Comparison
Where each approach fits
| Cadence | In-house OK? | External required? |
|---|---|---|
| Daily walk-around | Yes — must be in-house | No |
| Weekly visual | Yes — must be in-house | No |
| Monthly / quarterly | Yes, if inspector is trained | Optional, often outsourced |
| Annual audit | No | Yes — competent person, independent |
| Post-impact assessment | Yes for triage | Yes if Amber/Red found |
In-house
When in-house inspections are the right call
Internal inspections cost less, run more frequently and embed safety culture inside the warehouse. They're the right tool for daily, weekly and monthly cadences. The catch is that "in-house" still means "trained, documented and competent" — not "the supervisor walks past now and again".
- Use a formal checklist (paper or digital).
- Train inspectors against the AS 4084 damage criteria.
- Photograph any Amber or Red finding.
- Log the inspection in a maintenance system.
- Escalate Red findings within 60 minutes.
- Keep records for at least 7 years.
Outsourced
Why the annual audit must be external
Independence is the whole point. An internal inspector — no matter how qualified — has a structural conflict of interest when signing off on the site they work in. AS 4084:2023 closes this gap by requiring the annual inspection to be performed by an external competent person, with credentials and insurance to back the report.
Insurer expectations
The blend
The standard QLD / NSW model
Most compliant warehouses run a layered program: daily walk-arounds embedded in shift starts, weekly written checklists from supervisors, an internal monthly or quarterly inspection by a trained staff member, and an external annual audit by an independent provider. This blend keeps cost down, catches problems early and satisfies both the Standard and the insurer.