PEER REVIEWED INSPECTORS

TO QUALIFY TO BE A PEER REVIEWED INSPECTOR, THE INSPECTOR MUST FIRST HAVE SHOWN THE HIGHEST ETHICS NEEDED FOR THIS DIFFICULT SERVICE:

1. HONEST UNBIASED REPORTING
2. A DEDICATION TO TRUTH
3. TO HAVE BEEN JUDGED AND EVALUATED TO BE OF  HIGH CHARACTER
4. DISPLAYS THOUGHTFUL JUDGEMENTS OF SITUATIONS
5. THOUGHTFUL CONSIDERATION FOR ALL INVOLVED PARTIES
6. A DEDICATION TO EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN OUR TRADE.
7. FOLLOWS THE RULES IN THE FOLLOWING DESCRIPTION  FOR PEER REVIEWED FLOORING INSPECTORS. 

Role of the Expert in Disputes

Introduction

GUILD PEER REVIEWED FLOORING INSPECTORS, EVALUATED AND JUDGED TO BE OF THE HIGHEST QUALITIES IN OUR TRADE, must have lawful responsibilities and ethical standards they HAVE "INNATELY"  SHOWN ON EACH INSPECTION THEY HAVE PERFORMED..

Experts may disagree as to cause but certain facts, such as measurements and history of the complaint, should be consistent without bias. Just the facts.

Any disagreements should only be differences of professional judgement only. The facts must always be similar with a high percentage of compliance. 

The flooring expert should perform his inspection in a professional manner without bias. This includes NOT rendering uninformed speculations without all the facts from the inspection. 

• In other words, the expert should not answer questions, that may not be accurate, until all the facts have been gathered and evaluated.
• No on-site verbal reports
• No speculations on telephone calls, text messages or emails, to obtain the inspection
• This includes, any research needed after he or she leaves the site
• Therefore, the inspector should make no comments of any nature as to cause and effect until after he or she has completed his report and submitted

The inspector should not accept the assignment if there is a direct, or indirect, Conflict of Interest; or having an intimate professional or personal relationship with the opposing party or person and the commissioning agent. 

If the inspector has no experience with the type of flooring (Example: a carpet inspector with no direct hand-on experience with wood flooring attempting to do wood floor inspections), without the necessary experience with the product, should not attempt to inspect the complaint.

The inspector should consider other sources of information and professional opinions if the opinions are in concert with the product.

• In other words, the inspector should, when evaluating the data collected, consider the professional opinions of other flooring professionals when relative, corelative, to the complaint. 
• The inspector must research information for each complaint and state the source of the researched information.
• The inspector cannot take the credit for the work of others presenting it as his own.

When presented with all parties’ reasonable explanations as to Cause and Effect, the inspector will give honest and respectful credence to the expressed opinions and evaluate each reasonable explanation as to Cause and Effect.

The inspector will be directly in charge of all samples to be submitted for laboratory testing maintaining direct Chain of Custody.

• The inspector will keep in his custody all samples and only the inspector will arrange the shipping of the samples.
• Exceptions to this rule: If the commissioning party deems it their right, as it is, to submit samples to be examined to their choice of laboratories, or professional evaluation services, they will send in samples for examination, the inspector must prepare the samples for shipment if possible.
• The inspector must note this in his report. 
• The inspector will prepare the samples in his possession for shipment
• The inspector will submit all samples to independent laboratories without naming the manufacturer, retailer, distributor or any concerned party

The inspector, only under the direction of the  commissioning party, is responsible to distribute the laboratory results. 

• The inspector will not, without permission of the commissioning party, discuss the results of the testing with any of the involved parties.  

The inspector should only consider and used for evaluations the maintenance and installation, any standards or instructions, in effect at the time of sale and installation

• In other words, changes in maintenance practices, installation procedures or environmental conditions, made after the sale and installation, the new standards CANNOT be used to evaluate the product at a later date. 
• The only standards to be used and considered are those that were in effect at the time of sale and installation.

The inspector will submit a report without the intent to confuse or mislead. The inspector should only use presentations, programs, or reports that simplify for evaluations by the judging parties. All of the facts are to be reported without the intent to mislead for purposes to render a bias report. 

The inspector, no matter who the questioner is, unless in a deposition or trail or under court orders by a judge, respect 100% confidentially. 

• In instances where the commissioning party is a manufacturer, who may send the report to the distributor, retailer or consumer, the inspector CANNOT discuss the report without a representative from the manufacturer present, or / and, with their written permission
• In instances where the commissioning party may be the consumer, retailer, installer or distributor, the inspector shall maintain 100% confidentiality and not discuss the report with the manufacturer without there being a representative of the commissioning party present or written permission. All such communication should be recorded for review by the commissioning party if permission is granted.
• Any threats concerning future work or assignments by the manufacturer should be reported immediately to the attorney for the commissioning party
• Any threats concerning future work by any of the involved parties should immediately reported to the attorney for the commissioning party 

If, during the examination, the inspector informs the commissioning party his findings are not in his best interest, any attempts to influence by inspection fees or threats of future work to change the evaluation, the inspector will terminate the inspection immediately.

The inspector shall evaluate all the facts, without embellishing the facts to favor the commissioning party. The inspector will inspect the flooring without bias, by the industry standards.

When proven and reviewed science is in conflict with a manufacturer’s standards or statements during a dispute, the inspector shall maintain integrity and evaluate only by the relative and applied peer reviewed proven science that applies. 

In all actions and communications, the inspector shall act in a professional demeanor and dispassionate attitude at all times with all involved parties.

If contact by the opposing party is initiated, this should be reported immediately to all involved parties 

WITH HONESTY AND QUALITY WORK AS OUR GUILD, WITH A COMMITMENT TO CONTINUING EDUCATION THAT IS UNBIASED, WE DEDICATE OURSELVES TO THESE STANDARDS AND PLEDGE OUR HONOR AND CAREERS TO YOU TO MAINTAIN THESE HIGH STANDARDS OF CONDUCT AND PROFESSIONALISM.