Garage Equipment Inspections

Most workshops operate equipment from three different statutory regimes, and that's before the MOT bay requirements are considered. A vehicle lift falls under LOLER. The air compressor that powers the impact wrenches falls under PSSR. Most other workshop equipment (brake testers, presses, headlight aligners, exhaust extraction) falls under PUWER. A garage compliance file isn't one inspection: it's three regimes audited together.

We provide combined garage equipment inspections across Kent, London, Essex and throughout the UK through our network of qualified Engineer Surveyors.

Three Regulatory Regimes, One Visit

We coordinate all three streams on a single visit where possible, so the workshop closes down for inspection once rather than three times a year.

Vehicle Lift Categories We Examine

Vehicle lifts are the highest-consequence item in a workshop because failure puts a technician under several tonnes of suspended vehicle. We examine the full range:

• 2-post lifts: symmetric and asymmetric, with arm-locking and mechanical or hydraulic safety latches
• 4-post lifts: drive-on lifts, including wheel-alignment variants with rolling jacks
• Scissor lifts: low-rise and mid-rise scissor lifts, including alignment versions
• In-ground lifts: single-piston and two-piston cassette systems
• Mobile column lifts: sets of two, four, or six columns used for HGV and bus servicing
• Vehicle jacks and stands: trolley jacks, transmission jacks, axle stands
• Engine cranes: folding-arm engine hoists, transmission lifters

PSSR: The Compressed Air Side

The Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 apply to any system holding compressed gas above a defined threshold, which captures essentially every workshop air supply. Unlike LOLER, PSSR doesn't impose a fixed interval. Instead, it requires:

• A Written Scheme of Examination drafted by a competent person, defining what is inspected and how often.
• Periodic examination by a competent person in accordance with that scheme.
• Maintenance of safety-critical fittings (safety valves, pressure gauges, drains) in working order between examinations.

Where a workshop doesn't have a current Written Scheme, we draft one before the first examination. Examination intervals are determined by the Written Scheme of Examination and vary depending on equipment type, pressure, usage, and operating conditions: they're defined in the scheme rather than fixed by regulation.

Why 6 Months for Vehicle Lifts

LOLER does not class a vehicle lift as equipment for lifting persons: the vehicle is the load, so the statutory maximum is 12 months under Regulation 9(3), or the intervals in an examination scheme. The 6 months is HSE's recommendation in its motor vehicle repair guidance. The reasoning is the technician underneath: someone working under a vehicle on a lift depends on that lift entirely. If it fails, they're crushed.

The legal duty does not depend on how light-duty the workshop appears. A low-volume single-bay garage running a 2-post lift has the same LOLER duty as a multi-bay HGV depot.

What a Vehicle Lift Examination Covers

• Mechanical and hydraulic safety locks: function test under load
• Structural columns, lifting arms, load pads: visual and dimensional check
• Synchronization cables and wire ropes (where fitted): wear, slack, broken strands
• Hydraulic system: cylinder seals, line condition, leak check
• Anchor bolt condition and concrete base integrity (where surface-mounted)
• Emergency stop control function
• Pad and arm wear at vehicle pickup points
• Safe Working Load marking and identification

Garage Equipment Inspections by Location

Combined LOLER and PSSR examinations for automotive workshops across the South East:

• Kent Garage Equipment Inspections
• London Garage Equipment Inspections
• Essex Garage Equipment Inspections

Garage equipment inspection by sector

Independent of any maintenance contractor: see why independence matters in statutory inspection for the structural case under HSE's LOLER guidance (L113).

Vehicle workshops sit across several sectors. Multi-site fleet workshop patterns:

• Warehousing & Logistics: HGV fleet workshops and depot-based maintenance bays
• Facilities Management: multi-site vehicle maintenance estates

Frequently Asked Questions

Are vehicle lift inspections a legal requirement?

Yes. Under LOLER 1998, a 2-post or 4-post lift used at work must undergo regular Thorough Examination.

How often does a vehicle lift need to be inspected?

LOLER requires a thorough examination at least every 12 months, or at the intervals set by an examination scheme. HSE recommends examining vehicle lifts every 6 months, because technicians work directly beneath the raised load.

Are air compressors covered during inspections?

Yes. Under PSSR, air compressors and their pressure receivers need examination by a competent person in line with a Written Scheme of Examination, covering vessel integrity and safety valve function.

What happens if garage inspections are missed?

Non-compliance is fiercely prosecuted by the HSE due to the inherent risk of fatal mechanic crushing, resulting in immediate bay shutdowns, fines, and nullified insurance.

Can my service engineer perform the Thorough Examination?

Not normally. HSE guidance in L113 says the competent person should not normally be the same person who performs routine maintenance on the equipment, so that nobody examines their own work, and should be sufficiently independent and impartial to make objective decisions.