukraine in the sphere of administration of trade in currency values, which helped to calm the panic of the population in the conditions of the beginning of the war in the country. Keywords: currency; foreign exchange market; foreign exchange values; public administration; trading of foreign exchange values; public administration of trading of foreign exchange values.

Operation Experience of Westinghouse Nuclear Fuel at Ukrainian NPPs

To ensure compatibility with the more robust design of TVSA manufactured by TVEL JSC, a modification of the Westinghouse FA, referred to as RWFA, was announced in 2013, which was designed to be more robust. Since 2015, RWFAs has been in pilot operation and since 2019 in commercial operation in Ukraine. The supply of Westinghouse FAs to Ukraine was under constant supervision and integrity control at all stages of operation and after its end. From the very beginning of the implementation of the WFAs, specialists of SE "NNEGC "Energoatom" and Westinghouse Company with the scientific support of NFC STE NSC KIPT carried out the annual inspections of the fuel assemblies. Based on the inspection results of 86 WFAs/RWFAs after 1-3 years of operation, it was concluded that the obtained values of the parameters characterizing the integrity of WFAs/RWFAs did not exceed the limits set during the FA design and safety substantiation of the core loading where those FAs were operated. All FAs that were subjected to scheduled inspections were loaded in the subsequent fuel cycles.

Efficient Task Scheduling Using Constraints Programming for Enhanced Planning and Reliability

This paper presents an efficient schedule method for maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) tasks for aircraft engines using a constraint programming algorithm. Using data obtained from Korean Air’s MRO maintenance logs, we analyze and predict the optimal scheduling of regular inspections and fault repairs for various engine types. By proposing a proper modeling of the problem and preparing data for the constraint programming algorithm, we demonstrate superior performance in scheduling efficiency and resource utilization. The experimental results show an average utilization of 99.35%, and the method can even achieve 100% utilization in some cases.

Research on Pantograph Defect Classification Based on Vibration Signals.

Pantograph-based electrical current transmission systems are used in electric traction vehicles. The contact surface between the pantograph and the catenary wire experiences mechanical and thermal effects during the train's movement. Typically, this contact surface on the pantograph is covered by a segmented carbon or copper rod, attached to an aluminum base. Railways implement organizational measures for pantograph condition monitoring, based on scheduled inspections. Constitutionally, the option to replace contact elements or individual segments of the pantograph exists if wear is detected. Many scientific publications describe ideas for pantograph visualization and automated condition monitoring. These ideas are based on analyzing mechanical vibrations generated by the pantograph, acoustic vibration signal analysis, 3D geometric data of the pantograph surface captured by laser scanning, and combinations of several methods. However, in these publications, mechanical vibration analysis is limited to signal shape and spectral analysis. The possibility of treating the vibration signal as a random process using statistical methods has not been utilized. This study describes the possibility of evaluating classified mechanical pantograph vibrations using the signal's autocorrelation transformation. A laboratory experiment confirmed the proposed method for evaluating informative signal classification features. The proposed method can distinguish between signals generated by a defective pantograph surface and identify different types of defects.

Risk-Based Inspection Analysis of Api 581 Pressure Safety Valve & Stripper Acid Gas Removal Unit at PT XY

The process involving the stripper equipment in the Amine Gas Recovery Unit (AGRU), which separates rich amine, is a crucial part of the natural gas purification system. The use of a pressure safety valve is essential to maintaining operational safety. Long-term mechanical damage can lead to equipment failures such as leaks, fires, and poisoning, negatively impacting production efficiency and personnel safety. Risk-Based Inspection (RBI) is a method for inspecting, preventing, and controlling incident risks through mathematical inspections related to Probability of Failure (POF) Analysis, Consequence of Failure (COF) Analysis, and Risk Evaluation, with the output being an inspection schedule. The study results include the probability of overpressure under fire scenarios (2,82504 x 10-08), overfilling (7,06261 x 10-07), failure to open (1,49 x 10-05), and leak (3,64 x 10-02), with the consequence category averaging E, indicating that the Matrik Risiko from these scenarios is high risk. The inspection schedule is set every four years because the remaining life is half the project duration, warranting inspections at a maximum interval of 10 years. This four-year interval is based on the regulations from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources No. 38 of 2017. Operational conditions, such as frequent foaming in the AGRU influence it.

