Repair and installation of machinery and equipment covers a wide range of businesses — from general machinery repair and industrial installation to specialist trades working on gas appliances, refrigeration and air-conditioning, pressure plant, ships and aircraft. They share a starting point: the work carries machinery, electrical, lifting, working-at-height and hazardous-substance risks, often on the customer's site, so the workplace health and safety duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 apply to all of you. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) regulates in Great Britain and HSENI in Northern Ireland.
On top of that, several kinds of equipment can only be worked on under a specific approval or certification. Use the routes below to find the guides you need.
Find your route
Every repair and installation business needs the spine below; add the specialist approvals for the systems you actually work on. Then confirm everything with the checklist.
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1
Run a safe business and employ people
Whatever you work on, start with the universal spine. Follow "Set up and run a safe repair and installation business" for your health and safety, COSHH controls, work equipment, manual handling, fire safety, insurance, equality and data protection duties.
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2
Get the specialist approvals for the systems you work on
If you work on gas appliances, refrigeration and air-conditioning, pressure systems, aircraft or ships, you need a specific registration or certification first. Follow "Get the specialist approvals for the systems you repair and install".
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3
Confirm you have covered everything
Finish with the repair and installation compliance checklist to confirm your obligations are met.
Open the guide you need
- Set up and run a safe repair and installation business — the universal spine for every business.
- Get the specialist approvals for the systems you repair and install — pressure systems, gas, F-gas refrigeration, ships and aircraft.
- Repair and installation compliance checklist — confirm you have covered everything.
Match the systems you work on to the specialist guide: pressure systems are in section A, gas appliances in section B, refrigeration and air-conditioning (F-gas) in section C, ships in section D, and aircraft in section E.
Official sources
Authoritative starting points for repair and installation.
- HSE: maintenance and repair (opens in a new tab) HSE
- Gas Safe Register (opens in a new tab) Gas Safe Register