What are owners inspections?
Owners inspections are building compliance inspections that can be completed by the building owner, or building owners representative. The inspections are critical to ensure building code compliance and the safety of all building occupants and visitors.
Owners inspections can include daily and/or monthly checks on specified systems, these include:
signs for specified systems and signs for communicating information to facilitate evacuation
final exits
fire separations
smoke separations
How do I complete owners inspections?
Signs should be inspected to ensure they are:
The correct type
Clearly legible and in the right location
Illuminated (when illumination is necessary)
Final exits should be inspected to ensure they can be opened and are not
Locked, barred or blocked, and that door locking devices are
Clearly visible
Easily operated without a key or device
Do not prevent or override operation of panic bolts fitted to door
Smoke and fire separations that form part of the escape / egress routes should be visually inspected for:
Signs of damage or deterioration that could affect their operation (paint finishes, door closers, door seals)
New penetrations without suitable fire stopping
Similar to final exits, doors in escape / egress routes should be inspected to ensure they are not locked barred or blocked.
What is the importance of owners inspections?
Failure to complete and record these inspections can impact building code compliance and the issuing of your building warrant of fitness, void liquor licences, impact the right to occupy building, incur large fines for building owner and/or impact building insurance cover.
Some of the inspections may seem simple, but these systems ensure safe and unobstructed egress for people during an emergency, and safe entry and exit for first responders during an emergency.
How often should owners inspections be carried out?
Please refer to your compliance schedule. The buildings compliance schedule will specify the requirements that all specified system inspections are to be carried out.
System design information, including: nominated standards, acceptable solutions or engineered solutions will also specify the inspection requirements. These should be listed on the compliance schedule.
As a minimum, if not already stated in the compliance schedule or nominated documents, owners inspections should be carried out:
Daily – if the buildings purpose is listed as crowd occupancies (CS, CL, CO, CM) and daily for all buildings where building work is occurring that may affect the specified system
Monthly - for all other occupancies
How to document owners inspections and where are they recorded?
Inspection records should state:
details of the inspection, test or maintenance carried out
dates
any faults found
any remedial action required
who completed the inspection.
The building act states that it is the building owners responsibility to keep records relating to the compliance schedule. For practical reasons it may be easier for the service agent to hold these on behalf electronically, or for the records to be stored in the building warrant of fitness manual.
The intent is that owners inspections are recorded in a readily accessible location for the IQP / inspection agent and council auditor. This ensures that there are no delays from service agent / IQP’s when they are completing annual IQP inspections for 12A / Building Warrant of Fitness purposes.
IQP’s / service agents need to sight proof owners inspections have been carried out to ensure the specified systems have been inspected, serviced and maintained as per building code requirements.
We can help!
Owners inspections are no simple task, there are multiple factors to consider and implement to ensure they are completed properly. The large majority of building owners choose to have their owners inspections completed by their service agent.
Here at FSS we complete owners inspections for thousands of customers throughout New Zealand every day. We take pride in completing these checks and ensuring we are keeping people safe. Take the stress out of building compliance and contact your local branch for more information.