Canadian National Occupational Standards Survey

[Raymond E. Wand]

Dear Members: In late 2000, as part of the CHIBO National Initiative, about a dozen well respected and experienced inspectors from across Canada met in Toronto for a full week of meetings to determine exactly what Home Inspectors do when they perform a Home Inspection. What they were trying to establish could be called our ‘Job Description’. The results of this marathon meeting became known as the National Occupational Standards for Home and Property Inspectors. (NOS) These standards were studied and eventually ratified and adopted by CHIBO and the CAHPI Steering Committee in 2001. Besides being a job description, the NOS also provided a blueprint for future decisions that would be made by almost all of the committees and councils that have been created as part of the National Certification Program. The NOS are the foundation upon which the entire program is built. Since rules, regulations, techniques and industry standards are subject to change, it was decided that the NOS would be reviewed about every five years to ensure they mirrored actual inspection functions and criteria. In February of this year, a select group of volunteers from across the country met to review the current NOS and suggest changes and improvements. The results of their efforts are reflected in the attached NOS Task Validation Survey, which we are attempting to get into the hands of as many Canadian practitioners as possible. We ask that you complete it and fax, e-mail, or mail it to the consultants before May 15, 2008. Their contact information is on the survey just click here NOSSurveyMarch2008Final.pdf . This is an opportunity for all Canadian Professional Home Inspectors, regardless of association or lack thereof, to have some input into our futures. Once the results of the survey are compiled, the new, updated NOS will be circulated. Thanks in advance for your help. Below is the list of those who were in the Focus Group: Bill Mullen, Chair (ON) cahpi1@yahoo.ca Rose Marie Moore (BC) rmchome@mac.com Wayne Christopher (ON) wayne@christopherhomeinspection.com Brian Crewe (QUE) bransen@videotron.ca Harry Janssen (ON) inspect@accuratehome.com Paul Blakey (BC) pblakey@telus.net Paul Gullackson (AB) maples@incentre.net Paul Wilson (ON) pwilson@home-inspectors.com Trevor Welby-Solomon (ON) trevorws1@rogers.com Vince Burnett, Vice Chair (BC) superior-inspections@shaw.ca Mike Guihan (NL) guihan@nl.rogers.com