(1)

A Federal Safety Officer may exercise powers under this section for the following purposes ( compliance purposes ):

(a) ascertaining whether a constitutional corporation that is an applicant for accreditation meets the accreditation requirements;
(b) ascertaining whether a constitutional corporation that is an accredited person has complied, or is complying, with conditions of the accreditation;
(c) ascertaining whether an accredited person has complied, or is complying, with conditions of the accreditation in respect of building work in a Territory or Commonwealth place.

(2)

The powers may be exercised at any time during ordinary working hours or at any other time at which it is necessary to do so for compliance purposes.

(3)

A Federal Safety Officer may, without force, enter:

(a) any premises on which the officer has reasonable cause to believe that building work is being carried out, or has been carried out, by the applicant or accredited person referred to in subsection (1); or
(b) any premises on which the officer has reasonable cause to believe that there are documents relevant to compliance purposes.

(4)

Subsection (3) does not authorise entry onto a part of premises if that part is used for residential purposes.

(5)

A Federal Safety Officer may do any of the following on premises referred to in subsection (3):

(a) inspect any work, material, machinery, appliance, article or facility;
(b) as prescribed by the regulations, take samples of any goods or substances;
(c) interview any person;
(d) inspect, and make copies of, any document that is on the premises, or is accessible from a computer that is kept on the premises, being a document that the officer believes, on reasonable grounds, to be relevant to compliance purposes;
(e) require a person who has the custody of, or access to, a document to produce the document to the officer within a specified period.

(6)

If a person fails to comply with a requirement under subsection (5) to produce a document, a Federal Safety Officer may, by written notice served on the person, require the person to produce the document at a specified place within a specified period (not being less than 14 days).

(7)

Where a document is produced to a Federal Safety Officer under paragraph (5)(e) or subsection (6), the officer may:

(a) inspect and copy the document; and
(b) if the Federal Safety Officer gives a receipt to the person who produced the document—retain the document for as long as necessary for the purpose of exercising powers or performing functions as a Federal Safety Officer.

(8)

While a Federal Safety Officer retains a document, the officer must permit the document to be inspected and copied, at any reasonable time, by:

(a) the person otherwise entitled to possession of the document; or
(b) a person authorised by the person otherwise entitled to possession of the document.

(9)

A Federal Safety Officer may, without force, enter business premises in which a person ordinarily performs work or conducts business if the officer has reasonable cause to believe that the person has information relevant to compliance purposes.

(10)

A Federal Safety Officer must not enter business premises under subsection (9) if the officer has reasonable cause to believe that the person concerned is not in that place.

(11)

A Federal Safety Officer who enters premises under subsection (9) may interview the person concerned in that place.

(12)

For the avoidance of doubt, a refusal or failure by a person to participate in an interview under this section is not to be treated as conduct covered by section 149.1 of the Criminal Code .

(13)

Before entering premises under this section, a Federal Safety Officer must announce that the officer is authorised to enter the place. If the occupier or another person who apparently represents the occupier is present, the officer must produce the officer's identity card to that person for inspection.

(14)

The occupier of premises must not refuse or unduly delay entry to the premises by a Federal Safety Officer exercising powers under this section.

Note: Grade A civil penalty.

(15)

In this section: