Block-checks are only successful if concierges manage to completely and systematically check all stairs and the many floors of the building in reasonable time. In many cases the concierge would encounter problems with which he can solve immediately. On their tours concierges are constantly occupied with picking up smaller rubbish, dispose it through the rubbish chute and occasionally in a bag they would carry with them on a block-check. Depending on the tour concierge would carry also a special box to dispose syringes that drogue consumers would leave behind and sometimes hide underneath a girder or in an inoperative drying cupboard. Concierges would always wear gloves to protect their hands when occasionally picking up smaller rubbish form the floor, but also because there is always smaller ad hoc maintenance work to be carried out: closing a window, pulling back an uptight door closer or closing a cupboard.

An incident might be dealt with in an ad hoc manner, but the concierge postpones solving the problem ever so often. For example, on a block-check in the 21 Bernie Court block [image_4], when opening the door to the anteroom of one of the landings (still a) the concierge sees a small water pond on the floor (still b). He approaches the puddle, smears briefly the liquid with his shoe (still c and d). As he detects that this is water and not any other substance, he first looks at the sealing and then checks the nearby window, to ascertain where the water was coming from. It becomes very quickly obvious that one of the window frames is not tight, the concierge decides to come back later in the day to clean the floor.

Water on the floor is an indicator of a potential problem in the building and provides for interruption of the walk. The concierge briefly assesses the incident and resumes the block-check. Once the connections between the problem and the building has been discerned the concierge passes on to advance his tour. Various problems demand different solutions adopted in the circumstances of block-check work (e.g. the concierge does neither have cleaning tools with him, nor does he abandon the block-check to solve the problem immediately). It is after the block-check that concierges would turn back to the location, to swap the water with a mop and disinfect the wet place.

Whilst this small incident seems unimportant at a first glance, it is worth reflecting that the handling of such incidents in high-rises is essential. Water in a multi-storey flat can percolate unseen over many storeys and reappear at quite a distance from where the water system is leaking. Early discovery of leaking water and localising its origin are absolutely crucial and can anticipate costly and time-consuming dewatering, repair and refurbishment work.

There are many instances of which the concierge would decide to come back after he has finished his regular block-check. The reason for this can be a tool that is needed to solve the problem. For example, to pusho an object stuck in a rubbish chute hatch into the tube the concierge needs a metal bar. Furthermore cleaning cannot be carried out without appropriate tools, water and disinfectant. Bulky objects can not be carried from landing to landing to the ground floor, but have to be disposed using the lift and sometimes with the help of a colleague.

On other instances repair and maintenance work must be delegated to other professionals. If a concierge discovers a smashed window or that a flat has been broken in, he will report such incidents to the building services, a locksmith or the police, who would be able to handle and solve the incident accurately.

Routine maintenance work in social residential high-rise blocks should be taken seriously. Day-in-day out concierges find ways to solve smaller and bigger incidents, at the same time they maintain their block-check routine. Indeed, concierges use a wider arsenal of observational, sensory, material and technological resources to solve incidents in the context of their walk.