Fire Services Act, 1981

Powers of inspection by authorised persons.

22.—(1) In this section “authorised person” means a person authorised for the purposes of this section by a fire authority.

(2) Any authorised person shall be entitled to enter at all reasonable times (subject to his producing, if so required, his authority in writing as such person) and inspect any land or building (other than a dwelling house occupied as a single dwelling) for the purposes of this Act.

(3) Any authorised person may—

(a) inspect any water supply in a building or on any land;

(b) inspect all records required to be kept by a fire safety notice or by regulations;

(c) require to be informed by the owner or occupier of any land or building or by any person in his employment as to the purpose for which the land or 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 any building is made and the method of its construction and any other matter which the authorised person considers to be relevant.

(4) A fire authority may by notice in writing require the owner or occupier of land or a building to provide the authority, within such period as it may specify, with such plans (including line or simple dimensional drawings) of the land or building, and with such information in writing as it may require and it shall be the duty of the owner or occupier to comply with the notice.

(5) An authorised person shall be entitled in the exercise of his powers under this section to take with him on to land or into a building such persons and equipment as he considers necessary to assist him and to examine and test any ventilation, heating, power or lighting system and any materials or substances used, stored or deposited on the land or in the building and to take samples for the purpose of testing any such materials or substances.

(6) Any person who—

(a) refuses to allow an authorised person to enter any land or building or to take any person or equipment with him in the exercise of his power under this section, or

(b) obstructs or impedes an authorised person in the exercise of any of the powers conferred on him by this section, or

(c) fails or refuses to give to an authorised person on demand or to the fire authority pursuant to a notice in writing any plan or information which he or the authority is entitled to require under this section, or

(d) wilfully or recklessly gives to an authorised person or a fire authority information which is false or misleading in a material respect, or

(e) fails to comply with any requirement of this section,

shall be guilty of an offence.

(7) Where an authorised person is refused entry to land or a building in the exercise of his powers under this section the fire authority may apply to the District Court for a warrant authorising such entry.