Construction and Safety Inspectors
Inspect and report on the quality and safety of buildings, plumbing work, machines, equipment, working conditions and public places to ensure compliance with relevant industry standards and regulations.
A day of inspections across the region
You are a building and safety inspector, driving between three sites in a day to check that work meets the rules. It is 7:30am. You have a new house frame, a warehouse and a school hall renovation to visit. The first builder has already texted to ask if you will be on time, because his crew is waiting.
Choose what you would do. Then see what happens. There are often good reasons for each choice.
We've been running behind, and the fire exit on the east side has some pallets stacked in front of it. They're only there for today, I promise. We can move them as soon as the delivery is done. Can you let it go this time?
Let it go, since he promised to fix it, the delivery is almost done and he is clearly under pressure
The pallets stay for three days. Blocked exits matter most on the day nobody expects. You've put workers at risk by trusting a promise.
Ask for the pallets to be moved off the exit before you carry on with the rest of your check
Trent grumbles but helps move them, and the exit is clear. He doesn't know where to put the pallets in future, because you only told him where not to.
Ask for the exit to be cleared now and help Trent find another spot for the pallets
The exit is clear within ten minutes, and Trent has a place for the delivery. The note on record means the problem is seen if it returns. Being firm and helpful at once works best.
The builders say the hall is ready to reopen for next week's assembly. The principal is keen, the students are waiting and the community has been looking forward to it. Can you sign it off today?
Sign it off, since everyone is waiting and the builders say it's done and the principal is keen
You've signed without checking everything. A week later, an emergency light fails during the assembly. Your signature said it was safe.
Check each required item, explain what's not yet ready and give Sue a clear list
You find two items outstanding and Sue passes the list to the builders. The hall reopens two days later than hoped, with a clean sign-off. The school understands because you showed the list.
Refuse to sign anything until all the paperwork has been resubmitted from the beginning
You are careful, but the delay is longer than needed. Part of the hall could have been approved for use, and you didn't consider it.
Excuse me, I'm not sure who to tell. The scaffold on the south side feels a bit loose. I told my boss and he said to just keep working. I didn't want to cause trouble but I'm worried about it.
Thank him, inspect the scaffold, and stop work on that side until it has been checked
You find missing ties on part of the scaffold, and work stops until they are fixed. Jarrah's boss is annoyed, and Jarrah is relieved. Workers who speak up should never be left unprotected.
Tell him you'll mention it to his boss and then get on with the rest of your site visit
The boss hears it, but the scaffold is still in use that afternoon. Passing on a concern isn't the same as acting on it.
Tell him that his boss knows best and he should keep working like the others on site
Jarrah goes quiet, and the scaffold stays as it was. He has learned that speaking up is a waste of time, and the risk remains.
How it went
A blocked exit was cleared, a school hall was properly checked and a worker's concern was taken seriously. Inspectors protect people who may never know they were protected, by being fair, firm and clear about what the rules require. Could you be the person who says not yet?
This is a simplified, fictional situation to help you explore. It is not professional instruction or a test of your ability.
Case study: The stairs that looked finished
A fictional case set in building sites, warehouses and workplaces across a fictional region, with an office and a ute to move between them.
The situation
Chidi was a building inspector, assigned to check a new townhouse on the last day before the owners were due to move in. The builder, Wayne, was friendly and had a family waiting. Everything looked finished and tidy. On the inside stairs, Chidi noticed that one of the steps was a little uneven and the handrail moved slightly under his hand. Wayne said it was only a small thing and that he'd fix it after the family moved in.
What they did
Chidi measured the step and tested the handrail, then wrote down exactly what he found. He explained to Wayne, without raising his voice, that a loose rail on a staircase is not a small thing for a family with children. He did not pass the inspection, and he told Wayne what he would need to see to approve it. He offered to return the next morning to reinspect.
How it turned out
Wayne was frustrated and the family had to wait one more night. He fixed the stairs that evening, and Chidi approved the building the next morning. A few weeks later Wayne rang Chidi to ask for advice before a different job, which Chidi took as a sign things had improved.
What would you do?
- How would you stay firm with someone who was being friendly and under pressure?
- What would you say to a family who wanted to move in on time?
- What is the difference between being strict and being fair?