- Environmental, Regulatory and Stakeholder Engagement
- Quality Control and Inspection Professional
- NOCs #2261, #2262
Quality Control and Inspection Professional
You believe in doing it right. Your job is to ensure workers follow the rules. In the energy industry, there are many processes and products that need your oversight. You inspect, review, evaluate and analyze work environments, products or procedures. At the end of the day, you’re all about safety, quality and best practices.
Quality control and inspection professionals implement a wide variety of inspection, repair, risk assessment and corrosion management tools and technologies. They monitor new equipment installations, as well as assist the maintenance department in developing preventative and repair strategies by assessing the condition of the equipment. Their goal is to control equipment and facility integrity in order to ensure safe and reliable performance and to prevent injury to personnel or defects in products or project works.
Specializations include:
- Regulatory inspectors conduct inspections of oil or natural gas drilling sites, well servicing, well abandonment operations, enhanced oil recovery production operations and pipelines to ensure compliance with regulations.
- Asset integrity inspectors provide technical support in developing corrosion prevention techniques that meet codes and standards, reduce failures, minimize operating costs and extend the life of the company’s assets.
- Electrical and instrumentation specialists ensure that electrical and instrumentation equipment meets applicable regulations, codes, standards and specifications.
- Quality control inspectors design, implement and maintain the company’s quality program for large, multi-disciplinary projects.
- Subsea inspectors provide specialized services to the offshore oil and natural gas industry such as subsea inspection techniques, corrosion assessment, pipeline engineering and pipeline integrity management systems.
I'm interested in a career in
- Sub-sector Exploration and production, Oil and gas services, Pipelines, Offshore, Oil sands
- Environment Indoor/office and Outdoor work
- Average Salary $53,000 to $103,000
- Education Post-secondary diploma
- Career Demand Stable
In this occupation activities may include:
- Reviewing engineering packages for material selection, weld-procedure acceptance and specification, as well as regulatory compliance
- Examining permits, licences, applications and records to ensure compliance with licensing requirements
- Developing, maintaining and controlling quality records (e.g., engineering packages, inspection reports, integrity assessments, non-conformance reports and other required documentation) for pressure equipment
- Investigating incidents, events and complaints to ensure public safety, environmental protection and resource conservation
- Conducting inspections to assess compliance with the applicable regulations, codes and standards
Education
- A post-secondary diploma or degree or trades certification in a relevant field, along with significant technical knowledge and experience, is required for most roles. Depending on the focus, the required education could include petroleum, chemical, mechanical and materials/metallurgical engineering, welding, electrical/instrumentation, power engineering or non-destructive testing.
Certifications
- Standard and emergency first aid
- H2S Alive®
- Fall protection
- Confined space entry
- Specific health and safety certifications will be determined by job requirements
Licensing
- Certifications are available through the American Petroleum Institute (API), Canadian Welding Bureau (CWB), American Welding Society (AWS) and National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE)
- Certificates of competency for in-service boiler and pressure vessel inspector Non-destructive testing certification Welding inspector certification Coating inspector certification
Nature of work and environment conditions specific to oil and natural gas include:
- Travel likely required
- Indoor/office and outdoor work
- Work away from home/in camps
Communication is key. Your job is to help others change their practices and processes, even if under time constraints.
- Information and documentation
- Production and processing
- Works safely
- Quality control analysis
- Systems evaluation and analysis
- Complex problem solving
- Professional judgement and decision making
- Persuasion
- Collaborative
- Sub-sector Contracted and turnaround maintenance, Modular fabrication, Construction, Start-up and commissioning, Engineering, design and procurement
- Environment Indoor/office and Outdoor work
- Average Salary Equal to oil and gas
- Education Post-secondary diploma
- Career Demand Stable
- Skills Upgrading None
-
Direct
Good news! The skills gained as a quality control and inspection professional in oil and natural gas are directly transferable to the industrial construction and maintenance in energy sector.
In this occupation activities may include:
- Reviewing engineering packages for material selection, weld-procedure acceptance and specification, as well as regulatory compliance
- Examining permits, licences, applications and records to ensure compliance with licensing requirements
- Developing, maintaining and controlling quality records (e.g., engineering packages, inspection reports, integrity assessments, non-conformance reports and other required documentation) for pressure equipment
- Investigating incidents, events and complaints to ensure public safety, environmental protection and resource conservation
- Conducting inspections to assess compliance with the applicable regulations, codes and standards
Education
- A post-secondary diploma or degree or trades certification in a relevant field, along with significant technical knowledge and experience, is required for most roles. Depending on the focus, the required education could include petroleum, chemical, mechanical and materials/metallurgical engineering, welding, electrical/instrumentation, power engineering or non-destructive testing.
