Sector statutory inspections

Statutory Inspections for Food & Drink Manufacturing

LOLER, PUWER, PSSR and COSHH LEV compliance from one independent inspection body.

Food and drink is the UK's largest manufacturing sector, and its statutory estate is unusually pressurised: process steam with no minimum pressure threshold, large refrigeration plant inside PSSR, and flour dust extraction the HSE treats as both an asthma and an explosion control.

SEIS runs the whole programme, audit-ready for BRCGS and retailer visits, scheduled around production and hygiene windows.

0330 043 8191 Request a quote

Independent & impartial
Competent engineer surveyors
Reports issued promptly

Any pressure

Steam is a relevant fluid, so every boiler is in scope

25kW+

Refrigeration plant with larger compressor motors sits under PSSR

14 months

Maximum LEV interval, shorter on 24/7 lines

Audit ready

Statutory records in one portal for BRCGS visits

Food sector cover

Bakeries, dairies, breweries and process plants
Cold stores and distribution operations
Examinations in hygiene windows and shutdowns
Records ready for BRCGS and retailer audits

What needs inspecting

What needs inspecting in a food factory

Pressure leads in this sector. Steam is a relevant fluid at any pressure, so every process boiler needs a certified Written Scheme before use, and refrigeration plant with compressor motors over 25kW sits inside PSSR too. Around it run the LOLER fleet, the racking, the washdown-exposed machinery and the dust and fume LEV.

Equipment	Regime	Statutory position	What you receive
Steam boilers and process steam	PSSR	Steam is a relevant fluid at any pressure; a certified Written Scheme is required before use	Written Scheme certification and examination report
Ammonia and large refrigeration plant	PSSR	In scope where compressor motors exceed 25kW; examined to the Written Scheme	Written Scheme certification and examination report
Air receivers and compressed air	PSSR	Written Scheme where the system exceeds 250 bar litres, report within 28 days	Written Scheme certification and examination report
Forklifts and cold store trucks	LOLER	Every 12 months, with attachments and accessories every 6	Report of Thorough Examination
Tote, tray and column lifts	LOLER	Thorough examination at least every 12 months	Report of Thorough Examination
Pallet racking	PUWER	Expert inspection at least annually per HSG76, and before reloading after any impact	Written record of inspection
Mixers, slicers, conveyors and process lines	PUWER	Risk-based intervals; washdown and hygiene regimes justify shorter cycles	Written record of inspection
Flour dust and fume LEV	COSHH	Thorough examination and test at least every 14 months, sooner on continuous running	LEV test report to HSG258

PUWER produces a written record of inspection, never a certificate. The 14 month LEV interval assumes single-shift running; a line working around the clock reaches the same wear in months, and the competent person sets the interval accordingly.

Sector compliance

Pressure, washdown and the audit trail

Two forces shape statutory work in food: the pressure estate is bigger than most sites realise, and the hygiene regime that keeps product safe actively shortens the life of the equipment around it.

Washdown changes the intervals

Daily chemical washdown, steam cleaning and cold-to-hot cycling attack guarding, fixings and electrical protection faster than any dry factory environment. Under PUWER that is not a maintenance footnote, it is the input that sets the inspection interval: the competent person shortens the cycle to match the real rate of deterioration.

The same logic reaches the LEV. Flour dust extraction on a bakery line running 24/7 accumulates a year of duty in a few months, so waiting the full 14 months is compliant on paper and overdue in practice.

Statutory records your auditor expects

BRCGS and retailer technical audits routinely sample statutory evidence: the boiler's Written Scheme and latest examination, the forklift reports, the racking inspection record, the LEV tests. An expired certificate in a spreadsheet nobody owns is one of the most common non-conformances raised.

SEIS holds every report in the client portal by site and asset with due dates tracked, and because we only inspect, never sell or service, the evidence you hand the auditor is independent on its face.

Related services

PSSR examination servicesWritten Schemes for steam, air and refrigeration plant COSHH LEV testingThorough examination and test for dust and fume extraction Storage racking inspectionsExpert racking inspections to HSG76 PSSR regulations explainedThe Written Scheme, relevant fluids and the 28 day report

Common questions

Food & Drink Manufacturing inspection FAQs

What kind of food businesses do you cover?

Bakeries, dairies, breweries and distilleries, meat and fish processors, ready meal plants and cold store operations, from a single site to a national estate.

How quickly can you attend?

Usually within a few working days, and recurring examinations are planned into hygiene windows and shutdowns so lines keep running. Call 0330 043 8191 to align the calendar with production.

Our boiler is small. Is it really in scope for PSSR?

Yes. Steam is a relevant fluid at any pressure, so there is no small-boiler exemption: a certified Written Scheme of Examination before use, then examination to that scheme with reports inside 28 days. Our PSSR guide explains the Written Scheme duty.

Is our refrigeration plant covered?

Where compressor motors exceed 25kW, refrigeration plant falls within PSSR and is examined to the Written Scheme. Ammonia plant in particular deserves a scheme drawn up by a competent person who knows the fluid.

How often does flour dust extraction need testing?

At least every 14 months under COSHH, but that interval assumes normal shift patterns. On continuous lines the competent person will set a shorter cycle, because flour dust is both an occupational asthma cause and a combustible dust. HSE guidance on LEV is at hse.gov.uk.

Do washdown areas change our PUWER intervals?

Yes. Inspection intervals are set from the real rate of deterioration, and chemical washdown accelerates it, so equipment in high-care and wet areas is inspected more often than the same machine in a dry plant.

Will your reports satisfy a BRCGS audit?

Yes. Auditors sample statutory records, and ours are issued per asset with due dates tracked in the client portal, so the Written Scheme, forklift reports, racking records and LEV tests are produced in minutes.

Can you examine cold store equipment without stopping the store?

Usually. Trucks rotate through examination between shifts, racking is inspected aisle by aisle, and plant room work is timed to defrost and maintenance windows agreed with your engineers.

Book statutory inspections for your Food & Drink Manufacturing operation

0330 043 8191 Request a quote