Q: Is there, or should there be, a requirement regarding field inspectors? Several people I work with have discussed this question. We are expected to both design the job and inspect it during installation, which is difficult when you are working several other jobs simultaneously. Is there a practice or requirement that you are aware of that covers inspection or inspectors?
Stephen C. Burris
Boeing Information Support Services
Seattle, WA
A: I can`t find anything in the standards that states there has to be an inspection, nor who should perform it. About as close as it gets is in ANSI/TIA/EIA-568A, 10.6.4, "UTP cabling systems may not be classified as Category 3, 4 or 5 compliant unless all of the cabling system components are installed to satisfy the requirements of 10.6." But no guidance is given as to who should decide that those requirements have been met.
Within the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) standards, there are two categories of criteria: mandatory and advisory. Mandatory requirements begin with the word "shall," while advisory recommendations begin with "should" or "may," or are described as "desirable."
If your cabling system meets all of the "shall" statements, then your cabling system is standards-compliant. Just for fun, take a highlighting marker, read through the TIA-568A standard and highlight every "shall." Go back through the standard and decide if the "shall" is directed at the cabling system designer, installer or the component manufacturer. This exercise will show you how few mandatory requirements are actually placed on the designer and installer.