Certifications
- Standard and emergency first aid
- H2S Alive®
- Fall protection
- Confined space entry
- Specific health and safety certifications will be determined by job requirements
Licensing
- Certifications are available through the American Petroleum Institute (API), Canadian Welding Bureau (CWB), American Welding Society (AWS) and National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE)
- Certificates of competency for in-service boiler and pressure vessel inspector Non-destructive testing certification Welding inspector certification Coating inspector certification
Nature of work and environment conditions specific to industrial construction and maintenance include:
- Shiftwork/variable work hours
- Travel required (contracted and turnaround maintenance | construction | start-up and commissioning | engineering, design and procurement)
- Work away from home/in camps (contracted and turnaround maintenance)
- Potential for relocation (modular fabrication)
- Primarily outdoor work (construction | start-up and commissioning)
- Temporary/project-to-project work (contracted and turnaround maintenance | construction | start-up and commissioning | engineering, design and procurement)
- Freelance/contract opportunities (contracted and turnaround maintenance | construction | start-up and commissioning | engineering, design and procurement)
- Lower-risk tolerant culture (contracted and turnaround maintenance | modular fabrication | construction | start-up and commissioning | engineering, design and procurement)
- Safety-sensitive environment (contracted and turnaround maintenance | modular fabrication | construction | start-up and commissioning | engineering, design and procurement)
- Transition to a similar level (contracted and turnaround maintenance | modular fabrication | construction | start-up and commissioning | engineering, design and procurement)
Nature of work and environment conditions specific to oil and natural gas include:
- Travel likely required
- Indoor/office and outdoor work
- Work away from home/in camps
Communication is key. Your job is to help others change their practices and processes, even if under time constraints.
- Information and documentation
- Production and processing
- Works safely
- Quality control analysis
- Systems evaluation and analysis
- Complex problem solving
- Professional judgement and decision making
- Persuasion
- Collaborative
- Environment Indoor/office and Outdoor work
- Average Salary Equal to oil and gas
- Education Post-secondary diploma
- Career Demand Stable
- Skills Upgrading None
-
Refocus
A quality control and inspection professional considering a career change from oil and natural gas to LNG facility operation may expect to complete some minor upskilling for a successful transition.
In this occupation activities may include:
- Reviewing engineering packages for material selection, weld-procedure acceptance and specification, as well as regulatory compliance
- Examining permits, licences, applications and records to ensure compliance with licensing requirements
- Developing, maintaining and controlling quality records (e.g., engineering packages, inspection reports, integrity assessments, non-conformance reports and other required documentation) for pressure equipment
- Investigating incidents, events and complaints to ensure public safety, environmental protection and resource conservation
- Conducting inspections to assess compliance with the applicable regulations, codes and standards
Education
- A post-secondary diploma or degree or trades certification in a relevant field, along with significant technical knowledge and experience, is required for most roles. Depending on the focus, the required education could include petroleum, chemical, mechanical and materials/metallurgical engineering, welding, electrical/instrumentation, power engineering or non-destructive testing.
Certifications
- Standard and emergency first aid
- H2S Alive®
- Fall protection
- Confined space entry
- Specific health and safety certifications will be determined by job requirements
Licensing
- Certifications are available through the American Petroleum Institute (API), Canadian Welding Bureau (CWB), American Welding Society (AWS) and National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE)
- Certificates of competency for in-service boiler and pressure vessel inspector Non-destructive testing certification Welding inspector certification Coating inspector certification
Nature of work and environment conditions specific to LNG include:
- Shiftwork/variable work hours
- Travel required
- Potential for relocation
- Lower-risk tolerant culture
- Safety-sensitive environment
- Transition to a similar level
- Career development fostered/supported
Nature of work and environment conditions specific to oil and natural gas include:
- Travel likely required
- Indoor/office and outdoor work
- Work away from home/in camps
Communication is key. Your job is to help others change their practices and processes, even if under time constraints.
- Information and documentation
- Production and processing
- Works safely
- Quality control analysis
- Systems evaluation and analysis
- Complex problem solving
- Professional judgement and decision making
- Persuasion
- Collaborative
- Environment Indoor/office and Outdoor work
- Average Salary Equal to oil and gas
- Education Post-secondary diploma
- Career Demand Stable
- Skills Upgrading None
-
Direct
Congratulations! The skills gained as a quality control and inspection professional in oil and natural gas are directly transferable to the petrochemicals and refining sector.
