Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act 1963

53 Powers of local authorities' and Minister's inspectors

(1) Any such person as follows (hereafter in this section referred to as an " inspector "), namely, an inspector appointed under subsection (1), (2) or (5) of the last foregoing section, a factory inspector and a person authorised by the Minister under subsection (3) of that section, shall, for the purpose of the execution of this Act, have power to do all or any of the following things, namely.—

(a) at any reasonable time to enter any such premises as the following, and to inspect the whole or any part thereof and anything therein, that is to say:—

(i) any premises to which this Act applies;

(ii) any premises (other than as aforesaid) in which any conveniences, facilities or other thing are or is provided in pursuance of this Act or regulations thereunder;

(iii) any premises which, for the purposes of section 42 or 43 of this Act constitute a common part of a building to which the said section 42 or, as the case may be, the said section 43, applies;

(iv) any premises falling within section 51 of this Act;

(v) any premises which he has reasonable cause to believe to be premises falling within any of the foregoing sub-paragraphs; and

(vi) any premises with respect to which he has reasonable cause to believe that materials of a kind prescribed by virtue of section 29(1)(c) of this Act are therein used or are therein stored in a quantity not less than that so prescribed, being premises situate underneath premises to which this Act applies;

(b) to make such examination and inquiry as may be necessary—

(i) to ascertain whether, so far as regards any such premises as aforesaid or conveniences, facilities or other things therein provided, the provisions of this Act and regulations thereunder are complied with; or

(ii) to verify any belief that he has formed that any premises fall within sub-paragraph (i), (ii) (iii) or (iv) of paragraph (a) above or that, in premises situate as mentioned in sub-paragraph (vi) of that paragraph, materials of a kind therein mentioned are used or are stored as so mentioned; or

(iii) to identify the owner or occupier of any premises falling within sub-paragraph (i), (ii), (iii) or (iv) of paragraph (a) above ;

(c) on entering any premises to take with him a constable if he has reasonable cause to apprehend any serious obstruction in the exercise of the powers conferred on him by this subsection ;

(d) for the purpose of any examination or inquiry under the foregoing provisions of this subsection to require any person whom he finds in any such premises as are mentioned in paragraph (a) above or whom he has reasonable cause to believe to be, or to have within the preceding two months been, employed to work in any such premises, to answer (in the absence of persons other than any whom the inspector may allow to be present) such questions as the inspector thinks fit to ask and to sign a declaration of the truth of his answers, so, however, that no answer given by a person in pursuance of a requirement imposed under this paragraph shall be admissible in evidence against him in any proceedings;

(e) to require the production of, and to inspect, any fire certificate in force with respect to any premises to which this Act applies;

(f) to require any person having responsibilities in relation to any such premises as are mentioned in paragraph (a) above (whether or not the owner or occupier of the premises or a person employed to work therein) to give him such facilities and assistance with respect to any matters or things to which the responsibilities of that person extend as are necessary for the purpose of enabling the inspector to exercise any of the powers conferred on him by this subsection ;

(g) to exercise such other powers as may be necessary for carrying this Act into effect.

(2) A person who—

(a) fails to comply with any requirement imposed by an inspector under the foregoing subsection ; or

(b) prevents, or attempts to prevent, any other person from appearing before an inspector or from answering any question to which an inspector may, by virtue of the foregoing subsection, require an answer; or

(c) obstructs an inspector in the exercise or performance of his powers or duties ;

shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding twenty pounds.