Sampling System Inspection and Audit

Accurate, representative sampling is a must in any bulk commodity operation.

Mechanical Sampling Systems (MSS) offer a number of advantages over manual sampling, including:

• Improved safety
• Consistency of results 
• Full access to all materials 
• Non-biased samples 

When your MSS is working properly, these features ensure cost-effective operation as well as compliance to international standards and customer specifications. 

SGS is at the forefront of MSS inspection and audit. Our fully qualified, independent sampling inspectors can conduct sampling inspections, sampling audits and full inspections of your system whenever you make significant changes, or prior to bias testing. Our professionals use strict quality controls and state-of-the-art instrumentation to ensure that your MSS is providing consistent, representative samples. 

Report contents

Our MSS audit report provides you with information regarding issues related to non-compliance with standards. Our inspections and audits also pinpoint any operational or maintenance concerns that may affect good sampling practices. Our global network of experienced sampling engineers perform detailed inspections, audits and reporting of the operation and status of the plant. This requires a critical review of the plant with respect to the original design specifications, current status and operation of the plant and compliance with applicable sampling standards.

An audit report will provide information regarding non-compliance with relevant standards and good sampling practices. It will also highlight any maintenance issues and provide recommendations with respect to achievement of compliance.

Technical audits

A technical audit should always be carried out on an MSS prior to bias testing. This allows most potential sources of bias to be identified and corrected prior to the bias test. This will result in a higher possibility that the bias test will be passed, thus avoiding the need for further investigations, corrective actions and additional bias tests to confirm that sampling is unbiased.

SGS has earned a worldwide recognition for complete, thorough inspections and audits of mechanical sampling systems. When you partner with us, you share in our reputation for quality work, compliance with international standards and transparent, internationally accepted reports.

Contact SGS and be certain that your mechanical sampling system is delivering data you can trust when making important decisions in your operation.