In this occupation activities may include:
- Reviewing engineering packages for material selection, weld-procedure acceptance and specification, as well as regulatory compliance
- Examining permits, licences, applications and records to ensure compliance with licensing requirements
- Developing, maintaining and controlling quality records (e.g., engineering packages, inspection reports, integrity assessments, non-conformance reports and other required documentation) for pressure equipment
- Investigating incidents, events and complaints to ensure public safety, environmental protection and resource conservation
- Conducting inspections to assess compliance with the applicable regulations, codes and standards
Education
- A post-secondary diploma or degree or trades certification in a relevant field, along with significant technical knowledge and experience, is required for most roles. Depending on the focus, the required education could include petroleum, chemical, mechanical and materials/metallurgical engineering, welding, electrical/instrumentation, power engineering or non-destructive testing.
Certifications
- Standard and emergency first aid
- H2S Alive®
- Fall protection
- Confined space entry
- Specific health and safety certifications will be determined by job requirements
Licensing
- Certifications are available through the American Petroleum Institute (API), Canadian Welding Bureau (CWB), American Welding Society (AWS) and National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE)
- Certificates of competency for in-service boiler and pressure vessel inspector Non-destructive testing certification Welding inspector certification Coating inspector certification
Nature of work and environment conditions specific to petrochemicals and refining include:
- Shiftwork/variable work hours
- Travel required
- Potential for relocation
- Lower-risk tolerant culture
- Safety-sensitive environment
- Transition to a similar level
- Career development fostered/supported
- Potentially unionized
Nature of work and environment conditions specific to oil and natural gas include:
- Travel likely required
- Indoor/office and outdoor work
- Work away from home/in camps
Communication is key. Your job is to help others change their practices and processes, even if under time constraints.
- Information and documentation
- Production and processing
- Works safely
- Quality control analysis
- Systems evaluation and analysis
- Complex problem solving
- Professional judgement and decision making
- Persuasion
- Collaborative
- Sub-sector Geothermal, Solar, Wind
- Environment Indoor/office and Outdoor work
- Average Salary Equal to oil and gas
- Education Post-secondary diploma
- Career Demand Stable
- Skills Upgrading Minor
-
Refocus
A quality control and inspection professional in oil and natural gas may need to complete some minor upskilling to transition successfully to working in the renewables sector. Hands-on experience and specialized knowledge of geothermal, solar and wind processes and equipment is likely required. A worker in the geothermal sub-sector may expect to earn an average salary range similar to the average oil and natural gas salary range, but a worker making a career change to solar or wind should expect the average salary range to be lower than in oil and natural gas.
In this occupation activities may include:
- Reviewing engineering packages for material selection, weld-procedure acceptance and specification, as well as regulatory compliance
- Examining permits, licences, applications and records to ensure compliance with licensing requirements
- Developing, maintaining and controlling quality records (e.g., engineering packages, inspection reports, integrity assessments, non-conformance reports and other required documentation) for pressure equipment
- Investigating incidents, events and complaints to ensure public safety, environmental protection and resource conservation
- Conducting inspections to assess compliance with the applicable regulations, codes and standards
Education
- A post-secondary diploma or degree or trades certification in a relevant field, along with significant technical knowledge and experience, is required for most roles. Depending on the focus, the required education could include petroleum, chemical, mechanical and materials/metallurgical engineering, welding, electrical/instrumentation, power engineering or non-destructive testing.
Certifications
- Standard and emergency first aid
- H2S Alive®
- Fall protection
- Confined space entry
- Specific health and safety certifications will be determined by job requirements
Licensing
- Certifications are available through the American Petroleum Institute (API), Canadian Welding Bureau (CWB), American Welding Society (AWS) and National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE)
- Certificates of competency for in-service boiler and pressure vessel inspector Non-destructive testing certification Welding inspector certification Coating inspector certification
Nature of work and environment conditions specific to renewables include:
- Shiftwork/variable work hours (geothermal)
- Travel required (geothermal)
- Primarily outdoor work (geothermal)
- Less formal organizational structure (geothermal | solar | wind)
- Freelance/contract opportunities (geothermal | solar | wind)
- Lower-risk tolerant culture (geothermal | solar | wind)
- Safety-sensitive environment (geothermal | solar | wind)
- Transition to a similar level (geothermal | solar |wind)
- Rural location (geothermal | solar | wind)
Nature of work and environment conditions specific to oil and natural gas include:
- Travel likely required
- Indoor/office and outdoor work
- Work away from home/in camps
Communication is key. Your job is to help others change their practices and processes, even if under time constraints.
- Information and documentation
- Production and processing
- Works safely
- Quality control analysis
- Systems evaluation and analysis
- Complex problem solving
- Professional judgement and decision making
- Persuasion
- Collaborative
The renewables sector is further divided into sub-sectors:
Geothermal
- Average salary range: Equal to oil and gas
Solar
- Average salary range: Less than oil and gas
Wind
- Average salary range: Less than oil and gas
What does this mean for workers?
There could be differences in the expected salary range and varying work environments. Further research on the sector or consultation with a career advisor may be required.
