Today, I’m going to write on everybody’s favorite topic, reports! Simmer down Scooter, this is for everyone! Reports are the #1 thing that can either get you in trouble or get you OUT of trouble. What do you mean, Eddie? “I just go through the report and answer the questions yes, no or N/A. What’s the big deal?” Let me answer that by first stating this to you… Your report is a legally binding document that can and will be used against, or for you, in a court of law. Did I studder? Did you read that correctly? Did that scare you a little bit? I hope so!
Now, I don’t want you to be scared to go out and do an inspection. That’s not the intent of this article. The intent of this article is to make you aware of how important your reports are. I’ve said this before and it still rings true, but we are inherently lazy. “Not me, Eddie! I’m the best inspector in the world!” Riiiiiiiight… If you think that about yourself, there is no need for you to read any further and you may need to seek counselling! LOL!
Here’s what happens to a lot of us; “I’ve got 3 locations the office has sent to me to inspect today. I have to pick up Junior from school, feed him and then have him back at the ballpark for practice by 6pm. I’m gonna really be pushing it to get all of these done in enough time in order to make all of this happen today.” Have you ever been there? I have, for sure. So here’s my question… What suffers? If you’re honest, you’ll say the inspection. I. Have. Been. There. I promise you, I’m not throwing stones from my glass house!
Here’s my advice… You ready? Slow down. Take your time. Cross your T’s and dot your I’s. Fill your reports out with the mindset of “I don’t want to go to jail.” Have a CYA mindset when you do your reports. And CYA doesn’t mean See you later. Answer the questions honestly. If you don’t know how to answer a question, pick up the phone and call someone. There is no shame in this industry. A correctly answered question can get you and your company out of hot water quickly. Also, “N/A” is NOT the correct way to answer a question if you don’t know how to answer the question. It’s also NOT a viable option if you’re trying to save the customer money on repair costs. Answer the questions honestly. CYA.
Document everything. For example, if you are doing an inspection at a hotel, strip mall or apartment complex and you can’t get into every room, document every room you did not have access to. Why is this important? Remember the old saying of “If you didn’t write it down, it didn’t happen?” It’s true. If you do not write down what rooms / areas / apartments you did not visually inspect, its assumed that you did. This is a BIG deal.
Be precise with your reports. The more information you give, the more detailed you are, the more your “assets” will be covered if an issue arises. Being detailed on your reports is also a bonus for your salesmen. The more info you give keeps them from having to call you for questions or having to make a site visit in order to quote the job. “Painted head in the breakroom” is NOT an acceptable comment on your report! What kind of head? Upright or Pendant? Viking? Reliable? Victaulic? Tyco? Globe? Automatic? Grinnell? Size? Coating? Temperature rating? Quick or standard response? Ladder? Scaffolding? Lift? C’MON MAN!!! See what I’m getting at here? Take pictures and attach them to the report if you are unsure of something. Heck, take pictures of anything you write up, or anything in question!
Stay in scope! If you can’t back it up out of NFPA 25, don’t write it in the body of your report. If you feel that it is necessary for the customer to know, write it in an observation report. This will ensure that the customer is aware of the issue but will keep you from stepping outside the scope of NFPA 25. Here are a few items that we like to call out in a report that are outside of the scope of NFPA 25:
· Spacing, or layout of heads
· Unsprinklered areas
· Signs (main drain, inspectors test, auxiliary drain, air-line, alarm test)
· Mixed response heads
· Mixed temperature heads
· Hanger spacing
All of these listed above are NFPA 13 violations, NOT NFPA 25!! Are you a licensed designer? Are you a Fire Marshal? Do you work for an insurance company? No, no and no. You are an informer, not an enforcer, Remember that! Writing these items up listed above can and will get you in hot water, even if you write up just one of them. Dadgumit!! Listen to your elders! LOL!
I’ll end with this: Take your time, be precise, be honest, document, document, document and stay in scope!! Your “assets” could be on the line 😮
Till next time!
-eddie-
