On the Use of ISO 2859 Sampling by Attributes as Quality Control of Cleared Land in Humanitarian Demining

• In the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) standards for mine actions are defined. One of these describes how quality control is conducted. The inspections and sampling of cleared land are based on the ISO 2859 standard. This standard uses sampling by attributes, i.e. a sample is taken from a lot of produced units andthe lot is rejected if the number of non-conforming items exceeds a threshold. In this report the criticism levelled against ISO 2859 is investigated and particularly the cost and informative value of using ISO 2859 as it is being applied through IMAS. A quantitative investigation of the sampling plans specified in IMAS indicate that the value of sampling is highly dependent on the size of the lot andthe actual quality level and that the sampling plans are not optimal. If samplingshould be conducted seen from a cost perspective taking its informative value into account, this value is highly dependent on the expected quality of clearance, to what degree this quality is uncertain, and the lot size. The IMAS is inflexibletowards this and is not well calibrated in order to weigh the informative value ofsampling against its costs. We therefore propose a revision of IMAS 09.20 facilitating a more cost effective approach to sampling and quality control. Of importance would be to relatethe cost of sampling to opportunity costs such as performing clearance. This may also consider how to distribute the cost of sampling across cost carriers, stimulating the clearance organisations to obtain and maintain a high quality. Further, it isnot clear how to account for both the producer’s and the consumer’s risk in terms of quality in the mine action domain. Investigating methods for aggregating thesein a model for identifying a feasible sampling plan might be valuable in order to perform cost effective quality control while maintaining the objective of releasingsafe land.

Ämnesord

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Maskinteknik -- Tillförlitlighets- och kvalitetsteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Mechanical Engineering -- Reliability and Maintenance (hsv//eng)

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