RSTP2034 - Meaning of 'inspect'

The power to inspect does not allow us to search for goods, assets or documents. ‘Inspect’ means that we may look at what can be seen but does not allow us to look for something that cannot be seen.

There is a very broad rule of thumb that separates the two – ‘inspect is by eye and search is by hand’. This, however, is far too simplistic for most purposes.

Inspecting means that we are allowed to touch and to open things as long as we are not searching for things. Wherever possible we will ask the person to open items for us to enable us to inspect the contents. We expect to be escorted once we have entered premises but we need not insist upon it.

We have the power to:

• obtain and record information relating to the business premises, business assets (see RSTP2037), property, goods and business documents that have been inspected; and
• mark assets to show they have been inspected.