This TSA workshop is designed for:
- PHA Housing Management & Maintenance Personnel who conduct periodic inspections of housing (Annual, Preventive, Regular, REAC Prep, HQS, UPCS)
According to the latest PHAS scoring rule, physical inspections have now been given more weight in the scoring because the point total has been increased from 30 to 40 points. As TSA continues to present training for PHAs around the country, we are routinely asked by PHAs for assistance in helping them to improve their REAC scores. Because of this feedback, TSA has re-designed this workshop with the goal being to better assist PHAs with physical inspections. This workshop will focus on PHA properties, with emphasis on a visual training experience related to real-life situations in the field. The workshop will be interactive from start to finish between participants and our highly skilled and experienced workshop leader. The result will be a guaranteed increased knowledge base for workshop participants.
Even though this training is Public Housing oriented, Section 8 Inspectors can also gain important knowledge from attending. We will not cover program regulations and procedures so that we can concentrate solely on physical inspections. The workshop will concentrate solely on site inspections: What to look for, what to write in the report, and re-inspections of repairs.
At this training session, workshop participants will learn how to conduct and document proper and thorough inspections, as well as how to determine and recommend appropriate repairs. It will also cover suggestions on how to make older buildings more energy efficient. The interactive format of the workshop will involve an extensive group exchange between the participants and the workshop leader on the agenda topics with the end result being a clear understanding of the Inspection Process.
During the workshop, an extensive display of photos showing specific geographical areas of actual inspection situations will be utilized for workshop participant input, comments, and discussions initiated by the workshop leader.
TSA certificates will be presented to all who attends this training.
Agenda
Day One: 8:00 am – 4:00 pm, Day Two: 8:00 am – noon
Major topics that will be covered during the workshop:
- The process of conducting a thorough inspection – inspecting the property and writing up the report based upon the findings
- Tools to improve inspections and document problems for the record
- Using digital pictures, batch naming and organizing pictures into computer folders
- Site & grounds inspection: driveways, sidewalks, patios, fences, & yard
- Inspecting the exterior of buildings: roofs, flashing & trim, siding, gutters & downspouts, chimneys, windows, exterior doors, foundations
- Inspecting the interior of the building: walls, ceilings, interior doors, stairs, & flooring
- Inspecting utility spaces: attics, basements, carports, & garages
- Inspecting the operation & condition of operating systems: electrical, plumbing, heating, mechanical, water wells, & septic systems
- Safety related to fire prevention, electrical systems, fixtures, slips, trips, & falls
- Inspecting home appliances: ovens, stoves, & refrigerators
- Signs that there is lead-based paint & asbestos in the building
- Special electrical considerations: service entrances, sub-panels, grounding, bonding, fuses & breakers, GFCIs, arc fault breakers, & reversed polarity
- Special plumbing considerations: copper tubing, iron pipe, polybutyl tubing, PVC, and PEX tubing
- Using & completing the variety of inspection forms: paper & computerized
- Improving written inspection reports
- Follow-up procedures after completion of the inspection
- Using periodic, move-in, pre-vacate, & vacate inspections to minimize resident damage & charges at move-out
- Recommended solutions to problems found during inspections
- Roundtable discussion during the workshop to share information, to network, & to ask questions of the instructor