Риск-ориентированный подход к осуществлению контрольно-надзорной деятельности в области промышленной безопасности и охраны труда. Индикаторы риска соблюдения обязательных требований

The reform of the state and supervision activities is carried out in order to improve the efficiency of supervision activities due to the optimal use of human, material, and financial resources used for the state control (supervision), reduction of expenses of legal bodies, individual entrepreneurs, and improving the performance of activities by the state control (supervision) bodies when organizing specific types of the state control (supervision). One of the most efficient methods to reach the goals is the implementation of the risk-oriented approach which is a method of organization and implementation of the state control (supervision) based on the choice of intensity (form, duration, and periodicity) of events of control and is determined by the classification of activities of a legal body, individual entrepreneur, and (or) production facilities used by them during such activities to a certain risk category or to a certain hazard class (category). The adoption of the Federal Law «On the state control (supervision) in the Russian Federation» gave new impetus to the application of the risk-oriented approach. It introduced a number of new approaches to the practices of control and supervision activities. The classification criteria as four hazard classes of facilities are legislatively established for hazardous production facilities in industrial safety. The Ministry of Labor of Russia classified such facilities in accordance with five risk categories. The Federal Law «On the state control (supervision) in the Russian Federation» stipulates that unscheduled supervisory inspections are mainly conducted based on the risk indices, the list of which must be approved by a federal executive body. Such lists were approved by Rostechnadzor in 2021 and by the Ministry of Labor of the Russian Federation in 2023. They were updated in 2023 and will be expanded in the future. The implementation of the risk-oriented approach in Rostechnadzor and the Ministry of Labor helped to reduce the number of scheduled inspections and increase the number of unscheduled inspections conducted based on the activation of risk indices.

Joint Optimization of Preventive Replacement and Spare Part Ordering for Single‐Unit Systems With Mixed Inspections

ABSTRACTThis paper introduces a unified policy for preventive replacement and spare parts ordering for systems whose degradation follows a gamma process. It considers types of orders, each with variable lead times, and employs a combined inspection approach that integrates sequential and opportunistic inspections to monitor the system condition. The proposed policy coordinates the scheduling of spare parts orders, preventive replacements, and inspections based on the current state of the system. To assess its performance, the renewal reward theorem is used to calculate the average cost rate, the average availability, and the mean time to the first failure. The objective is to minimize the average cost rate, achieved through a grid search algorithm that identifies the optimal inspection and ordering policy. The effectiveness of the proposed policy is further validated by comparing its performance with three other policies in existing research works.

An Article Review on Vision-Based Defect Detection Technologies for Reinforced Concrete Bridges

Bridges are crucial and the most vulnerable element in the infrastructure systems. A major challenge is to maintain bridge structures at a sufficient level of safety. Scheduled inspections in these structures are important to prevent any failure. The requirement of periodic inspection is urgently needed to maintain the bridges in safe operating condition for the public. Visual inspection is currently the main form for the flaw’s inspection. Nevertheless, it is suffering from time consuming and some limitations related to subjectivity and uncertainty. Due to the complexity of bridge structure, automatic defect detection is an urgent requirement for reinforced concrete bridges. In view of this, the creation and utilization of computer vision method has received considerable attention in several applications of civil engineering. Thus, this paper introduces a comprehensive study in computer vision-based defect detection related to concrete bridges. In this study, a detailed survey is undertaken to identify the research problems and the accomplishments to date in this field. Accordingly, 50 studies between peer-reviewed publications and conference papers Scopus found in are reviewed. Through the analysis, the current review divided the image technology into three groups based on: 1) image processing; 2) machine learning; and 3) quantifying the severity of defects by identifying their parameters. This article highlights the difference and the advantages and disadvantages of applying image processing techniques and machine learning. The paper identifies the types of defects detected by image technology in previous studies and their shortcomings in determining some parameters related to those defects. Finally, this research addresses issues related to the efficiency of detection and the main factors to be considered that may help further research in image-based approaches for defect detection effectively in concrete bridges.

