United States

Office of Personnel Management

Office of Merit Systems Oversight and Effectiveness

Digest of Significant Classification Decisions and Opinions

August 1985

No. 07-06

Standard:	Job Grading Standard for Inspectors	(April 1982)

Factor:	Coverage of standard

Issue:	Exclusion of in-progress pre-repair "inspection" work

Identification of the Classification Issue

The issue arose in the reconsideration of a job grading appeal decision made by an Office of Personnel Management region concerning the job of an employee who performed acceptance, initial pre-repair, in-progress, and final inspections of heavy mobile equipment. The purpose of his inspections was to determine the condition of equipment, maintenance needed, and completeness of repairs made in other shops. The appellant's employing agency recognized that acceptance and initial pre-repair inspection work is not covered by the Job Grading Standard for Inspectors, but disagreed with on in-progress inspection. The agency believed that in-progress inspection is covered, citing the description of an Automotive Equipment Repair Inspector, which is Example Job Description No. 7 in the Job Grading Standard for Inspectors. That example mentions that the (Automotive Equipment Repair) Inspector inspects repair work in progress, as well as after repair. The agency asked that the Classification Appeals Office reverse the Office of Personnel Management appeal decision which titled the appealed job, Heavy Mobile Equipment Mechanic, and restore the agency classification, Heavy Mobile Equipment Repair Inspector, WG- 5803-11.

Resolution

The Classification Appeals Office found that the appellant's in-progress inspection work was properly excluded from coverage of the Job Grading Standard for Inspectors. The in-progress inspection performed by the appellant was described by his agency as being conducted to assist shop personnel in determining unusual repair parts requirements, and repair requirements and capabilities. This inspection was performed on partially disassembled equipment in the shops. The inspection work covered by the Job Grading Standard for Inspectors always involves comparison of work that has been partially or completely finished in accordance with standards, specifications, or contractual requirements. The in-progress inspection performed by the appellant occurred before repairs had begun, so there could be no inspection of repair work. This is different from the in-progress repair work in Example Job Description No. 7, which is a comparison of partially completed repairs for conformance with pertinent requirements. The in- progress inspection work of the appellant was an extension of the troubleshooting work performed in the acceptance and initial examinations. This work of the position under review is typical of that performed by a Heavy Mobile Equipment Mechanic and is specifically excluded by the Job Grading Standard for Inspectors.

Additional information on pre-repair inspection is found in appendix E, part 3, Federal Personnel Manual Supplement 512-1--Supplementary Information, Definitions of Trades and Labor Job Families and Occupations. Appendix E describes this type of work as being done for the purpose of diagnosing malfunctions and determining feasibility of repair, work requirements, and parts replacement, characteristic of a variety of occupations (e.g., Equipment Specialists, Supervisors, Production Facilitating Employees) accomplished in combination with the paramount assignments. The "inspection" is usually identical to the testing and troubleshooting done by mechanics and workers in the trade.

Final "inspection" performed by the appellant is also excluded from coverage of the Inspectors standard because it does not involve assessment of the quality of repair completed by comparison with a standard or specification. That type of review in the appellant's organization was performed by shop foremen. The appellant's job was evaluated through comparison to the Heavy Mobile Equipment Mechanic, 5803 occupation standard, and classified as Heavy Mobile Equipment Mechanic, WG-5803-11.