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Powers of inspection by sanitary authorities.
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8.—(1) In this section the word “building” means a building, structure, or erection (whether permanent or temporary) of any kind or of any materials, and the expression “authorised officer” means an officer of a sanitary authority who is authorised in writing under the seal of such sanitary authority to exercise the powers conferred by this section on authorised officers and includes a person who is an officer of a fire brigade authority which has agreed with a sanitary authority for the availability of the fire brigade maintained by such fire brigade authority and who is authorised as aforesaid by such sanitary authority.
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(2) Any authorised officer shall be entitled to enter at all reasonable times (subject to his producing, if so required, his authority in writing as such officer) any building in the sanitary district of the sanitary authority whose officer he is which he believes or suspects to be a potentially dangerous building, whether a fire precautions notice has or has not been served on the proprietor thereof, and there do all or any of the following things, that is to say:—
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(a) inspect the whole or any part of such building;
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(b) inspect any fittings or appliances provided therein for extinguishing fires which may occur therein, and for enabling the occupants to escape therefrom in the event of any such fire;
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(c) inspect any water supply in such building or on any land adjoining thereto;
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(d) require to be informed by the proprietor or by someone in his employment as to the purpose for which such building or any particular part thereof is used, the number of persons who are habitually employed or accommodated therein or resort thereto, the substance of which such building is made and the method of its construction, and any other matter which such officer considers to be relevant for determining whether such building is or is not a potentially dangerous building.
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(3) Any authorised officer shall be entitled to enter at all reasonable times (subject to his producing if so required his authority in writing as such officer) any land in the sanitary district of the sanitary authority whose officer he is and there inspect any water supply on such land and require to be furnished by the proprietor of such land or by any person in his employment with such information in relation to such water supply in the case of fire as such officer considers necessary.
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(4) Any person who—
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(a) obstructs or impedes an authorised officer in the exercise of any of the powers conferred on him by this section, or
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(b) fails or refuses to give to an authorised officer on demand any information which such officer is entitled to require under this section, or
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(c) wilfully or recklessly gives to an authorised officer information which is false or misleading in a material respect,
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shall be guilty of an offence under this section and shall be liable on summary conviction thereof to a fine not exceeding five pounds.
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