Transcript: Rapid building assessments – placards and forms
Last updated: 30 October 2023
Transcript for video explaining what happens when a rapid building assessment is carried out on a building, and what the different placards mean for building and home owners.
Visual
Aerial view of a city.
Text on screen:
- Building Performance
- Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Hīkina Whakatutuki
Scenes of residential neighbourhood.
Icons on screen:
- Flooding
- Earthquake
- Fire
Audio
Significant weather events and natural disasters can leave homeowners feeling vulnerable and uncertain about the safety of their homes.
Visual
Aerial view of a city.
Text on screen: MBIE's Building Performance team provides stewardship of building management in emergencies.
Audio
As the central regulator of building systems in Aotearoa New Zealand, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment oversees the management of buildings in emergencies.
Visual
Close up of a man and a woman wearing hi-vis jackets and hard hats walking on a residential street, meeting a woman outside a residential house.
Group stand on pavement outside house and point to building.
Audio
and supports local councils to manage buildings in their area that might have been damaged.
When buildings are damaged, Rapid Building Assessments are carried out where a state of emergency or designation is in place.
Visual
Exterior of house.
Text on screen: Rapid Building Assessments are facilitated by the local council.
Group stand and point to different areas of the exterior of the house, discussing the building.
Close up of person completing a rapid building assessment placard on a clipboard.
Woman wearing hi-vis and hardhat fixes completed placard to the exterior of the building
Audio
Rapid Building Assessments are facilitated by the local council and are a quick visual inspection of a building or surrounding property to assess the risk against safety and life. Qualified Rapid Building Assessors – or R-B-As – complete an assessment and depending on the extent of the damage or hazard identified, they may affix a placard to the building reflecting the outcome of their assessment.
Visual
Exterior of house in background.
Images showing red, yellow and white placards appear on screen.
Audio
Placards are either red, yellow or white.
Visual
Person holding clipboard in background.
Image showing a white placard.
Text on screen: The building can be used, but it does not mean that the building is not damaged.
Audio
A white placard means your building can be used, but it does not mean that the building is not damaged.
Visual
Residential street with houses and traffic.
Icon: Tick.
Text on screen: Not reasonably necessary to prohibit of restrict the use of the building to remove or reduce risks of injury or death.
Audio
It means the RBA has assessed that it is not reasonably necessary to prohibit or restrict the use of the building to remove or reduce risks of injury or death.
Visual
Person holding clipboard in background.
Images showing 2 yellow placards.
Text on screen: The building can be used, but it does not signify that it is completely safe.
Audio
A yellow placard means that the building only has restricted access.
Visual
Residential street at sunset, changes to group standing outside house discussing a yellow placard.
Text on screen: Due to damage or identified risks, only certain parts of the building can be entered and used.
Audio
A yellow placard restricting access to parts of a building means that due to damage or identified risks, only certain parts of the building can be entered and used.
Visual
Drawing showing a floorplan of a simple building with a tree outside. The tree is damaged and falls over damaging part of the house. The area affected is shown with red hatching.
Audio
A good example of this is a living room in a house might have suffered damage to an entryway because of a tree falling on it.
Visual
Drawing showing a floorplan of a simple building that has been damaged by a falling tree. The area affected is shown with red hatching. A yellow placard is shown being completed to confirm the areas affected by the damage.
Audio
The placard will specify that the living room, and adjacent affected areas of the house, cannot be used, but the kitchen, bathrooms and bedrooms might be ok.
Visual
Person holding clipboard in background, changes to image of person in a building.
Image showing a yellow placard.
Text on screen: Access to the building is only allowed for a short time, to gather essential documents for example.
Audio
A yellow short-term entry placard means that access to the building is only allowed for a short time, to gather essential documents for example.
Visual
A living room inside a house, changes to a shot of someone fixing yellow barrier tape across a doorway.
Text on screen: The placard will specify if access needs to be supervised by a person authorised by the issuing authority (generally your local council).
Audio
The placard will specify if access needs to be supervised by a person authorised by the issuing authority.
Visual
Person holding clipboard in background while writing on a form.
Image showing two red placards.
Text on screen: The building is unsafe and must not be entered.
Audio
A red placard means the building is unsafe and must not be entered,
Visual
Drawing showing a floorplan of a simple building with damage indicated to part of the building.
The damage is indicated by red hatching inside the house, affecting whole house; this changes to red hatching surrounding the house showing an external hazard.
Text on screen: Because of significant building damage or because the building is at risk from an external hazard.
Audio
either because of significant building damage or because the building is at risk from an external hazard.
Visual
Residential street.
Image showing two red placards.
Text on screen: A red placard doesn’t always mean that a building needs to be demolished.
Audio
A red placard doesn’t always mean that a building needs to be demolished.
Visual
Residential street.
Image showing a red placard and a yellow placard.
Audio
If a building has a red or yellow placard you must follow the instructions on the placard about whether and how it can be occupied or used.
Visual
Exterior of a two storey residential house.
Icons: yellow placard being damaged, altered and removed.
Audio
You also cannot intentionally damage, alter, or remove the placard.
Visual
Aerial view of a city.
Text on screen: Once your building has been assessed, you can contact your local council for more information.
Audio
Once your building has been assessed, you can contact your local council for more information.
Visual
Women using cell phone.
Text on screen: Contact your insurer or landlord, because they should advise you of what steps to take next.
Audio
It's important to contact your insurer or landlord, because they should be able to advise you of what steps to take next.
Visual
Aerial image of a city.
Image in foreground showing the www.building.govt.nz webpage.
Audio
M-B-I-E has developed comprehensive guidance for home-and building owners to provide information when they need it the most.