- Photo: Keats Island View to Die For... Literally
- Abstract: Keats Island Home Inspector discusses safety issues.
Before Starting Inspection
In order to do this inspection one needed the agility of a mountain goat. In the absence of this gene, safety measures are required. You know that you are at high risk when toes begin to tingle. We never ignore this body indicator and we will take appropriate measures to manage the risk associated with the task.
On this particular cottage inspection, we had to first perform a safety review of the situation. The vertical drop was 10 meters onto rocks and water, if one should slip. In this case fall protection was essential to perform the cliff-side structural inspection of the footings, foundations, posts and beams.
Structural Inspection
In this case, there were no structural deficiencies noted. The bedrock had remained stable and competent since the house was built. The footings were not cracked or slipping. The posts were free of rot and vertical. There was adequate cross-bracing between posts for lateral support. The connections to the floor beams were tights with no indication prior movement. Finally, all these components could be examined by the Inspector safely.
Inspection Report Limitations
Had the inspector determined that the structural inspection could not have been performed safely, then we would have passed on this item. A note would be added to the report that this was a limitation of the inspection.
Another example of a limitation is… we do not climb on roofs in the rain or when roofs are snow covered as the slip hazard is considered to be an unacceptable risk.
Tip
Always ask if your home inspector if he/she is covered for accidents and is a member in good standing with WorkSafe BC. All EKAN Inspectors belong to WorkSafe BC.