Rating as a tool for increasing the level of compliance with mandatory requirements by objects of sanitary and epidemiological control (supervision)

Introduction. The relevance of the study is determined by postulates fixed in the Concept for Improvement of Control (Supervision) Activities for the period up to 2026. It stipulates the requirement to assign a rating to each object under supervision as a tool to encourage conscientious behaviour and a mechanism that ensures easy public access to any data regarding safety of each object under control. The aim of this study was to develop a methodology and criteria for assessing objects that are subject to sanitary-epidemiological control (supervision) to assign a proper rating to them. Materials and methods. The approaches were based on statistical analysis of the results obtained by control, supervision, and prevention activities and on identifying levels of risks of harm to protected values, primarily, people’s lives and health. Results. The study presents methodical instruments used for calculating relative coefficients and corresponding scores serving as criteria for identifying a rating and calculated considering actual and potential risks of health harm. Objects are rated depending on the value of this relative coefficient (from low to high ones) and estimated per a suggested scale that allows identifying the level of their relative conformity with the law. Objects in the first scale range (the lowest coefficients and highest ratings) are considered to be the most law-abiding. Objects in the fourth range (the highest coefficients and lowest ratings) are considered to have the highest risks of health harm. The latter are the first-order priority and should attract the greatest attention of regulatory authorities. Limitations. The study has limitations as regards considering specificity of detected violations and severity of their outcomes. Conclusion. The suggested approaches to assigning ratings to both juridical persons and production facilities of the same juridical person provide information and methodical support for the requirements fixed in the valid federal legislation and prospects for the development of the public administration. The presented tools allow more flexible planning and help to the regional offices of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing to create inspection schedules in accordance with available resources so that they can soundly concentrate their efforts on the most ‘difficult’ objects even within the same risk category. Assigning a rating to an object is a way to encourage businesses to conform to mandatory requirements (for objects with low rating) and to give them an opportunity to show their socially responsible image (for objects with high rating). Assigning a rating is an instrument keeping the civil society informed and helps to make a well-grounded choice when it comes down to objects that render various services to the population.

Are there “Ratatouille” restaurants? On anticorrelation of food quality and hygiene

We study the empirical relationship between restaurants’ hygiene standards and their food quality scores, as evaluated by professional reviewers. By using data from the UK high-end restaurants, we show that this relationship is negative, observed across several econometric specifications and food quality measurements. We report that 3% of Michelin-starred restaurants have poor hygiene, while the same is true for 2.5% of high-end guidebook-listed restaurants in our dataset. We highlight two possibilities for this observed negative association: a strategic hypothesis (capturing restaurants’ choices trading off hygiene for quality), and a selection hypothesis (reflecting restaurants’ differential survival rates under competition). Our results indicate that the latter has more support. Our findings also illuminate potential channels through which the anticorrelation between hygiene and food quality could be mitigated and can be informative for hygiene inspectors in order to prioritize restaurants in their inspection schedule based on observable characteristics.

Identifying risk factors for wheelchair damage, part failure, and adverse consequences to the user

No tools or technologies exist to inform data-driven inspection schedules for wheelchairs. To develop such a schedule, this study identifies risk factors linked with manual wheelchair damage, part failures, and consequences and evaluates preferences for a new wheelchair servicing technology. A mixed methods study was performed with manual wheelchair users at The Ohio State University Martha Morehouse Clinic. Demographic data, wheelchair information, failure counts, and consequences suffered by the user were collected using surveys. Wheelchair usage was collected for a month using a sensor. A servicing smartphone app that connects with the sensor was demonstrated as a new servicing technology, and participant preferences were recorded. Thirty participants completed the survey testing procedures. Twenty-three collected usage data and eighteen collected it for over a week. At least 215 wheelchair part failures with an average of 13.4 ± 14.8 self-reported part failures and 4.7 ± 4.8 high-risk failures occurred in 12 months before the first study visit. Two weeks of collected data from 18 participants showed that normalised road shocks, age, and weight were associated with the condition of wheels and frames, as well as self-reported caster failures. Participants responded with a favourable preference for the new wheelchair servicing technology, with more than half of them interested in buying and using it. Risk factors like road shocks and user’s age and weight are associated with part damage towards failures and self-reported failures that risk injury. These factors can be modelled to develop and test the efficacy of wheelchair inspection schedules.

Intelligent Infrastructure for Urban Transportation: The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Predictive Maintenance

Urban transportation infrastructure, encompassing roads, bridges, and tunnels, is vital for city mobility but remains vulnerable to wear and damage over time. Traditional maintenance methods, which rely on reactive repairs and scheduled inspections, often fall short in preventing sudden failures, resulting in costly disruptions and safety risks. This study examines how artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing infrastructure management through predictive maintenance. By deploying smart sensors and utilizing predictive analytics, AI enables the continuous monitoring of structural health and the proactive identification of potential issues before they escalate into serious failures. The research develops and tests an AI-based predictive maintenance model, which analyzes real-time data from embedded sensors in urban infrastructure to detect anomalies and predict failure patterns. Results indicate that the predictive maintenance model can enhance response times, reduce maintenance costs by 30%, and prevent approximately 92% of unexpected failures. These findings underscore the potential of AI-driven approaches to reduce unplanned disruptions, optimize resource allocation, and extend infrastructure lifespan, ultimately creating safer and more sustainable urban transportation systems. However, challenges in data variability and environmental interference are noted, suggesting areas for future refinement. This study provides a framework for integrating AI in urban infrastructure maintenance, highlighting its potential to transform how cities approach long-term infrastructure health and reliability.

