Chapter 2 Quality Assurance

CHAPTER 2

QUALITY ASSURANCE

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of this chapter, you will be able to do the following:

Describe the responsibilities of personnel

Describe the purpose and goal of the Quality

Assurance (QA) program.

conducting tests and inspections.

Identify the chain of command for a QA program

Discuss the requirements and procedures in

and the responsibilities of personnel in the chain of

conducting a QA program inspection.

command.

10.

Recognize the contents and format of various QA

Describe QA personnel qualification requirements.

forms and reports.

Describe the operation of a QA program.

11.

Identify the steps in preparing various QA forms and

reports.

Identify the definitions of terms used in QA.

12.

Recognize the contents and format of other forms

Describe the levels of essentiality.

that are to be submitted in conjunction with QA

Identify the purpose of tests and inspections

forms and reports.

associated with the QA program.

control (QC) program in your workspaces. It is

INTRODUCTION

important that you become quality conscious. To make

As you progress towards IC1 or ICC, your

any program successful, you will have to know and

responsibilities become more involved in quality

understand the QA program and obtain the cooperation

assurance (QA). You will be responsible for ensuring

and participation of all your personnel. This requires you

that the work performed by your technicians and by

to ensure that all tests and repairs conform to their

outside help is completed with the highest quality

prescribed standards. In addition, you as a supervisor

possible. Most of the personnel in the IC rating take

must train all your personnel in QC.

pride in the performance of their jobs and they normally

strive for excellence.

QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAM

As the work group or work center supervisor, one

The QA program was established to provide

of your many responsibilities will be to ensure that all

personnel with information and guidance necessary to

corrective action performed is done correctly and meets

administer a uniform policy of maintenance and repair

prescribed standards. Improper performance of repairs

of ships and submarines. The QA program is intended

or installations could endanger the lives of personnel or

to impart discipline into the repair of equipment, safety

an expensive piece of equipment or cause another piece

of personnel, and configuration control, thereby

of equipment to fail prematurely. A well-organized QA

enhancing ship's readiness.

and inspection program will minimize the impact of a

moment of carelessness or inattention. This chapter will

The various QA manuals set forth minimum QA

familiarize you with the purpose, basic organization,

requirements for both the surface fleet and the

and mechanics of the QA program.

submarine force. If more stringent requirements are

imposed by higher authority, such requirements take

You may be assigned as a QA representative or

precedence. If conflicts exist between the QA manual

collateral duty inspector from time to time. As a work

and previously issued letters and transmittals by the

center supervisor, you will be responsible for the quality

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