Cap. 513 Art. 16Powers of inspection by authorised persons.

(1) Any authorised person shall be entitled to enter, at all reasonable times, into any land or building, subject to his producing, a means of identification and if so required, the authorisation in writing and thereon inspect for the purposes of this Act any building, permanent building installations and any plans or documents relating to such building.

(2) Any authorised person may -

(a) inspect any building -

(i) following its completion; or

(ii) during its construction, alteration or extension; or

(iii) during the installation therein of any fittings, services or equipment to which building regulations apply; or

(iv) in respect of which any material change takes place in the purposes for which such building is used;

(b) require to be informed by the owner or occupier of such a building, or by any person responsible for the construction of such a building, or by any of the aforementioned persons, to the extent that such persons have knowledge of the matters in question, as to the purpose for which the building, or any part thereof, has been, is being, or will be, used, the number of persons who are, or will be, employed or accommodated therein or who resort or will resort thereto, the material with which any such building or any part of such building is constructed, and the method of construction employed and as to any other matter which the authorised person considers to be relevant;

(c) require the owner or occupier of the building, or any person responsible for the construction of the building, to provide such plans, documents and information as are necessary to establish whether the requirements of building regulations are being complied with in relation to the building;

(d) take such samples of the materials used in the carrying out of any construction work or take such other action in relation to such construction work as may be necessary to establish whether the requirements of building regulations are being complied with in relation to the building.

(3) An authorised person shall be entitled to be assisted by such persons and bring with him such equipment as he considers necessary to enable him to exercise the powers under this article.

(4) Any person who -

(a) refuses to allow an authorised person to enter any land or building; or

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

(c) wilfully or recklessly gives, either to an authorised person, or to the Building Regulation Office, or to the Board, any information which is false or misleading in a material respect, shall be guilty of an offence against this sub-article.

(5) Where an authorised person is prevented from exercising his power of entry into any land or building in the exercise of his powers under this article, the Building Regulation Office, or the Board, as the case may be, may request the assistance of the police.

(6) Nothing in this article shall empower an authorised person to enter into or to inspect any plans or documents relating to land or building which is in the occupation of the Armed Forces of Malta or the Malta Police Force, or Correctional Facilities or such other building that the Minister may designate in writing from time to time, if in the opinion of the respective commanding officers such inspection of documentation would breach security.