Inspection is the ‘examination of an object of conformity assessment and determination of its conformity with detailed requirements or, on the basis of professional judgement, with general requirements,’ as defined in ISO/IEC 17000 Conformity Assessment – Vocabulary and General Principles.

Inspection activities are carried out by inspection bodies, which may assess a wide range of objects, including materials, equipment, structures, systems or services. Inspections can occur at various stages during design, manufacturing, installation or in-service use.

Many inspection bodies seek accreditation to ISO/IEC 17020 to demonstrate their impartiality, competence and consistent operation, and to build confidence in the reliability of their findings.