Inspect premises for water fittings compliance

This Standard is about carrying out inspections of premises to make sure they comply with current water fittings legislation. Premises can be domestic or non-domestic which could include commercial or agricultural premises. Inspections could be of contractors' work for audit purposes.

This includes agreeing inspection details with the people involved, carrying out inspections to determine compliance with legislation and recording and reporting on inspection information.

This Standard is for water fittings compliance inspectors.

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1. confirm the need for proposed inspections in line with organisational procedures
2. confirm inspection details, special needs requirements, access requirements and any agreed security and health and safety measures and procedures with those involved
3. confirm with customers where compliance reports and enforcement notices should be issued and to whom
4. identify equipment which may be required to address safety issues and to carry out inspections in a safe manner
5. familiarize yourself with any documentation required for visits and make sure any warrants required are in place to gain entry
6. follow organisational guidelines to ensure your personal safety and security
7. confirm the time, date, expected duration of the inspection and those who will be attending the inspection with those involved
8. communicate with customers in line with organisational procedures
9. make accurate observations to confirm the accuracy of information about premises and systems, noting any amendments to be made
10. identify and record evidence of contraventions, observed or intended usage, and any risk mitigation controls
11. identify any evidence that needs to be removed for further examination to establish if contravention has occurred and action this in a controlled manner in line with organisational procedures
12. use appropriate personal protective equipment when carrying out inspections
13. terminate inspections when hazards encountered and risk assessments indicate unacceptable risk to yourself or others, informing relevant people of the details and recording risk in inspection records
14. carry out inspections in a safe manner with minimum disruption or damage to premises
15. give adequate notice to occupiers or relevant organisational departments when suspension of the water supply is required in line with organisational procedures, ensuring any suspended water supply is returned before leaving premises when appropriate
16. make arrangements for any damage caused to property or persons to be dealt with in line with organisational procedures
17. use risk assessments of individual outlets of plumbing systems to identify and provide evidence where installations contravene legislation in line with organisational procedures
18. take immediate action in line with organisational procedures when contravention of legislation constitutes a serious risk to water supply and public health
19. confirm contraventions and actions required to ensure compliance, without suggesting method or designing systems
20. record the details of inspections, any planned work activities and any other implications for future inspections in line with organisational procedures
21. provide required formal notification to relevant people when non- compliance with legislation is identified in line with organisational procedures
22. agree a timescale for re-inspection with relevant people when contravention of legislation is identified
23. check that customers understand the implications of identified contravention of legislation
24. check that complete and accurate inspection information is sent to customers after inspections according to organisational and regulatory requirements

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1. relevant legislation appropriate to England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland covering the design, installation and maintenance of plumbing systems, water fittings and water-using appliances
2. regulator specifications, appropriate British standards and approved installation methods including Type BA devices (reduced pressure zone valves) and what is required to be notified by customer prior to installation
3. relevant regulatory, organisational, operational and emergency processes and procedures relating to health, safety and the environment
4. what constitutes contravention of legislation for different plumbing systems
5. the importance of making sure that customers understand the purpose of legislation and their responsibility
6. when it might be appropriate to cancel or postpone inspections including when a business is closing or moving, health and safety or other legal restrictions and who to inform if an inspection is terminated
7. your powers as an inspector and the implications of enforcement action for customers
8. health and safety issues encountered during inspections, how to carry out a health and safety risk assessment and when remedial actions need to be put in place before proceeding
9. safe working practices for inspections, use of personal protective equipment and types of access equipment
10. guidelines and practices relating to personal security including what constitutes lone working, personal safety and security when lone working and protocols for working with a police escort
11. details of inspections including date, time, on-site representative, and who compliance reports and enforcement notices should be issued to
12. how to interpret documentation including warrants, identified non- compliance and legal procedures, certificates of compliance, reports from previous visits and notification correspondence
13. statutory provisions for powers of entry, organisational procedures for gaining access and carrying out inspections
14. recording procedures for inspections and the implications of contemporaneous notes for later enforcement action in a court of law
15. communication skills and techniques to manage conflict and resolution
16. sources of information about premises and systems to be checked and previous enforcement action, including written information, oral information, sketches and photographs
17. how to interpret design installation diagrams, letters of consent under notification for new and existing properties and certificates of compliance issued by approved contractors
18. how installation dates affect the regulatory requirements for new and existing plumbing systems
19. identified domestic and non-domestic plumbing systems, their complexities, the apparatus used, and how to determine if there are alternate water sources on site in relation to cross connection
20. what would constitute a contravention of legislation for different types of plumbing systems and the specific part of legislation that they would breach
21. how to carry out a risk assessment of plumbing systems, what would constitute an unacceptable or serious risk to water supply and public health and actions which will ensure compliance, including contamination prevention methods, use of backflow devices and other fittings and the situations in which they apply
22. organisational procedures for carrying out the removal of evidence for further examination and situations in which this might apply including testing metals for banned materials and substances and testing soil for contaminants present
23. organisational procedures and escalation procedures for dealing with serious risk to water supply and public health and
24. different types of caution, when they are applicable, processes to follow so they are properly issued and their implications for prosecution processes
25. the use of suspension of water supply to prove plumbing systems, the implications of duration of suspension, procedures to follow and relevant roles and responsibilities for suspension including self and other departments
26. the implications of damage to property or persons during inspections and organisational procedures for compensation and repair
27. organisational recording systems for compliance and non-compliance and which information to update in organisational records
28. when to provide information to line managers and specialist personnel
29. organisational processes to follow for compliance and non-compliance
30. realistic timescales for reinspection and who they need to be agreed with
31. the required formal notification for compliance with legislation and how to complete it
32. category of premises according to regulatory requirements

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2

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31 Mar 2027

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Current

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Original

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Energy & Utility Skills

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EUSWFRBE4

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Engineering and Construction Trades, Law and Legal Services, Water Inspector

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water; fittings; regulations; byelaws; fittings; legislation; compliance; contravention; contamination; inspection; inspect; enforcement;

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