1. A system for conducting premises inspections, to monitor and report the inspection and status of conditions at fixed locations distributed around said premises, comprising: a plurality of encoded position markers, wherein at least one of said position markers is physically located adjacent to each of a plurality of said locations that define local inspection areas on the premises, and each said position marker is encoded with a unique code associated with its corresponding said local inspection area on the premises, and wherein each of the position markers is electronically readable only when in sufficient proximity with its corresponding said local inspection area to permit inspection of said local inspection area; a portable data collector operable by an inspector to select from a list of code selections, each of the code selections comprising a predetermined code that identifies at least one of a particular individual inspector and a particular status of said local inspection area; wherein the portable data collector is operable to read said unique codes of said plurality of position markers and to accept said code selections and thereby to associate the code selections with presence of the portable data collector within said sufficient proximity to said position marker to permit said inspection by said inspector; and, means for retrieving said location codes identifying said inspector, the local inspection areas and said associated code selections representing the hazardous condition status.