Maintaining Legal Compliance on Engineering Inspections 

Businesses and inspection service providers are continuing to balance the legal requirements of ensuring the continuation of statutory inspections and keeping employees safe, with unexpected absences due to COVID and self-isolation cases. At this time it is worth reminding ourselves how to manage situations and the importance of maintaining legal compliance where equipment is failing overdue statutory examination, due to circumstances beyond our control. 

The UK HSE issued guidance in June last year specifically for examination and testing of equipment falling within the requirements of: 

• Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 
• Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 
• Provision and Use of Work Equipment (including power presses) 
• Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (for local exhaust ventilation) 
• Electricity at Work Regulations 

 As we are all aware, these types of equipment require periodic thorough examination and testing, for which there is no relaxation of the legal requirements during the pandemic. 

If you find your equipment is falling out of date, there are steps to mitigate the risks. A risk-based approach should be adopted, by carrying out an assessment which should include some, or all, of the following considerations: 

• If possible, take equipment out of service. 
• If this is not possible, prioritise examinations to bring back into compliance as quickly as possible. 
• Have examination dates been planned with your service provider. 
• Ensure user checks are being completed. 
• Ensure maintenance activities are completed and up to date.
• Consider additional maintenance activities or user checks. 
• Record the actions taken. 

 The full HSE guidance is available from their website or can be downloaded here.

Contact SML today for expert help and advice on maintaining legal compliance on Engineering Inspections.