Natural Seawater Impact on Crack Propagation and Fatigue Behavior of Welded Nickel Aluminum Bronze

ABSTRACTNickel aluminum bronze (NAB) is a complex alloy used extensively in the marine environment. Fatigue strength of NAB is reduced by welding and prior seawater corrosion. This study investigated the combined effect of corrosion and plasma welding on the fatigue behavior of NAB. Natural seawater corroded samples were used in tension‐tension cyclic loading tests to observe fatigue crack initiation, propagation, and failure. Fatigue cracks initiated from corrosion pits at the weld toe. Stress corrosion and fatigue cracks propagated along the path of β′ and κIII phases. A short crack growth model (SCGM) predicted fatigue strength using experimentally obtained material properties and corrosion pit dimensions. Model predictions were used to develop S‐N curves and were within 30% of experimental results. The SCGM produced accurate and reliable fatigue life results that could be applied by industry to aid in revalidation decision making and inspection scheduling.

E-maintenance in hydropower energy generation: A case study of Enel Colombia

Traditionally, maintenance in the hydropower industry has been a labour-intensive and time-consuming process. It often relies on scheduled inspections and manual intervention. E-maintenance in hydropower plants can help to address this challenge by allowing remote monitoring and control of plant equipment, enabling timely detection and diagnosis of potential problems. This paper presents a case study of the implementation of an e-maintenance strategy for hydropower infrastructure at one of the largest generation companies in the Colombian electricity market. A machine learning model, implemented by Enel Colombia, is fed with recorded data on turbine bearing temperature and active power generation to predict problems in hydropower generators. The results show how e-maintenance can reduce operating costs and avoid breakdowns in hydro generation.

Ship Selection and Inspection Scheduling in Inland Waterway Transport

Ship Selection and Inspection Scheduling in Inland Waterway Transport

Economic Impact Assessment of Structural Health Monitoring Systems on the Lifecycle of a Helicopter Blade

Structural Health Monitoring Systems (SHMS) are currently widely investigated in the literature, however, their application to the aerospace industry is still limited. One of the reasons lies in the lack of methods aimed at evaluating their economic impact on the lifecycle of the structural element to be monitored [1]. In this work the economic impact of FBG-based SHMS was evaluated on a composite helicopter rotor blade, considering two perspectives: Beginning Of Life (BOL), concerning the blade production, and Middle Of Life (MOL), concerning its usage. The processes were modeled using the IDEF0 methodology, which allowed deriving the cost models for two scenarios: the current one, and the one including the SHMS. In BOL, the SHMS was supposed providing support to the development of new composite rotor blades, including the curing cycle definition and certification tests. In MOL the SHMS was supposed performing automatic scheduled inspections coupled with the traditional ones. The cost model was implemented in the Probabilistic Damage Tolerance Analysis [2] to compare the scenarios having the same blade Probability Of Failure and considering the performances of the SHMS in terms of Probability Of Detection and Probability of False Alarm. Results show that an economic benefit may be achieved using the SHMS in the development of new blades, potentially reducing the number of blades tested and number of autoclave cycles. Moreover, it was found that the traditional scheduled detailed inspection intervals could be extended if automatic SHMS inspections are performed in addition, maintaining the same Probability Of Failure. [1] Büchter, K. D. et al. (2022). Modeling of an aircraft structural health monitoring sensor network for operational impact assessment. Structural Health Monitoring, 21(1), 208-224. [2] Lin, K. Y., & Styuart, A. V. (2007). Probabilistic approach to damage tolerance design of aircraft composite structures. Journal of Aircraft, 44(4), 1309-1317.

