Manufacturing & Engineering UK-wide

Non-metallic mineral products manufacturer: compliance checklist

Use this checklist to confirm your non-metallic mineral products business (SIC division 23) meets its obligations before a production run. Work through the universal workplace items every manufacturer shares, then the sections for placing products on the market and for environmental permits and emissions trading. If you answer no to any item, follow the linked guide before you proceed.

Guide summary

Use this checklist before each production run. Answer yes or no to each item. If you answer no, follow the linked guide. You must have risk assessments, control silica dust, guard machinery, manage fire risk, hold insurance, and meet product safety rules for construction or consumer goods.

  • Write risk assessments and put safe systems of work in place
  • Control respirable crystalline silica and other hazardous substances under COSHH
  • Guard and maintain machinery under PUWER, including safe isolation for blockages
  • Assess manual handling and complete a fire risk assessment
  • Hold employers' liability insurance for at least £5 million
  • Comply with the Equality Act 2010 (or NI equivalent) and UK GDPR
  • For construction products: get a declaration of performance and UKCA or CE marking
  • For other consumer goods: make sure they are safe under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005
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Related guides in Health & Safety

Use this checklist to confirm your non-metallic mineral products business meets its obligations before a production run. Work through each item and answer yes or no. If you answer no, follow the linked guide before you proceed.

Workplace health and safety is enforced by the Health and Safety Executive in Great Britain and by HSENI in Northern Ireland. The construction-products and general-product-safety regimes are Great Britain regimes — UKCA is the GB mark where one is required and CE marking also continues to be accepted on the GB market. If you supply Northern Ireland, check the position separately. Environmental permits are issued by the regulator for your nation (Environment Agency, NRW, SEPA or NIEA). The UK Emissions Trading Scheme is UK-wide. Each section names the body that applies.

Section 1 — Every mineral products manufacturer

These workplace and employment duties apply to every manufacturer, whatever you make. Confirm each one before you start production.

  1. 1

    Have you written your risk assessments and put safe systems of work in place?

    Your general duty under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 is to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of your people. Risk-assess kilns and furnaces, crushing and grinding, mixing and handling, and put safe systems of work, training and supervision in place. If not, follow "Set up and run a safe mineral products factory".

  2. 2

    Have you assessed and controlled respirable crystalline silica and other substances?

    COSHH requires control of respirable crystalline silica from cutting, crushing and handling, plus cement, fume, glazes and binders, with local exhaust ventilation, water suppression and health surveillance where required.

  3. 3

    Is your machinery safeguarded, maintained and inspected under PUWER?

    Kilns, crushers, mills, presses and conveyors must be guarded, maintained and safely isolated for clearing blockages and maintenance under PUWER.

  4. 4

    Have you assessed manual handling and carried out your fire risk assessment?

    Reduce hazardous handling of heavy materials and product. Assess fire risk from high-temperature processes, fuels and dust under the fire-safety regime for your nation.

  5. 5

    Do you hold employers' liability insurance and meet your equality and data duties?

    Hold at least £5 million of cover once you employ anyone. Do not discriminate under the Equality Act 2010 (or separate NI equality law enforced by the ECNI). Comply with the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018, registering with the ICO unless exempt.

Section 2 — Placing products on the market

If you make products to sell, confirm the regime for each product. The construction-products and general-product-safety regimes are Great Britain regimes. Check Northern Ireland separately if you supply there.

  1. 1

    Do your construction products carry a declaration of performance and the right marking?

    Cement, aggregates, concrete products and construction glass covered by a designated standard need a declaration of performance, the supporting technical documentation, and conformity marking (UKCA, or CE which is still accepted on the GB market), with an approved body involved where the standard requires it. If not, follow "Place non-metallic mineral products on the market".

  2. 2

    Do other consumer goods meet the general product safety duty?

    Goods outside a specific regime — domestic glassware, ceramics and decorative or abrasive goods — must still be safe under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005, enforced by OPSS and Trading Standards.

Section 3 — Environmental permits and emissions trading

Complete this section if you run a cement, lime, glass or ceramics kiln or furnace. The permit regulator depends on your nation. The UK Emissions Trading Scheme is UK-wide.

  1. 1

    Does your installation hold the environmental permit it needs?

    Cement and lime kilns, glass and ceramic furnaces and similar installations need an environmental permit before they operate, with emission limits and monitoring conditions, from the Environment Agency, NRW, SEPA or NIEA. If not, follow "Meet your environmental permit and emissions trading duties".

  2. 2

    Are you meeting your UK Emissions Trading Scheme duties?

    If you produce cement clinker, lime or glass within the scheme (large ceramic-firing installations can also be in scope), hold a greenhouse gas emissions permit, monitor to an approved plan, report verified emissions annually, surrender allowances to match, and claim your free allocation where eligible.

If you answered no to anything

Work through the guide linked in that item before your production run. The three task guides — the safe-factory spine, placing products on the market, and environmental permit and emissions trading — set out what to do. Start from the router if you are not sure which apply to you.

Official sources

Authoritative health and safety, product-conformity and environmental guidance.