An engineering inspection is a systematic, thorough examination of your plant, machinery and work equipment, conducted by a technically competent inspection engineer.

The core objective of an engineering inspection is to ensure that your equipment complies with its relevant regulatory requirements under UK and and Republic of Ireland legislation, dictated by bodies such as the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) and the Health & Safety Authority (HSA). These inspection services help ensure:

• Equipment is operating safely against industry standards
• Any potential defects, risks or weaknesses are found and reported
• Defects are addressed promptly and cost-effectively
• Employees feel confident and secure about using work equipment
• Accidents or unforeseen breakdowns are kept to a minimum

If you have equipment which requires statutory engineering inspections, we offer a regular service to make sure you always meet your legal obligations, locating any faults or defects which could pose a risk to your employees, customers and operations.

Yes, statutory engineering inspections are a legal requirement in order to operate many types of machinery, plant and work equipment – particularly if it could be dangerous to the health and wellbeing of your people and otherwise impact your business. 

Non-compliance can lead to serious consequences, from significant fines to potentially even prosecution and imprisonment. Scheduling regular inspections with us can help give you peace of mind that your business is legally compliant and helps maintain health and safety in the workplace.

At Allianz Engineering Inspection Services, we offer a range of statutory engineering inspections for different categories of plant, machinery and equipment:

• Lifts, lifting equipment and accessories (under LOLER, PUWER and Work at Height Regulations (WAHR))
• Pressure systems (under PSSR and PUWER regulations)
• Electrical installations, EV charging points and Solar PV stations (under EAWR and PUWER regulations)
• Power presses (under PUWER regulations)
• Local exhaust ventilation (LEV) systems (under COSHH regulations)

Alongside our plant, machinery and equipment inspection services, we also provide numerous other engineering services, including specialist inspections, testing, audit, training and adjacency services.

We deliver bespoke insight, solutions and risk management strategies to optimise the safe, compliant use of your equipment for the long term.

When you choose our Inspection Services, you're putting the compliance of your plant, machinery and equipment in the hands of one of the largest independent inspection provider in the UK and Ireland. With over a century of specialist experience and a dedication to Engineering Excellence, we’ve got you covered.

• We deliver nationwide support, with engineer surveyors based across the country
• Our carefully selected and trained workforce is accredited by, certified by and members of leading British engineering organisations, including RoSPA, SAFed, LRQA, UKAS and NICEIC
• Our reputation is trusted by over 34,000 customers across multiple industries and sectors
• Our inspection reports can be compiled on-site, meaning our customers receive our recommendations as soon as possible

We'll provide you with ample notice and inform you of any necessary preparations before our engineering inspection services.

Plant, machinery and equipment should not be used if their inspection is overdue. Operating without a valid inspection can constitute a breach of regulation. If the inspection is overdue, the equipment must be taken out of service until the examination is completed.

In exceptional circumstances, a competent person may allow short-term continued use if a formal risk assessment and justification are documented beforehand. This usually only applies in emergencies with proper oversight.

An inspection engineer evaluates the safety, condition and regulatory compliance of plant, machinery and equipment.

Our engineer surveyors are trained to national industry standards and have all the necessary qualifications to conduct these high-level inspections.

We're proud to have one of the largest independent network of engineer surveyors in the UK and Ireland, with over 750 engineer surveyors employed across the country.

As experts in all aspects of health and safety legislation and engineering inspections, we ensure our engineer surveyors are properly trained and and authorised by Allianz, who in turn:

• Is accredited by UKAS to ISO 17020 as a ‘Type A’ inspection body
• Is certified by LRQA to ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety)
• Are members of RoSPA (The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents)
• Ensure engineer surveyors hold a SAFed passport – a certification of competence

Through these accreditations and our consistent training and professional development practices, our engineer surveyors represent the highest standards of technical competence and attention to detail.

If a defect is found with your work equipment, your engineer surveyor will:

• Explain the situation to a member of your team at the time of examination
• Leave a handwritten emergency report, detailing the defect and providing clear instructions on what actions you need to take
• Provide a detailed report of examination, clearly stating the identified defects
• Send a copy of the report to the relevant enforcement authority (if required)

There is no requirement to re-inspect items of plant or equipment once a defect has been repaired, but the owner/operator/duty holder should retain all documented evidence to demonstrate the repair has been completed to the required industry standard.

With local engineer surveyors based across the UK and Ireland, we can deliver engineering inspections to sites anywhere in the country.

We pride ourselves on delivering nationwide inspection services, and regularly transport engineer surveyors from the UK mainland to other offshore islands to complete thorough examinations of our customers’ plant, machinery and equipment.

Your dedicated engineer surveyor should make contact with you to arrange your inspection as they manage their own diaries. If not, you have access to your last report, which includes the engineer surveyor’s contact details.

Our working hours are 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday (not including public and local holidays).

We understand that there may be instances where you require inspections to be conducted outside of our core hours. In these instances, simply inform your engineer surveyor, and they will support you in finding an alternative time and provide the additional out-of-hours rates to ensure complete transparency on costs.

While engineering inspection reports will vary based on the specific regulations and type of equipment inspected, they will typically include:

• Inspection date(s) and time(s)
• Reason for inspection
• Scope of work
• Applicable standards or regulations
• Inspection methods used
• Tools and equipment used
• Condition of components with clear descriptions
• Defect descriptions
• Summary of condition
• Recommended actions

The contact details of the engineer surveyor who conducted the examination can be found at the bottom of your inspection report.

Under certain regulations, we have a legal responsibility to notify the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), Health & Safety Authority (HSA) or other relevant local enforcement Authorities of dangerous defects that could cause harm to people.

These regulations are:

• Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER)
• Pressure Systems and Safety Regulations (PSSR 2000)
• Use of Work Equipment Regulations (Regulation 32 PUWER).
  
  

Engineering inspection insurance combines insurance protection with statutory inspections to help ensure your equipment complies with legal requirements.

As  one of the world’s largest and most trusted insurance provider, Allianz offers the convenience of arranging your engineering inspection and insurance services simultaneously, but please note that this can only be done through a broker to ensure the best service and support.

Yes, we work with professional brokers other intermediaries who wish to connect their customers with our engineering inspection services and bespoke additional engineering solutions. To find a broker, please visit the  British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA)

If you are a broker who wants to reach out to our team, please visit our dedicated inspection broker webpage.