Can anybody give me a descriptions of Inspection Point of ITP?Such as H,W,R,M,W,RD.For example,Hold Point (H) = Inspection shall be carried out by the A.I before proceeding the next phase of fabrication activities.
Tq.(still learning)

The ITP shall list all manufacturing, review of records, examination, inspection, and testing activities listed in sequence and beside each activity the space for establishing activity by the parties and for the signature and date to signify that activity has been successfully made. Activities, before than by the AI should be established by the Manufacturer's representative. The Client or his representative and/or a third party other than the AI may establish their activities as well. For what concerns the AI he has to establish his inspection points.
Review of records, examination, inspection, and testing points, for all the above representative are:
Hold: The person who placed the H shall be requested to make his activity. Further processing is not permitted until the relevant activity has been carried out.
Witness: Same as H but it may be waived by the person
Review of Records or of documents (RD): The person should be advised when the record is ready and may perform his review to his convenience.

Agencies and Clients use to add other request like
M= Monitoring
RI= Random Inspection
which fill the ITP with activities which do not bind the Inspector because he signs without specifying what he actually did.
Mauro Gonzaga

Planning for quality is a necessary ingredient for developing and review inspection and testing for activities to be performed here and at supplier’s facilities. The suggestions contained within this Guideline could very well be applied to Stamp holders and their Subcontractors.

Let’s not assume that just because the supplier is already an approved supplier listed based on an evaluation of their ability to meet requirements – that these problems do not exist.

Of course, suppliers are required to develop and implement ITP’s; however, the level of planning used by suppliers is not consistent. Weak or poor supplier ITP’s are generally based on one or more of the following problems:
1. Supplier has a ‘Canned Program Approach” to meeting their client’s needs and specification requirements – submitting the same ITP used for all their clients.
2. Supplier has weak process method for reviewing client requirements and fails to prepare quality plan to meet those client requirements. These weak suppliers generally do not plan for quality until after the PO has been acknowledged and then expect their quality department to handle just the fabrication aspects of quality control.
3. Supplier fails to identify controls, work processes, tools and equipment, personnel skills that may be need to achieve the required quality.
4. Supplier fails to evaluate compatibility of their engineering, purchasing, fabrication, inspection, and documentation processes with their existing procedures with the client requirements.
5. Supplier fails to update their quality in all areas, not just inspection and testing.
6. Supplier fails to identify measuring requirements that exceed their ‘state of the art’.
7. Supplier fails to identify necessary inspection, examination, and verification activities at appropriate stages.
8. Supplier and client fail to clarify the standard of acceptability, especially those that contain a subjective element.
9. Supplier fails to identify quality records that need to be prepared and delivered at various stages, not just at design and delivery stages.

The purpose of an Inspection and Test Plan is to put together in a single document that records all inspection and testing requirements relevant to a specific process. On a procurement (Or subcontractor) contract, the process is likely to be a shop fabrication (Or Field construction) activity, element of work, trade work or providing a product.

An Inspection and Test Plan identifies the items of materials and work to be inspected or tested, by whom and at what stage or frequency, as well as Hold and Witness Points, references to relevant standards, acceptance criteria and the records to be maintained. Inspection and Test Plans, when properly implemented, help ensure that, and verify whether, work has been undertaken to the required standard and requirements, and that records are kept.

Hold Point - A ‘hold’ point defines a point beyond which work may not proceed without the authorization of a designated authority.
Designated Authority - This ‘designated authority’ might be an employee, an ASME Authorized Inspector (AI), a client, or a regulatory authority representative, or it may be a 3rd party inspection agency's inspecting items as a designated “Service Provider”.

Witness Point - A ‘witness’ point provides a party with the opportunity to witness the inspection or test or aspect of the work, at their discretion.

Surveillance - Intermittent monitoring of any stage of the work in progress

Self inspection - Where the individual performing the work verifies the quality progressively - often with the aid of checklists.

Work area - A discrete section of the whole work, usually defined by location, where any trade work or activity would be completed before it moves onto another area. Examples include a wall, a room, a building, a length of pipeline between fabrication shops and the like.

The following steps are involved in documenting Inspection and Test Plans for a contract:
Step 1 Read the contract documents (including the technical specifications) and prepare a list of any discrepancies, ambiguities, missing information and standards of materials and/or workmanship that it is considered are inappropriate.
Step 2 Contact your and resolve the issues listed as a result of Step 1.
Step 3 Examine the scope of work and divide it into separate areas requiring an Inspection and Test Plan (where not already prescribed in the contract documents). As a general guide it is normally most convenient to document a separate Inspection and Test Plan for each trade or work area/section.
Step 4 Note the Hold and Witness Points required by the AI, code or client (including as listed in the contract documents).
Step 5 Review the contract documents again and note the requirements that have the most impact on the quality of the finished work. For each ask the question “What will be the consequences if it is not made sure this is right?” Be certain to include any references to tests, submitting information to client or AI, obtaining required approvals and Hold and Witness Points (see 1.6.9 for further information).
Step 6 Determine from Step 5 which items or aspects of each inspection will need to be recorded on checklists and prepare these aspects.
Step 7 Discuss the checklists with those directly involved with the work and obtain their input. This input should particularly be directed at identifying those issues that have caused problems (and involved extra costs) in the past, and therefore warrant checking at the earliest opportunity to avoid unnecessary and costly rectification.
Step 8 Prepare each Inspection and Test Plan to reflect the requirements of the contract documents. Reference the ITP in the Quality Management Plan and cross-reference to the other related ITPs.
Step 9 Issue each Inspection and Test Plan and/or associated certification to AI for consideration within a reasonable period prior to commencing the work described in the Plan and adjust them to suit any comment received (or act as otherwise required in the contract documents).
Step 10 Decide how best to divide the whole of the work into work areas for control purposes and indicate these locations either on a schedule (with reference to grids and levels) or by marking up drawings.
Step 11 Prepare and issue checklists for each work area and identify them according to location.
Step 12 Train those directly involved with each of the ITP in their use. Formalize a procedure for the notification of Witness and Hold Points to the appropriate person(s).
Step 13 Carry out inspections and tests in accordance with the Inspection and Test Plans, provide notices to AI and your client, and/or regulatory authorities for Hold or Witness Points, as designated or applicable, and record the results on checklists.