Building a facilities statutory inspection evidence pack

A facilities manager may hold certificates for lifts, pressure systems and work equipment but still be unable to show which asset each report covers or what happened to a dangerous defect. An evidence pack should connect the asset, applicable examination or inspection requirement, competent report, action and operational decision. It is not a folder of PDFs labelled “compliant.”

This guide concerns facilities in Great Britain. Different equipment and premises have different legal regimes; use the competent person's report and the applicable current rule for each asset. The HSE's LOLER guidance describes thorough examination and defect reports for lifting equipment. HSE pressure-system guidance describes written schemes of examination where PSSR applies. This page owns evidence collation and exception control, not a technical examination or a universal statutory calendar.

Start with the asset inventory

Identify each asset by location, unique number, type, owner or user and operational status. Match the inventory with floor plans and the equipment actually present. A report for “lift 2” is difficult to trust if the site has two lifts with changed labels. Where a contractor supplies or maintains equipment, establish who holds the source records and who has duties under the relevant arrangement. Do not assume a maintenance contract transfers every legal duty to the supplier.

Record the applicable examination, inspection or test category for each item and the source for that classification. A routine service visit, operator pre-use check and statutory thorough examination are different evidence. HSE notes that inspection of work equipment under PUWER addresses deterioration and that the result should be recorded where relevant. A generic “annual inspection” label is too crude for a mixed facilities estate.

Collect source reports, not status summaries

For each asset, retain the current competent report or certificate, date, scope, observations, defects, next due point and examiner identity. Link earlier reports where they explain an open defect or repair. Check whether the report names the right asset and location and whether its scope covers the current configuration. If a system was modified, ask whether the earlier examination remains applicable.

The HSE's lifting-equipment guidance says a thorough-examination report has specified information, including the date, next examination due and dangerous defects. It also distinguishes defects requiring immediate action from others with a stated time to remedy. A facilities pack should expose those distinctions, not present every report as a green certificate. The same principle applies to other systems, but their exact report requirements differ.

Record the response to defects

For each adverse finding, show the interim control, who was told, work order, competent assessment, repair or other action, verification and return-to-use decision. A serious defect may require an immediate restriction; follow the examiner's instructions and applicable law. Keep the chronology. If a repair contractor closes its job, the facilities manager still needs to know whether a competent recheck or examination is required before use.

Avoid replacing the original adverse report with a later clean one and losing the response trail. An auditor may need to see when the organisation learned of the issue and how it prevented unsafe use. If a defect recurs, link it to the earlier event and review whether the maintenance approach needs changing.

Show the written scheme and maintenance context

Where PSSR applies, link the written scheme of examination to the asset, competent-person examination and resulting report. HSE guidance for pressure-system users describes the scheme's role. Do not label every boiler or vessel as covered without checking whether the system meets the relevant definitions and how it is used. Ask a competent specialist where classification is uncertain.

Include maintenance records where they explain current condition, but keep them separate from statutory examination evidence. A servicing invoice may support the history while not replacing an examination report. For lifting equipment, the competent examiner's findings and any reporting obligations should be handled under the actual LOLER rules rather than a generic document-upload workflow.

Make the pack retrievable and current

Structure the pack by site and asset with a summary index that links to original records. The index should show the latest verified status, outstanding action and owner. Keep controlled access, especially where records reveal building vulnerabilities or personal information. Test retrieval from a colleague who did not assemble the pack. If they cannot find the source report or tell which version is current, the pack is not ready for an audit or an emergency handover.

Agree a review point after an asset is added, moved, modified, sold or retired. A new tenant or facilities contractor may change who has access to the evidence. At handover, transfer the open defect queue as well as the PDFs. A dashboard can say “all documents uploaded” while critical actions remain open; report those separately.

Worked example: a passenger lift report

A building's passenger lift has a recent thorough-examination report with a defect that the examiner says must be remedied by a stated time. The facilities manager indexes the report against the lift, records the restriction or action specified, notifies the maintenance contractor and assigns an owner for the deadline. The contractor reports its work. The manager then checks whether the competent examiner or another authorised person must verify the result under the circumstances before the item is treated as closed. The record links the initial report, work, verification and operational decision.

The example is about evidence continuity, not advice that every lift defect has the same deadline or remedy. The actual examiner report and current regulation control the case. If a second report is issued, keep the first as part of the history.

For a current-product discussion, see how Complys works and ask for a demonstration of asset-linked reports, human-owned defects and controlled access. This page does not claim Complys performs statutory examinations, identifies legal intervals or certifies return to use.