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With increasing pressure on budgets, growing compliance requirements, and the need to maintain public safety, local council clerks frequently ask for practical guidance on routine visual inspections, the first line of defence in your asset management strategy.

Understanding the Three-Tier Inspection System

Before diving into routine visual inspections, it’s important to understand that a comprehensive asset management programme typically includes three types of inspections:

1. Routine Visual Inspections: Frequent (often weekly or monthly) basic visual checks to identify obvious hazards or issues
2. Operational Inspections: More detailed, scheduled examinations (typically quarterly) focusing on wear, stability and operational integrity
3. Annual Compliance Inspections: In-depth inspections by qualified professionals to ensure compliance with relevant standards and regulations

This article focuses on routine visual inspections—your first and most frequent defence against developing problems.

Why Routine Visual Inspections Matter

Regular, thorough visual inspections of council assets are crucial for several reasons:

1. Public Safety: Identifying and addressing hazards prevents accidents and injuries
2. Legal Compliance: Fulfilling statutory obligations and avoiding potential litigation
3. Financial Management: Extending asset lifespan and planning for maintenance costs
4. Service Continuity: Ensuring facilities remain available and functional for community use
5. Insurance Requirements: Meeting conditions of cover and avoiding claim rejections

Without a systematic approach to inspections, councils risk not only the deterioration of valuable community assets but also potential legal and financial consequences.

Essential Elements of an Effective Routine Visual Inspection Checklist

Based on our work with hundreds of local councils, we’ve developed a practical routine visual inspection checklist that works for common outdoor assets including street furniture, monuments, signage, playground equipment, outdoor gym equipment, MUGAs, simple structures, and outdoor lighting. Here are the key categories to include:

Safety Assessment

Safety should always be your primary concern when inspecting assets such as street furniture, playgrounds, or public structures. Your checklist should include:

• Ground Safety Hazards: Are surfaces clear of litter, dangerous debris, and tripping hazards?
• Structural Stability: Is equipment structurally stable, undamaged, and firmly fixed in place?
• Fall Protection: Are safety surfaces intact and of sufficient depth where required?
• Accessibility: Are pathways clear and assets accessible to all community members?

Condition Evaluation

Regular condition assessments help track deterioration and plan maintenance effectively:

• Ground Surface Condition: Is the surface intact, level, stable, and free from standing water?
• Equipment Surface Condition: Are surfaces smooth, undamaged, free from corrosion, rot, sharp edges?
• Vandalism and Damage: Is the equipment free from deliberate damage?
• Cleanliness: Is the equipment clean and free from dirt, stains, or contamination?

How Technology Is Transforming Asset Inspections

Modern digital solutions are revolutionising the way councils approach asset management and inspections:

• Mobile Inspection Tools: Complete inspections on-site with smartphones or tablets
• Automated Scheduling: Never miss critical inspection dates
• Photo Documentation: Capture visual evidence of conditions
• Geolocation: Accurately map and locate all assets
• AI-Assisted Assessment: Receive guidance on condition ratings and compliance

Introducing Civic.ly: A Complete Asset Management Platform

Civic.ly was developed specifically for local councils to address the challenges of managing all three inspection types. Our platform streamlines the entire inspection process:

• Ready-to-Use Visual Inspection Templates: Pre-configured for street furniture, monuments, signage, playground equipment, outdoor gym equipment, MUGAs, simple structures, and lighting
• Differentiated Inspection Types: Separate forms for routine visual, operational, and compliance inspections
• Mobile-First Design: Complete inspections on-site using just your smartphone
• Photo Evidence: Capture and attach photos to document issues
• AI-Powered Issue Detection: Our system can help identify potential problems from photos
• GPS Mapping: Automatically map assets using GPS data from photos
• Inspection Scheduling: Set up recurring inspection schedules and receive reminders
• Escalation Workflow: Easily escalate issues identified during routine inspections to operational follow-ups
• Task Management: Create and assign maintenance jobs based on inspection findings

Sneak Peek: Civic.ly Mobile App in Action 🚨

Get a glimpse of how Civic.ly simplifies fieldwork and asset inspections—all from your mobile device.

📱 Screenshot 1 – Task Overview

View a clear, scrollable list of all assigned maintenance jobs and inspections. Each card shows key details like location, due date, status, and assignees. In this example, the “Memorial Park – Weekly Inspection and Maintenance” project includes 13 individual tasks, with real-time progress tracking to keep teams aligned.

🛠️ Screenshot 2 – Smart Inspection Checklist

Streamline inspections with our intuitive, step-by-step checklists. Field operatives can easily mark conditions, capture photos, and flag issues. Here, a structural stability check has failed, allowing the user to immediately create a Job or log a Defect—all within the same flow.

📋 Screenshot 3 – Inspection Summary & Outcomes

See the outcome of an inspection at a glance. The Memorial Park inspection has 2 defects recorded, triggering a FAILED status. Below, follow-up actions have already been assigned, showing Civic.ly’s power to turn insights into action instantly.

Free Routine Visual Inspection Template for SLCC Members

As proud supporters of the SLCC, Civic.ly is offering members:

1. Free Downloadable Template: Get our comprehensive routine visual inspection checklist for common outdoor assets. Download it here.
2. 25% Discount: SLCC members receive 20% discount of the setup fee for Civic.ly

Book a demonstration today to see how our platform can help streamline all your inspections and maintenance activities

Visit www.civic.ly

*Commercial news content is written and provided by the supplier. The publishing of this piece does not imply endorsement or recommendation by SLCC for goods or services*