Inspection Specific Questions

Question 1

Tell me about RICS Surveying safely: health and safety principles for property professionals 2nd edition, November 2018 guidance.

Answer 1

• Firms need rules for employees to operate within
• Individuals have responsibility to ensure health and safety policies are practised
• Safe Person concept - individuals assume responsibility for their own, colleagues’ and others’ health and safety

Question 2

Tell me about duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

Answer 2

• legal duty on employers to ensure health, safety, and welfare of employees
• 4 main objectives:
  o PLACE - safe place of employment
  o ENVIRONMENT - safe working environment
  o WRITTEN - written health and safety policy/risk assessment
  o OTHERS Look after the health and safety of others

PEWO

Question 3

Tell me about and The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

Answer 3

• covers general fire safety relating to non-domestic property. (Non-domestic includes the common areas of multi-occupied residential buildings).
• emphasis on risk assessment and fire prevention
• requirement for reasonable steps to reduce the risk from fire and ensure fire escape plan
• RRO applies to any place where a person works. This includes areas only frequented by maintenance staff and the common areas of apartments blocks and maisonettes.

Question 4

What must the Responsible Person do?

Answer 4

• FIRE RISK ASSESSMENT - Carry out and regularly review a Fire Risk Assessment
• COMMUNICATE - Communicate the risks to staff and users of the premises
• MEASURES - Install and maintain appropriate fire safety measures, e.g. fire detection, warning systems and fire fighting equipment
• PLANNING - Ensure emergency planning, e.g. adequate and unobstructed escape routes
• TRAINING - Provide staff training, e.g. marshals and drills
• responsible person is liable for ensuring that the provisions are carried out.
• The regulations impose a wide general duty on responsible persons to ‘take such general fire precautions as may reasonably be required in the circumstances of the case to ensure that the premises are safe’.
• It is also necessary to undertake a risk assessment of the premises

Question 5

What is a Fire Risk Assessment?

Answer 5

• This identifies what is needed to prevent fire and to keep people safe in a building. A written record is required if a business employs more than 5 people.

Steps in carrying out a Fire Risk Assessment:

• HAZARDS
• PEOPLE
• EVALUATE RISK
• RECORD FINDINGS, EMERGENCY PLAN, TRAINING
• REVIEW

Question 6

Tell me about different levels of surveys, the different requirements of inspection and levels of service

Answer 6

• HBR

- HSS

Question 7

Tell me about Robert v Hampson & Co, 1989

Answer 7

• Follow trail of suspicion

Question 8

Tell me about RICS Valuation Global Standards 2020 (VPS 2).

Answer 8

VPS 2 Inspections, investigations and records

Question 9

Collingwood Road SM1 How did you establish the flood risk?

Answer 9

• Used Environmental Agency Flood Map
• This listed the flood risk as Flood Zone 1 – meaning there is a low probability of flooding
• The HUB system which utilises Airbus data, which confirmed the flood risk was low

Question 10

Collingwood Road SM1 How did you address the risk from traffic?

Answer 10

• Made a note to be aware upon arrival
• Parked on a quiet road
• Caution crossing street

Question 11

Collingwood Road SM1 What site information did you note?

Answer 11

• Proximity of other buildings
• Other buildings use
• Roads, railway etc
• Trees
• Vegetation

Question 12

Spring Park Road CR0 How did you follow the trail?

Answer 12

• Identified the blown render externally and high ground
• Applied by knowledge and knew this may cause damp issues
• Therefore inspected internally where I would expect to see defects
• Visually identified and used damp mater

Question 13

Spring Park Road CR0 What indications of damp did you observe?

Answer 13

• Smell
• Visual – staining/decolourisation
• High readings with damp meter

Question 14

Spring Park Road CR0 Why did you recommend a full retention?

Answer 14

• Lender policy
• Where a current value cannot be given until specialist reports have been received detailing the extent and cost of works required, the property is not a suitable security.
• No value should be stated and no retention made.
• Advise what reports are required in order to reconsider the property.

Question 15

Ightham Road DA8 What advice did you give regarding asbestos?

Answer 15

Advised:
- Condition Rating 3

• Downpipe and garage roof should also be replaced with a suitable modern equivalent
• Further investigation - a licensed specialist contractor instructed to inspect the existing material and quote for any work required
• all work must comply with statutory regulations.

Question 16

Ightham Road DA8 Why did you apply a condition rating 3?

Answer 16

The asbestos was in poor condition (cracked, old and leaking). Therefore:

• Further investigation required
• Defects that are serious/need to be repaired/replaced or investigated urgently
• Health and safety concerns
• repairs should be done as soon as possible

Question 17

Bensham Grove CR7 How did you establish that the bedroom was below minimum room sizes?

Answer 17

• I measured the room, calculated the floor area
• Then compared it the Croydon Council and Government minimum room size requirements

(Houses in Multiple Occupation and residential property licencing reform 2018)

Question 18

Bensham Grove CR7 What are the minimum, room size requirements?

Answer 18

• 6.51 sqm

Question 19

Bensham Grove CR7 What advice did you give regarding non-compliance?

Answer 19

• Advised the room did not minimum room size requirements
• I advised the property did not have a licence
• I advised the properties had significant areas of non-compliance (did not have mains linked smoke alarms and firefighting equipment such as a fire blanket in the kitchen)

Question 20

Bensham Grove CR7 Why did you submit a Suspicious Activity Disclosure Form?

Answer 20

• To ensure the issues were flagged as the applicant may have other properties with TMW
• To ensure the concerns were logged central
• Because it a illegal to let a room that is not licenced

Question 21

Bensham Grove CR7 Talk me through the Suspicious Activity Disclosure Form you submitted.

Answer 21

• Property info
• Applicant name etc
• Suspected suspicion category (Scheme abuse)
• Reason for suspicion
• Sent to SID
• Copied in manager

Question 22

Spring Park Road

Why was a chemical DPC injection required if the cause of the rising damp was due to the DPC being bridged by high external ground levels?

Answer 22

1. Due to the slope the property was on, the DPC was only bridged for a section of the flank wall. But the rising damp was identified along the entire flank wall, therefore the most likely cause was a defective DPC
2. The flank wall DPC was bridged due to high external ground levels. Damp was also identified to the rear elevation, where the ground levels were lower, hence it was determined the DPC was defective and a chemical DPC injection was required to remedy the rising damp.
3. Lender policy is to obtain specialist report - therefore I relied upon this

Question 23

Asbestos GN

Answer 23

Asbestos: Legal requirements and best practice for property professionals and clients

4th Ed 2021

To assist members to ensure compliance with UK legislation and no-one is put at risk from Asbestos

Summarises control of Asbestos 2012

Question 24

Talk me through Collingwood Road

Answer 24

BTL MV

• Pre-inspection and risk assessment
• Flood risk
• Bedrock
• EPC
• Conversation area/article 4
• Equipment
• Dynamic Risk Assessment
• Inspection
• Site notes

Question 25

what are surveyors duties with asbestos?

Answer 25

• Have awareness of the health and other implications of asbestos
• The statutory obligations imposed on various parties with relation to asbestos.

Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974​

• take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and other persons who may be affected by their acts or omissions at work.​
• If asbestos identified and the risk to health is considered to be serious, it should be reported irrespective of the scope and conditions of engagement

RICS Home Survey Standard​

• report should properly emphasise the suspected presence of asbestos-containing materials if the inspection identifies that possibility.

Question 26

Red Book - insepction

Answer 26

UK VPGA 11.3 Valuation investigations

The visual inspection to be undertaken in the present context covers as much
of the exterior and interior of the property as is readily accessible without undue
difficulty or risk to personal safety

VPS 2

Question 27

Igtham Road DA8 - Asbestos advice/reporting

Answer 27

Removal and disposal

• last resort
• only be justified due to poor condition or risks of subsequent damage/disturbance are unacceptable

RICS guidance states
- identifies asbestos and considers there is an “immediate and significant risk to health” it should be reported to the client

RICS professional statement relating to HBRs

• service does not include an asbestos inspection that may fall within the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012
• asbestos containing materials should be reported and cross-referenced to section J3 Risks to People.”

Homesurvey Standard
- report should properly emphasise the suspected presence of asbestos-containing materials if the inspection identifies that possibility.