These requirements apply to all business activities in this division.
compliance
Great_Britain
Ongoing
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 — general duties
Enforced by:
HSE
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
General duty to protect employees and others affected by the business. Motor trades carry above-average risk — vehicle lifts, jacks, brake dust, isocyanate paints, fuel and battery handling, tyre inflation. Devolved: enforced under the Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978 in NI.
insurance
Great_Britain
Annual
Employers' Liability Insurance
Enforced by:
HSE
Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969
Required for any business employing at least one person.
registration
Uk
Annual
UK GDPR + Data Protection Act 2018
Enforced by:
ICO
Data Protection Act 2018; UK GDPR (retained EU law)
Dealers and garages process extensive personal data (customer records, finance applications, V5C/keeper details, service histories, ANPR/CCTV). ICO registration unless exempt.
compliance
Great_Britain
Ongoing
Equality Act 2010 — protected characteristics
Enforced by:
EHRC
Equality Act 2010
No discrimination in the provision of goods, services or employment. NI: Equality Commission for Northern Ireland regime.
compliance
England_Wales
Ongoing
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
Enforced by:
LOCAL_FIRE_AUTHORITY
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
The responsible person must carry out a fire risk assessment of workshops, showrooms, paint/body shops and parts stores — heightened by flammable fuels, solvents, oils and lithium batteries. Devolved: Fire (Scotland) Act 2005; Fire and Rescue Services (NI) Order 2006.
compliance
Scotland
Ongoing
Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 — fire safety duties
Enforced by:
SCOTTISH_FIRE_AND_RESCUE_SERVICE
Fire (Scotland) Act 2005
Scottish equivalent of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 — the duty holder must carry out a fire risk assessment and maintain fire precautions for workshops, showrooms, paint/body shops and parts stores, heightened by flammable fuels, solvents, oils and lithium batteries.
compliance
Ni
Ongoing
Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 — fire safety duties
Enforced by:
NORTHERN_IRELAND_FIRE_AND_RESCUE_SERVICE
Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006
Northern Ireland equivalent of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 — the appropriate person must carry out a fire risk assessment and maintain fire precautions for workshops, showrooms, paint/body shops and parts stores, heightened by flammable fuels, solvents, oils and lithium batteries.
compliance
Uk
Ongoing
Consumer protection and fair trading
Enforced by:
TRADING_STANDARDS
Consumer Rights Act 2015; Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024
Goods (vehicles, parts) and services (repairs) must be of satisfactory quality, as described and fit for purpose; misleading actions/omissions (clocking, hidden write-off history, undisclosed faults) are prohibited. Enforced by Trading Standards. Aftersales finance/insurance is separately FCA-regulated (see selling activities).
compliance
England_Wales
Ongoing
Waste duty of care
Enforced by:
ENVIRONMENT_AGENCY
Environmental Protection Act 1990; Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011
Motor businesses produce controlled waste — waste oil, oil filters, brake fluid, coolant, tyres, batteries, end-of-life parts. The duty of care requires storing it securely and transferring it only to an authorised carrier with a waste transfer note. Devolved: Waste (Scotland) Regulations and SEPA in Scotland; Natural Resources Wales in Wales; NIEA in NI.
compliance
Scotland
Ongoing
Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012 — duty of care
Enforced by:
SEPA
Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012
Scottish equivalent of the s34 waste duty of care. Motor businesses produce controlled waste — waste oil, oil filters, brake fluid, coolant, tyres, batteries, end-of-life parts — which must be stored securely and transferred only to an authorised carrier with a written description, and (under these Regulations) source-segregated for recycling where required. Enforced by SEPA.
compliance
Ni
Ongoing
Waste and Contaminated Land (Northern Ireland) Order 1997 — duty of care
Enforced by:
NIEA
The Waste and Contaminated Land (Northern Ireland) Order 1997
Northern Ireland equivalent of the s34 waste duty of care (Article 5). Motor businesses producing controlled waste — waste oil, filters, brake fluid, coolant, tyres, batteries — must take reasonable measures to prevent unauthorised waste escape and transfer waste only to an authorised person with a written description. Enforced by NIEA.