What this guidebook covers
Since the 2016 sentencing guidelines, UK courts set health and safety fines by company turnover and culpability, with no upper limit. HSE also charges a Fee for Intervention when it finds a breach, and individuals, including directors, face up to 2 years in prison.
This guidebook covers 6 safety standards with 18 checkpoints across service bays, MOT bay, body shop and tyre bay: lifts, pits, isocyanate paints, written risk assessments, tyre, grinder and air equipment, and RIDDOR reporting.
The 6 workshop safety standards
| Code | Standard | Ideal fix time |
|---|---|---|
| HSE-01 | Vehicle lifts examined and used safely | Immediate |
| HSE-02 | Inspection pits guarded | 24 hours |
| HSE-03 | Isocyanate paints controlled (COSHH) | Immediate |
| HSE-04 | Written risk assessments | 7 days |
| HSE-05 | Tyre, grinder and air equipment safe | 24 hours |
| HSE-06 | Accidents reported (RIDDOR) | 7 days |
How to run a UK workshop health and safety audit, step by step
- Confirm what applies. List every bay (service, MOT, body shop, tyre) with its lifts, pits and equipment.
- Walk the site, standard by standard. Score each of the 18 checkpoints Pass, Fail or N/A. N/A only where the standard rules it out, with the reason recorded. Check each lift's thorough examination date and arm locks, pit barriers, and spray booth controls.
- Capture the evidence. A pass counts only with proof captured at the time of the audit: LOLER examination reports, COSHH assessments, risk assessments and the accident book.
- Give every fail an owner and a fix time. Record what you saw and who owns the fix. Each standard carries an ideal fix time, from immediate to 7 days, counted from audit submission (see the table above).
- Fix it, then prove it. The site fixes the cause and uploads proof of closure; the auditor checks the proof before closing the finding.
- Re-check at the next audit. Confirm closed findings stay closed, and look for the same fail at your other sites so one gap doesn't repeat across the network.
Who this guidebook is for
- Dealer principals
- Service and body shop managers
- Safety officers
- Auditors
A reference document, not legal advice. Fines and rules change: check the current text with the regulator or your legal adviser before acting.
