Sector statutory inspections

Statutory Inspections for Medical & Dental

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

Every dental, medical and veterinary practice runs a pressure estate, usually without thinking of it that way: the autoclave holds steam, the compressor feeds an air receiver, and both need a certified Written Scheme of Examination before they operate.

SEIS examines the vessels, the hoists and the extraction in one visit timed between patient lists, with records ready for the day an inspector asks.

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  • Independent & impartial
  • Competent engineer surveyors
  • Reports issued promptly
Any pressure
Steam puts every autoclave under PSSR, whatever its size
250 bar litres
The threshold most compressor receivers clear
6-monthly
Cycle for patient hoists and slings
Not a myth
No law requires your insurer to do these examinations

Practice cover

  • Dental, GP, medical and veterinary practices
  • Clinics, labs and multi-site healthcare groups
  • Visits timed between lists and around clinics
  • Records held per site, ready for inspection visits
What needs inspecting

What needs inspecting in a practice

PSSR leads. Steam is a relevant fluid at any pressure, so the benchtop autoclave needs a Written Scheme exactly as a hospital steriliser does, and the compressor's receiver joins it once the system clears 250 bar litres. Around the pressure estate sit the patient hoists on the 6 month people cycle and the extraction on the 14 month clock.

EquipmentRegimeStatutory positionWhat you receive
Benchtop and vacuum autoclavesPSSRSteam at any pressure; certified Written Scheme before use, then examination to the schemeWritten Scheme certification and examination report
Surgery compressors and air receiversPSSRWritten Scheme where the system exceeds 250 bar litres, report within 28 daysWritten Scheme certification and examination report
Steriliser pipework and safety devicesPSSRExamined within the same Written Scheme as the vessels they protectCovered by the scheme's examination report
Patient hoists and standing aidsLOLERThorough examination at least every 6 months, slings individuallyReport of Thorough Examination
Ceiling track hoistsLOLEREvery 6 months, including the track and fixingsReport of Thorough Examination
Dental lab and surgery LEVCOSHHThorough examination and test at least every 14 monthsLEV test report to HSG258
Treatment couches, chairs and practice equipmentPUWERInspection at intervals the competent person sets from use and conditionWritten record of inspection

PUWER items carry a written record and nothing called a certificate. Servicing the autoclave is not the statutory examination: the service keeps it working, the examination to the Written Scheme decides it is safe.

Sector compliance

The examinations behind a compliant practice

Two misunderstandings do most of the damage in this sector: the belief that a small autoclave is too small to count, and the belief that the insurer must be the one to examine it. Neither survives contact with the regulations.

The insurer myth, retired

There is no legal requirement for your insurance company to carry out the statutory examinations, however often the phrase "insurance inspection" gets used. The law requires a competent person; who employs them is your choice, and an independent inspection body whose only product is the examination has no interest in the outcome beyond its accuracy.

Operating a vessel without a current Written Scheme can also invalidate practice insurance, which turns a missed piece of paper into an uninsured pressure vessel a metre from a patient.

How SEIS works around patients

Examinations are booked between lists, before surgery hours or on admin afternoons, and a compressor and autoclave visit is typically under an hour per vessel. Multi-site dental groups and PCN practices run one programme with records per site.

Every Written Scheme, examination report and LEV test lives in the client portal, so the practice manager answers a CQC visit or an insurer's schedule request from one screen rather than a filing cabinet.

Related services
Autoclave examinationsWritten Schemes and examinations for sterilisers Air receiver examinationsCompressor receivers over the 250 bar litre line Care home inspectionsHoists and slings on the 6 month people cycle PSSR regulations explainedRelevant fluids, the Written Scheme and the 28 day report
Common questions

Medical & Dental inspection FAQs

Do you cover small practices as well as groups?

Yes. From a single-surgery dental practice or village GP surgery to a national dental group or veterinary chain, the duties are identical and the programme scales with the estate.

How quickly can you attend?

Usually within a few working days, booked between patient lists or before surgery hours. Call 0330 043 8191 with your equipment list and preferred windows.

Is a benchtop autoclave really covered by PSSR?

Yes. Steam is a relevant fluid at any pressure, so there is no small-vessel let-out: a certified Written Scheme of Examination before use, then periodic examination to that scheme. Our PSSR guide walks through the Written Scheme duty.

Does our compressor need anything beyond servicing?

Almost certainly. Most surgery compressors feed a receiver that takes the system past 250 bar litres, which requires a Written Scheme and examination with the report inside 28 days. Servicing maintains it; the examination is the statutory check that it is safe.

Must the examinations be done by our insurance company?

No, that is a common myth. The regulations require a competent person, not an insurer. HSE's plain guide to pressure systems is at hse.gov.uk. An independent body avoids any interest in selling you servicing or equipment off the back of the result.

What do patient hoists need?

A thorough examination at least every 6 months, because they lift people, with each sling examined and identified in its own right, exactly as in a care home.

Will this satisfy a CQC inspection?

CQC expects safe, maintained equipment with the records to prove it. Current Written Schemes, examination reports and LOLER reports per asset, held in the portal, are precisely the evidence those visits ask to see.

Do veterinary practices carry the same duties?

Yes. The autoclave, compressor and any animal or patient lifting equipment sit under the same regulations; the species on the table changes nothing about the pressure vessel beside it.

Book statutory inspections for your Medical & Dental operation

0330 043 8191 Request a quote