Forum: Registered inspectors trained in standardised protocol to reduce subjectivity
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We refer to the news report, “ Inspecting the inspectors: Home defect spotters call for regulation as demand increases
The Asset Management and Maintenance Association (AMMA) serves as a platform for those in the built environment value chain – designers, contractors, property managers and owners or users – to maintain and sustain building assets.
The association also focuses on promoting the standardisation of asset condition assessments, commonly termed inspections.
It is standard practice for the building development team to inspect new housing units for defects before handing the units over to the purchasers. The notion of a 100 per cent defect-free unit, however, is unrealistic.
Human fallibility and the need to complete and hand over units as soon as possible make workmanship-related defects and defects being missed in handover inspections more likely.
A purchaser has a 12-month defects liability period to report defects, which may surface only after a unit is put into use. These defects are likely to be functional and technical in nature, and limited in extent.
Building inspectors registered with AMMA are trained in a standardised, international condition assessment protocol and nomenclature to reduce subjectivity in inspections, and they do not just rely on experience.
These building inspectors can assess the condition of a building at any stage in its life cycle, from newly built to end-of-life, in a consistent manner.
Several AMMA members at board and individual level are trained building inspectors, underlying the importance of standardised condition assessments in asset management.
Members of the public who want to find out more about the training of building inspectors can e-mail secretariat@amma.com.sg
Abhishek Murthy
Immediate Past President
Asset Management and Maintenance Association
