A procedure is only worth the Level 3 who stands behind it. That is exactly why procedures get forged.
Nobody needs to forge the technical content. They take a real Level 3's signature and PCN number from one document and paste it onto another. To an auditor, a main contractor or an end client, the result looks exactly like the real thing. Until now, the only way to be sure was to phone the Level 3 and ask.
From today, every NDT procedure that our Level 3s write, review or approve carries its own QR code. Anyone holding a copy can scan it and confirm, in about a minute, that it is a genuine issue. They also see who wrote it, who approved it, when it was issued, how many pages it has, and whether that issue is still the one in force.
"Forged procedures with a Level 3's signature pasted on are more common than people think. A signature on its own proves nothing. Now anyone holding one of our procedures can check it is real, without having to take our word for it."
Lee Grears, PCN Level 3, Test Inspect Group
Why it matters
A written procedure is the instruction a technician follows on the day. It sets the technique, the sensitivity, the extent of testing and the acceptance criteria. If the procedure was never properly reviewed, the inspection carried out to it can't be relied on, however well the technician did their job. That is how defects get missed, and how the wrong components end up in service.
Proper Level 3 sign-off costs time and money. A pasted signature costs nothing. Until it is cheap to check, someone will always be tempted to cut that corner.
Three things the check proves
Authenticity: it came from us
When one of our Level 3s approves a procedure, our system gives that issue a unique verification code. The QR code goes in the header of every page, beside the document reference, and the code is printed in the footer. To check a copy, you type in the reference and issue printed on it. They have to match what we issued under that code, or the check stops there. A genuine code copied onto a different document fails.
Integrity: it hasn't been changed
For every copy we produce, we record the page count and a digital fingerprint of the file. The checker shows you the page count we issued, so a copy with pages added or removed shows up straight away. If you send us the PDF, we can confirm it is byte for byte the file we produced.
Data verification: the details come from our record, not the document
Everything the checker shows comes from our live records, not from the copy in your hand. The title, author, approver, qualifications, date and page count are what we actually issued. The status is live too. Once a later issue replaces a procedure, the old one shows as superseded. A draft sent out for comment shows as draft, not approved, however official it looks. A withdrawn procedure shows as withdrawn on every copy.
How a check works
- Scan. Point a phone camera at the QR code, or go to testinspect.com/verify-procedure and type in the code from the footer. It works the same for a PDF on screen and a printed copy on site.
- Prove the copy. Type in the document reference and issue from the header of your copy.
- Confirm your email. We send a one-time six-digit code. That stops anyone harvesting procedure details by guessing codes, and means every check can be traced.
- Compare. The checker shows what we issued. If the title, author, approver, date or page count doesn't match your copy, it isn't ours.
A real PCN Level 3 sign-off
The checker names the person who wrote the procedure and the person who approved it, with their qualification exactly as it appears on their certificate. For example, our own ultrasonic procedure for steel forgings, NDTP/UT/010, shows PCN Level 3 Ultrasonic Testing, Forgings & Wrought. That is a specific, named qualification held by a named person, not a job title on a letterhead.
Our Level 3s are directly employed. When their name is on a procedure, they have read it, they stand behind it, and you can now prove that for yourself.
What it doesn't do
Procedures issued before October 2026 don't carry the code. If you have one of ours without a QR code, email the reference and issue to hello@testinspect.com and we will confirm it for you.
The check also can't stop someone typing up a fake with no QR code at all. That is why the simplest rule is the best one: if a procedure claims a Test Inspect Level 3's approval, ask for a copy you can check.
For our clients
The checker is built into every procedure our Level 3s write, review or approve, including procedures we prepare on your own template under your own reference. Your auditors, main contractors and end clients can check your procedures for themselves at any time, without phoning anyone. When you revise a procedure, the old issue shows as superseded as soon as the new one is approved, so the wrong issue doesn't stay in use on site.
Read how Verified Procedures works, check a procedure now, or talk to one of our Level 3s about your procedures.
