A. This section specifies the essential elements of the Project Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) Plan, including inspection, calibration, testing, and records for the work in this contract. B. The requirements of this section shall apply to all activities related to quality of items, including designing, purchasing, storing, handling, fabrication, inspecting, assembling, installing, testing and shipping. C. Responsibility for all procedures and methods to ensure quality belongs to the Contractors. Owner/Architect review, inspection, measurement, or observation does not relieve the Contractor of this responsibility to inspect and otherwise ensure quality of his work in accordance with these and other provisions of the contract. Failure of the Owner or the Architect/Engineer to perform any inspection and observation and to advise the Contractor of deficiencies that may have been uncovered does not relieve the Contractor of his obligation to perform the work in accordance with contract requirements. D. In the case of multiple prime contractors, each prime contractor is responsible to provide his own Quality Control. 1.2 QUALITY CONTROL PLAN A. General Requirements 1. The Contractor shall establish and maintain a QA/QC Plan, with project quality requirements extending to all subcontractors and suppliers, to ensure that compliance with the contract is satisfied. The Contractor's QA/QC Plan shall include sufficient personnel to monitor progress of the project and to provide evidence and accountability, through documentation, of quality in the finished product. The Contractor's QA/QC Plan shall include inspection and tests required by the contract for all construction operations including on-site and offsite fabrications of materials and equipment, discrepancy control, shipping and receiving procedures, and production and progress controls. B. Organization: QA/QC is a basic responsibility of each segment within the Contractor's organization and is demonstrated by: 1. Procurement and job performance specifications 2. Procedures for transmission of information and data to subcontractors and ensuring their compliance therewith. 3. Inspection and testing programs to ensure conformity to design requirements C. Personnel responsible for the implementation, monitoring and administration of the QA/QC Plan shall be named and shall have direct contact with the Contractor's management at a level higher than the Project Manager, where appropriate action can be obtained. The QA/QC Plan shall ensure that schedules and/or cost are not permitted to compromise quality. The Contractor's Quality Control personnel shall be a part of the Contractor's staff and shall report directly to an officer of the contracting firm and not be subordinate to the job superintendent or Project Manager. D. Quality Control Records: Maintain adequate records to provide evidence of quality and accountability. These records shall include the checking and approval of design, specifications and drawings, results of inspections, tests, process controls, certification of processes and personnel, discrepant material (including records of disposition), and other quality requirements defined in the contract. These records shall be maintained, completed, and available to the Owner at all times during the performance of the contract and for a three-year retention period thereafter. Inspecting and testing records shall, as a minimum, indicate the reference tests, nature of the observations, the number of observations made, and the number and types of deficiencies found. Also, records for monitoring work performance and for inspecting and testing shall indicate the acceptability of work or products and the action taken in connection with the correction of deficiencies. E. Changes to Drawings and Specifications: The QA/QC Plan shall provide procedures for evaluation of the engineering and for determining the adequacy of proposed changes to design drawings and specifications. Ensure that inspection and acceptance tests are based on the latest approved revision or change to drawings and specifications. Maintain a procedure that considers the adequacy, completeness, and currentness of drawings, and the control of changes, and ensure that there is complete compliance with contract requirements, including all code compliance for proposing, approving and effecting engineering changes. This procedure shall be in coordination with project record documents as defined in this specification. Ensure that obsolete drawings and change requirements are promptly removed from all points of issue and use. F. Calibration/Certification of Measuring Equipment and Tools: Validity of measurements and tests shall be ensured through the use of suitable inspection, measurement, and test equipment of the range and type necessary to determine conformance of items with contract requirements. The Independent Testing Lab (ITL) engaged by the Contractor, construction management firm or the Owner is responsible for calibration of their equipment. G. Identification and Inspection Status: Maintain a system for identifying the progressive inspection status of materials, components, sub-assemblies and assemblies as to their acceptance, rejection, or non-inspection. The system shall provide for ensuring that required inspections and tests are performed and that the status of items with regard to inspections and test performance is known throughout manufacturing, installation, and testing. Nonconforming items shall be identified by physical segregation and status indicators such as tags, serialization, markings, stamps, and inspection records. The identification system shall ensure that only items that have passed the required inspection and tests are used or installed.
