If your first reaction is anxiety or fear, you’re not alone. After all, inspectors will point out all the areas of your building that need improvement, many of which could be urgent. You may be worried about procuring the resources to fix issues and getting those tasks completed in a timely manner. Your organization is under the microscope, and the stakes are high.
But the truth is that inspections are critical to facility safety, accessibility and compliance. In fact, inspections can make or break your organization’s reputation, and in some cases, can even save lives.
This article explores the basics of inspections and why they’re a necessary part of running a successful business. You’ll also find helpful insight, action items and free tools to help ensure your organization is in a constant state of compliance.
Whether you’re a building manager or a C-level executive, you’re sure to find something useful here.
What is a building inspection and why does it matter?
A building inspection is a process that determines whether or not an organization is in compliance with specific laws and regulations. Equipment, machinery, physical infrastructure and maintenance processes are all examples of things within a building that require regular checkups to ensure safety and compliance.
The Purpose of a Building Inspection
As stated above, the objective of an inspection boils down to two things: safety and compliance. Safety is the driver of compliance (either to a regulation or a company policy). When a company is in compliance, employees are better able to do their jobs because they are operating in a safe working environment that doesn’t put their health and wellbeing at risk. Compliance benefits everyone – it’s just good business!
Who conducts a commercial building inspection?
Inspections of commercial buildings are typically conducted by either a certified inspector or a maintenance manager. Let’s take a look at the different functionalities of each.
- Building inspectors are employed by a city or county. Their job is to inspect new construction, additions, repairs or alterations under active building permits. A building inspector will also enforce rules, regulations and codes, including safety, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, energy and other building codes. Lastly, building inspectors must be certified (typically by the International Code Council). Inspectors ensure that nothing is faulty, dangerous or in violation of laws in your building.
- Maintenance managers take a more in-house approach to inspections. They conduct walk-throughs of their facilities to check that everything is working properly. If an asset is faulty or running inefficiently, the maintenance manager will create a work order to have his or her team fix the issue. It is up to the maintenance manager to provide appropriate documentation (typically within a compliance software) to show inspectors that regular maintenance has been conducted on machinery.
How can my organization benefit from conducting inspections?
Inspections ensure safety and compliance with codes, but they also illuminate potential risks and hazards in your building. Additionally, inspections inform which repairs and replacements should be prioritized when it comes to capital planning. Here are four ways that your organization will benefit from conducting regular in-house inspections:
1. Inspections help identify existing (and potential) hazards in the building.
A physical safety audit, conducted by your maintenance team, will reveal anything within your building that poses risks to visitors, staff members and occupants of your building. Regularly scheduled visual inspections will help your facilities team determine how well (or not so well) current measures are working.
2. Inspections will help your safety team determine the underlying causes of safety risks.
Facility directors and their teams take safety and security within their buildings very seriously. Maintenance teams can utilize frequent inspections to identify risks and take steps to mitigate them before an inspector even arrives.
3. Inspections reveal corrective actions required to remedy compliance issues.
Corrective action may involve adjusting company policies, reviewing safety procedures, wearing additional personal protective equipment or speaking with employees to understand their safety concerns. Inspections will help your organization gain insight into everyday operations and how they can be adjusted to promote safety.
4. Inspections will help you monitor your progress toward risk control and abatement.
Inspection reports will prove the progress you’ve made as an organization and demonstrate that actions have been taken to remedy any red flags revealed during an inspection. Consistent evaluation will lead to increased progress toward safety and compliance.
