The Building and Energy Division of the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety has developed an audit strategy to ensure builders and building surveyors are applying appropriate standards.
In its publication, Audit Priorities Statement 2021–2022, Building and Energy says it is taking a risk-based approach to minimising harm.
In a statement, Building and Energy said it had appointed a team of highly skilled and experienced registered practitioners to carry out compliance and general inspections.
“The audit strategy aims to reduce risk to Western Australians by focussing efforts on construction practices that pose the greatest risks to public health and safety,” it said.
“To achieve this, Building and Energy collects and carefully analyses a wide range of data to identify and then assess emerging risks.
“Our Audit Priorities Statement outlines where Building and Energy intends to focus its efforts on a year-by-year basis.”
Building and Energy said by taking a risk-based approach to minimising harm, it aimed to build a strong culture of compliance, where industry participants understood it was better to do the job right the first time than risk being caught cutting corners or making costly mistakes that put the community at risk.
“As a first step, Building and Energy will undertake a snapshot review of a small sample of buildings, or building or building surveying work,” it said.
“Where a snapshot review is sufficient, Building and Energy will produce a report which is intended to draw attention to a potential issue rather than make conclusive findings that there is a systemic compliance concern.”
Building and Energy said a snapshot review would often be accompanied by an industry bulletin seeking to educate the industry about the appropriate method of construction.
“A snapshot review can also deliver confidence that industry practices are satisfactory,” it said.
Building and Energy said, however, when it was appropriate to deliver confidence that a general inspection finding represented an unsatisfactory and widespread industry practice, it might conduct a more in-depth inspection.
“Building and Energy will produce a report detailing the compliance issues identified during the general inspection and what steps have been taken to achieve improved compliance,” it said.
The five-page statement can be accessed at this PS News link.
