Introducing Upon Further Inspection: The Mechanical Integrity Podcast

Inspectioneering and CorrSolutions have teamed up to bring something new to the reliability community: Upon Further Inspection, the first podcast dedicated entirely to mechanical integrity and industrial reliability. Designed for professionals in oil & gas, refining, petrochemical, and other process industries, this podcast shares the real-world stories behind equipment, processes, and, most importantly, the people who keep it all running and everyone safe.

Why did we create it? Because we believe mechanical integrity isn’t just about checklists and compliance, it’s about the people behind the work. Through engaging, conversational interviews with subject matter experts, Upon Further Inspection dives into the lessons, challenges, and moments that shape careers and drive our industry forward.

Listeners can expect to hear about the people behind our profession. In addition to subject matter that we’re all familiar with in the Inspectioneering community (risk-based inspection, damage mechanisms, inspection planning, and the like), episodes will dive into mentorship, continuous improvement, leadership, the role of advancing technologies, and more. It’s an opportunity to hear from those who’ve lived the work and those who are still pushing the field forward.

If you're commuting, taking a break between tasks, or looking for something more engaging than another Netflix binge, this podcast is here for you.

Meet Your Hosts

Greg Alvarado, Founder and Chief Editor of Inspectioneering Journal as well as a consultant, possesses over 40 years of experience in the chemical, petrochemical, and oil and gas industries. His roles have included positions as an owner-operator, consultant, Chief Chemist, and Corrosion/Materials/NDE Applications Engineer. He has specialized in risk-based inspection consulting, training, and project management since 1996. He is a 30-year member of the API Subcommittee on Mechanical Integrity & Inspection and a long-time working member of the API RP 580 and API RP 581 task groups on risk-based inspection.

Branden Stucky, Vice President at CorrSolutions, has experience in the petrochemical and manufacturing industry from both a consulting and an owner-user perspective. He has worked in the areas of Risk-Based Inspection (RBI) and inspection planning. His primary emphasis has been on mechanical integrity issues for piping, pressure vessels, pressure relieving devices, and heat exchangers. He also has experience in the optimization of process designs through the use of finite element analysis software. While in the manufacturing industry, Branden created and oversaw projects pertaining to plant-wide fluid management and cost avoidance. He also implemented new procedures to ensure the plant complied with EPA regulations and standards, and he managed a high-profile reclamation program of proprietary materials.

Available Now

New episodes are released one to two times per month, each featuring real conversations with experts across the mechanical integrity and reliability landscape. Here’s a look at the first two episodes:

• What Floats Your Boat? Branden and Greg discuss everything from how they got started in mechanical engineering to cutting-edge technology in this inaugural episode.
• The Missing Piece Was Metallurgy. Greg recounts his early days as a chief chemist at a paint company to the rise of RBI, and his views on the importance of mentorship and education.

Visit UponFurtherInspection.com or search for Upon Further Inspection wherever you get your podcasts.

Have ideas for future podcast episodes? Leave a comment below.