Use this checklist to confirm your business meets its obligations. Work through each item and answer yes or no. Section 1 applies to everyone. In Section 2, only answer the items for the systems you actually work on. If you answer no to an item that applies to you, 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. Gas work runs through the Gas Safe Register. F-gas is enforced by the environmental regulators (Environment Agency, SEPA, NRW). Vessel work is enforced by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, and aircraft maintenance by the Civil Aviation Authority. Each section names the body that applies.

Section 1 — Every repair and installation business

These workplace and employment duties apply to every business, whatever you work on. Confirm each one.

Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA)

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 - primary UK workplace health and safety legislation establishing employer and employee duties. Pure data reference.

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA 1974) is the primary legislation governing workplace health and safety in the United Kingdom. It establishes the legal framework for protecting the health, safety and welfare of people at work and those affected by work activities.

Legal status: Primary legislation - principal UK health and safety statute
Royal Assent: 31 July 1974
Came into force: 1 April 1975 (in stages)
Geographic scope: Great Britain (separate legislation applies in Northern Ireland)
Applies to: All employers, employees, self-employed persons, and those who control work premises
Primary duty (Section 2): Employers must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all employees
Duty to non-employees (Section 3): Employers must protect persons not in their employment (contractors, visitors, public) who may be affected by work activities
Employee duties (Sections 7-8): Employees must take reasonable care for their own health and safety and that of others, cooperate with employers, and not misuse safety equipment
Enforcement authority: Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and local authorities
Maximum penalties (post-2008 amendments): Unlimited fines in Crown Court; imprisonment up to 2 years for individuals; up to 12 months and/or an unlimited fine in Magistrates' Court in England and Wales (12-month custody powers from 18 November 2024; fines unlimited since March 2015 under LASPO 2012, s.85)
Referenced by regulators: Cited in 31 regulatory documents in the ORDS (Office for Regulatory Delivery and Simplification) dataset
Secondary regulations: Enables creation of health and safety regulations (e.g. Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, COSHH, Manual Handling)

Reasonably practicable: The Act uses the term "so far as is reasonably practicable" throughout. This means employers must balance the level of risk against the time, trouble and cost of controlling it. However, the law is weighted in favour of health and safety - employers must demonstrate that control measures would be grossly disproportionate to the risk before they can be considered not reasonably practicable.

Self-employed persons: The Act also places duties on self-employed persons to protect their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their work activities.

Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (legislation.gov.uk)

HSE - Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 guidance

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 and others affected by your work. Risk-assess workshop and on-site work, coordinate with the sites you work on, and put safe systems of work, training and supervision in place. If not, follow "Set up and run a safe repair and installation business".
2

Have you assessed and controlled your hazardous substances under COSHH?

COSHH requires control of solvents, degreasers, cutting fluids, welding fume, paints and lubricants, with ventilation and health surveillance where required.
3

Is your equipment safe under PUWER, and do you hand equipment back safe?

Keep your own tools, rigs and workshop machinery maintained, guarded and used by trained operators under PUWER, with LOLER for lifting plant. Under section 6 of HASAWA 1974, make sure anything you install or repair for use at work is safe before it goes back into service.
4

Have you assessed manual handling and managed fire and hot work?

Reduce hazardous handling of components and machinery. Assess fire risk and operate a hot-work permit system for cutting and welding, under the fire-safety regime for your nation.
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 Equality Commission for Northern Ireland). Comply with the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018, registering with the ICO unless exempt.

Section 2 — Specialist approvals for the systems you work on

Answer only the items for the equipment you actually handle. If none apply, you do not need the specialist-approvals guide.

1

Pressure systems: do you install safely and support the written scheme of examination?

If you install, repair or maintain steam boilers, compressed-air systems or other pressure plant under the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000, install it so it does not give rise to danger, do not return a system to service in a dangerous condition, and make sure a written scheme of examination drawn up by a competent person is in place (the user or owner holds that duty) before it is operated. If not, follow "Get the specialist approvals for the systems you repair and install".
2

Gas: are you Gas Safe registered with competent engineers?

If you install, service or repair gas appliances and fittings, the business must be registered with the Gas Safe Register and the work done by registered, competent engineers — working on gas without registration is an offence.
3

F-gas: do your company and engineers hold F-gas certification?

If you install, service or repair refrigeration, air-conditioning or heat-pump equipment containing fluorinated gases, both the company and the engineers must hold F-gas certification, with leak checks, recovery and records.
4

Ships: does your work preserve the vessel's MCA compliance?

If you repair, convert or install equipment on commercial or fishing vessels, keep the vessel compliant with the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 construction and survey requirements, and support MCA re-survey and certification where needed.
5

Aircraft: do you hold CAA Part-145 approval?

If you maintain, repair or install components on aircraft, hold a Part-145 maintenance organisation approval from the CAA, with authorised certifying staff, and release work to service through a certificate of release to service.

If you answered no to anything

Work through the guide linked in that item. The two task guides — the safe-business spine and the specialist approvals — set out what to do. Start from the router if you are not sure which apply to you.

Official sources

Authoritative health and safety and specialist-approval guidance.

HSE: maintenance and repair (opens in a new tab) HSE
Gas Safe Register (opens in a new tab) Gas Safe Register

Repair and installation: compliance checklist

Set up and run a safe mineral products factory

Set up and run a safe veterinary practice

Register and run a safe food and drink manufacturing business

Set up and run a safe metal production plant

Personal services compliance checklist

Section 1 — Every repair and installation business

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

Have you assessed and controlled your hazardous substances under COSHH?

Is your equipment safe under PUWER, and do you hand equipment back safe?

Have you assessed manual handling and managed fire and hot work?

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

Section 2 — Specialist approvals for the systems you work on

Pressure systems: do you install safely and support the written scheme of examination?

Gas: are you Gas Safe registered with competent engineers?

F-gas: do your company and engineers hold F-gas certification?

Ships: does your work preserve the vessel's MCA compliance?

Aircraft: do you hold CAA Part-145 approval?

If you answered no to anything

Official sources

Related guides in Health & Safety

Section 1 — Every repair and installation business

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

Have you assessed and controlled your hazardous substances under COSHH?

Is your equipment safe under PUWER, and do you hand equipment back safe?

Have you assessed manual handling and managed fire and hot work?

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

Section 2 — Specialist approvals for the systems you work on

Pressure systems: do you install safely and support the written scheme of examination?

Gas: are you Gas Safe registered with competent engineers?

F-gas: do your company and engineers hold F-gas certification?

Ships: does your work preserve the vessel's MCA compliance?

Aircraft: do you hold CAA Part-145 approval?

If you answered no to anything

Official sources