When something goes wrong at work - an injury, a near miss that becomes an HSE visit, an insurance claim or a lawsuit - the first questions are always the same. Was the equipment checked? When? By whom? What did they find, and what was done about it? Good inspection records answer those questions in minutes. Missing or unreliable records leave managers exposed.
How health and safety fines are set
In England and Wales, courts sentencing health and safety offences follow the Sentencing Council's definitive guideline, which has applied since 1 February 2016. Fines are based on the organisation's turnover, the level of culpability and the seriousness of the harm risked.
The figures can be very large. For large organisations, the most serious offences have a starting point of £4 million, with a range up to £10 million. Small businesses with a turnover of £2m to £10m can face fines of up to £1.6 million, and micro businesses up to £450,000.
Culpability looks at how far the organisation fell short of the standards expected - including whether it had proper systems in place and whether they were actually followed.
Why records matter so much
Having a safety system is not enough on its own - you need to show it was working. Reliable records help in several ways:
- They show checks were really done - with dates, times and names, not a stack of identical ticks.
- They show defects were acted on - when a fault was reported, who was told, and when it was fixed.
- They protect individual managers - showing they put a system in place and monitored it.
- They support insurance claims and defence - insurers and solicitors will ask for them early.
- They are a legal requirement in many cases - for example, PUWER inspection results must be recorded and kept until the next inspection.
Records also protect frontline staff
Good records aren't just about protecting the company. When an operator reports a fault through a proper system - with a photo and a time-stamp - there is a clear record that they raised it. That beats mentioning it in passing to a supervisor, where it can easily be forgotten or lost in translation. Staff who know their reports are logged and acted on are more likely to report problems early.
What good evidence looks like
- Each check is linked to a specific asset
- It shows the person was physically at the asset
- It is time-stamped automatically, not handwritten
- Defects include notes and photos
- Reports are stored securely and can be found in seconds
- There is a record of every check - including the ones where nothing was wrong
Checkmate is built around exactly this. Checks are started by tapping a device fitted to the asset, so the record shows the inspector was there. Every check creates a report automatically, stored on the system and searchable by asset and date. When the question comes - 'was this checked before the incident?' - the answer is ready.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Speak to a qualified adviser about your specific situation.
Frequently asked questions
How are health and safety fines calculated in the UK?
In England and Wales, courts follow the Sentencing Council guideline, which sets fines based on the organisation's turnover, its level of culpability and the seriousness of harm risked.
Can good records reduce a health and safety fine?
Culpability depends on how far an organisation fell short of expected standards. Records showing a working system of checks and prompt action on defects are important evidence of the standards an organisation actually met.
How long should inspection records be kept?
Under PUWER, inspection results must be kept at least until the next inspection is recorded, but many businesses keep records much longer in case of later claims. Take advice on retention for your sector.