Sector statutory inspections

Statutory Inspections for Garages & MOT Centres

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

Passing the MOT says nothing about the bay it was tested in. The lift, the jacks, the compressor and the spray booth all carry their own statutory examinations, and the vehicle lift sits on a 6-monthly cycle because your technicians work beneath the load.

SEIS covers the whole workshop in one visit: LOLER on the lifting kit, PSSR on the air system, COSHH LEV on the booth and PUWER across the bay.

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  • Independent & impartial
  • Competent engineer surveyors
  • Reports issued promptly

6-monthly
Vehicle lift examination cycle, people beneath the load
14 months
Maximum LEV test interval for the spray booth
28 days
PSSR report window for the air receiver
4 regimes
LOLER, PUWER, PSSR and COSHH in one visit

Workshop cover

  • Independent garages, MOT stations and dealerships
  • Body shops and fleet workshops
  • All four regimes examined in one visit
  • Scheduled around your bay bookings

What needs inspecting

What needs inspecting in a garage

The HSE addresses motor vehicle repair directly in its guidance note OC 803/69, and the message is blunt: MOT testing does not cover your lifting equipment and will not serve the purposes of LOLER. Anything that lifts, supports or raises a vehicle or part of one carries its own examination duty, and the air system and the booth carry two more regimes on top.

EquipmentRegimeStatutory positionWhat you receive
Two post, four post and scissor liftsLOLEREvery 6 months in practice, because technicians work beneath the raised loadReport of Thorough Examination
Mobile column liftsLOLERThorough examination at least every 6 monthsReport of Thorough Examination
Trolley jacks and engine cranesLOLERThorough examination at least every 12 monthsReport of Thorough Examination
Vehicle tail liftsLOLER6 or 12 months as the competent person determines from useReport of Thorough Examination
Air compressors and receiversPSSRExamination to the Written Scheme of Examination, report within 28 daysWritten Scheme certification and examination report
Spray booths and welding extractionCOSHHLEV thorough examination and test at least every 14 monthsLEV test report to HSG258
Brake testers and MOT bay equipmentPUWERInspection at risk-based intervals, no fixed statutory dateWritten record of inspection
Tyre machines and workshop machineryPUWERRisk-based intervals set from your risk assessmentWritten record of inspection

A new or relocated vehicle lift should be proof load tested and thoroughly examined before first use, in line with BS 7980. It is a step we find skipped on most installations we first visit.

Sector compliance

The examination the MOT never gave you

There is a long history of fatal and serious injury from garage equipment failure, almost all of it under a raised vehicle. That is why the vehicle lift, although it lifts a load rather than a person, is treated to the 6-monthly cycle in practice: the HSE position reflects the technician working directly beneath it.

Where garages get caught out

The compressor is the quiet one. Most workshop air systems clear the 250 bar litre threshold that makes PSSR bite, which means a certified Written Scheme of Examination before use and periodic examination to that scheme, with the report inside 28 days. Running without a current scheme is the single most common PSSR breach we find in the motor trade.

The spray booth is the other: it is local exhaust ventilation under COSHH, and the thorough examination and test falls due at least every 14 months whether or not the booth filters were changed on schedule.

How SEIS works around a busy workshop

One engineer surveyor visit covers the lifting equipment, the pressure system and the LEV together, timed around your bay bookings rather than across them. Reports land in the client portal the same day wherever possible, with due dates tracked so nothing lapses between visits.

Because SEIS is independent and sells no equipment, a defect finding is a safety judgement, never a sales lead. Insurers accept our reports, and your broker can be copied in where inspection sits inside your policy arrangements.

Related services
LOLER inspection servicesInspection, testing and certification for all lifting equipment PSSR examination servicesWritten Schemes and examinations for compressed air systems COSHH LEV testingThorough examination and test for booths and extraction PUWER regulations explainedWhy PUWER produces a record of inspection, not a certificate

Common questions

Garages & MOT Centres inspection FAQs

Do you cover independent garages as well as chains?

Yes. We examine equipment for single-bay independents, MOT stations, body shops, dealerships and fleet workshops nationwide, with no minimum contract size.

How quickly can you attend?

Usually within a few working days, and sooner when a lift is out of service awaiting examination before it can return to use. Call 0330 043 8191 to book around your workload.

How often does a vehicle lift need a LOLER examination?

Every 6 months in practice. Although a lift raising only a load would normally sit on a 12-month cycle, HSE guidance reflects that technicians work beneath the raised vehicle, so competent persons set 6 months for two post, four post and scissor lifts.

Does the MOT cover any of this?

No. HSE guidance is explicit that MOT testing does not include your lifting equipment and cannot serve the purposes of LOLER. The vehicle passes or fails; the bay equipment carries its own statutory duties.

Is our compressor really a pressure system?

Almost certainly. If the system contains a relevant fluid, and most workshop receivers exceed the 250 bar litre trigger, PSSR requires a certified Written Scheme of Examination before use and examination to that scheme. HSE guidance is at hse.gov.uk.

Do we get a PUWER certificate for the brake tester?

No, and be wary of anyone offering one. PUWER produces a written record of inspection, kept at least until the next inspection. Our guide to PUWER inspection and testing explains the record keeping in full.

What does the spray booth need?

A thorough examination and test of the LEV at least every 14 months by a competent person, benchmarked to HSG258, with the report kept for five years. Airflow that feels fine at the gun can still fail containment at the face.

Can you do everything in one visit?

Yes. LOLER, PUWER, PSSR and LEV examinations are scheduled together wherever the estate allows, which is usually the cheapest and least disruptive way to run a workshop compliance calendar.

Book statutory inspections for your Garages & MOT Centres operation

0330 043 8191 Request a quote