The RV Industry Association’s (RVIA) standards inspection program is among its most prominent industry initiatives and the most significant benefit for members.
The standards inspection team recently welcomed Steve Duncan, who brings to the team over two decades of experience in the RV industry, according to a News & Insights report of RVIA.
With experience in the power inverter, charger, and solar energy markets, Duncan gained industry knowledge by working at Xantrex Technologies, Inc. He was responsible for the development of inverters for the RV industry, as well as completing RV repairs, and finally managing the company’s help center and team of RV technicians.
Steve was employed at Schneider Electric Solar Inverters, supporting field technicians dealing with large grid-tie systems. Steve has also accumulated years of experience in quality systems with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and CSA Group (formerly Canadian Standards Association) certification processes.
As the standards inspector, he will be traveling to manufacturing facilities across the United States to conduct safety inspections. He’s already visited local factories and stresses that the objective is to inform manufacturers about the importance of complying with safety standards.
“It’s important to establish a good relationship with the original equipment manufacturers, so they know you’re there to help them,” he said. “We always make sure to explain what we’re doing and why.”
When asked about the important skills to have to succeed as an inspector, Steve underscores learning quickly as well as having patience and engaging with others positively.
“Being patient with others and listening to what they’re saying is really important,” he said. “Maintaining a positive relationship with the manufacturers is key to doing well.”
A positive attitude at work is also shared by his colleagues in the department.
“Everyone is very personable and relaxed,” Steve explained. “The training program is very well done, and everyone is willing to go as in-depth as they need to in order to answer a question or solve a problem.”
Duncan emphasized that this position offers a fantastic opportunity for anyone interested in traveling: “You can go to places you’ve only read about in books. You get to see different places meet a wide variety of people, and you’re doing something different every day.”
The standards department has an experienced team of full-time inspectors who work towards improving safety through checking compliance with the standards set by the board of directors for the construction of RVs and park model RVs.
Every year, the team conducts over 2,000 surprise inspections of RV manufacturing plants of member companies.
Steve Duncan’s vast experience in power inverters, chargers, and solar energy will be a game-changer for the RV Industry Association’s Standards Department. His focus on safety and relationships is top-notch!