An analytical approach to evaluate life-cycle cost of deteriorating pipelines

Optimal inspection and maintenance planning for deteriorating pipelines is important for cost-effective risk management decisions. The objective of this study is to develop an analytical approach for determining the expected value and standard deviation of life-cycle cost (LCC) for deteriorating pipelines, which can incorporate imperfect repair and inspection actions without making independent assumptions of failure and repair events. The framework is developed based on a decision tree model by using analytical methods to evaluate events and considers the impact of the inspection schedules and possible repair actions on the probability distributions of failure times. To illustrate the proposed framework, a steel transmission pipeline with a corrosion defect is used, where a stochastic model of corrosion growth is assumed and burst failure is considered as the pipeline failure mode. The case study indicates that the failure cost due to two or more failure occurrences can be ignored; and the inspection interval, repair threshold and type, the length of lifetime considered, and unit failure cost all play important roles in the expected value of the total cost. The variation in the LCC estimation is found to be significant, and it has a great impact on determination of optimal decision variables.

Региональные аспекты оценки результативности и эффективности риск-ориентированной модели контрольно-надзорной деятельности в сфере обеспечения санитарно-эпидемиологического благополучия населения

This research is relevant since it is important to assess performance and effectiveness of activities performed by Rospotrebnadzor bodies and organizations in RF regions. The aim of this study was to assess performance and effectiveness of control and surveillance activities performed by a territorial office of Rospotrebnadzor given the current reduction in scheduled inspections. Control and surveillance activities performed by the Rospotrebnadzor Rostov Regional Office in 2023 were selected as the research object. They were aimed at improving the quality of the environment for the region population and indirectly at reducing population incidence and mortality associated with exposures to harmful risk factors represented by ambient air, water, and soil pollution etc. The study was accomplished relying on methodical instruments developed by the Federal Scientific Center for Medical and Preventive Health Risk Management Technologies and approved by the RF Chief Sanitary Inspector. The basic methodology establishes rules for calculating economic losses associated with population mortality and incidence (children, working age population and population older than working age) caused by environmental exposures. Calculations were based on the results of instrumental measurements of the environment quality in cities in the Rostov region and the results of scheduled and off-schedule control activities performed by the Rospotrebnadzor Rostov Regional Office in 2023. It was established that control and surveillance activities performed by the Service managed to prevent approximately 1760 deaths and more than 152.4 thousand diseases, which could actually occur should the Service fail to perform its regulatory actions. The total prevented economic losses equaled approximately 2.1 billion rubles in 2023. Economic effectiveness was established relying on prevented losses of the gross regional product and equaled 7.25 rubles per 1 spent ruble in 2023 prices. There are several promising trends in the scientific and methodical support provided by practical activities performed by Rospotrebnadzor. They include development and implementation of methodical approaches to assessing effectiveness of prevention activities; searching for new approaches to assessing performance and effectiveness of other activities accomplished by the Service (licensing, registration of new and hazardous chemicals and products, etc.).

Regional aspects in assessment of performance and effectiveness of the risk-based model for control and surveillance activities in provision of sanitary-epidemiological wellbeing of the population

This research is relevant since it is important to assess performance and effectiveness of activities performed by Rospotrebnadzor bodies and organizations in RF regions. The aim of this study was to assess performance and effectiveness of control and surveillance activities performed by a territorial office of Rospotrebnadzor given the current reduction in scheduled inspections. Control and surveillance activities performed by the Rospotrebnadzor Rostov Regional Office in 2023 were selected as the research object. They were aimed at improving the quality of the environment for the region population and indirectly at reducing population incidence and mortality associated with exposures to harmful risk factors represented by ambient air, water, and soil pollution etc. The study was accomplished relying on methodical instruments developed by the Federal Scientific Center for Medical and Preventive Health Risk Management Technologies and approved by the RF Chief Sanitary Inspector. The basic methodology establishes rules for calculating economic losses associated with population mortality and incidence (children, working age population and population older than working age) caused by environmental exposures. Calculations were based on the results of instrumental measurements of the environment quality in cities in the Rostov region and the results of scheduled and off-schedule control activities performed by the Rospotrebnadzor Rostov Regional Office in 2023. It was established that control and surveillance activities performed by the Service managed to prevent approximately 1760 deaths and more than 152.4 thousand diseases, which could actually occur should the Service fail to perform its regulatory actions. The total prevented economic losses equaled approximately 2.1 billion rubles in 2023. Economic effectiveness was established relying on prevented losses of the gross regional product and equaled 7.25 rubles per 1 spent ruble in 2023 prices. There are several promising trends in the scientific and methodical support provided by practical activities performed by Rospotrebnadzor. They include development and implementation of methodical approaches to assessing effectiveness of prevention activities; searching for new approaches to assessing performance and effectiveness of other activities accomplished by the Service (licensing, registration of new and hazardous chemicals and products, etc.).