NOWHERE WILL YOU FIND a museum, monument, or statue or even a plaque honoring the heroic efforts of our building inspectors. Although they have saved countless lives over the years, most people are unaware of the silent vigil over our safety.

The fact is that a large segment of our society is complacent about building safety. How many people take it for granted that the buildings in which we live, work and shop are structurally sound and can be safety exited in the event of an emergency? We don’t worry about the water coming from our faucets being contaminated, the risk of fire or electrocution when we plug-in our electrical appliances, or the possibility of getting sick due to improper ventilation systems. These examples point our just a few minimum standards that the public at large has come to assume are enforced throughout the county.

THIS IMPORTANT ASPECT of an operating Hospital – Manufacturing Plant – Municipal Building – Services Building and many others to numerous to list, the failure of the emergency system can be catastrophic to say the least. Why are we hearing so many cases of system failures?

The answer appears to be somewhat complex, starting with incomplete written operational sequence for the entire complex. Who’s to blame? No one! It’s the lack of communication between a lot of disciplines and each paying attention to their own bailey wick without much worry about an emergency power outage.

IMPORTANT CHANGE HAS OCCURRED over the past decade in professional behavior within the construction industry culture. Gone are the days when the on site inspector had the demeanor of a military drill sergeant. Today’s work environment requires skillful communication and collaboration between all parties. There is very little discussion on professionalism of the job site inspector. This article attempts to address that issue.

FOR THOSE WHO MAY OR MAY NOT BE AWARE, this year marks the 100th anniversary of the Office of the State Architect.

Since March 11, 1907, the California State Architect’s Office has played a major role in the design, construction and renovation of many historic California buildings that have helped to shape the world's vision of the California Dream.