Every motor vehicle repair garage must have suitable health and safety documentation in place to meet legal duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

This usually includes a written health and safety policy (if you employ five or more people), a motor vehicle repair garage risk assessment, fire risk assessment, and COSHH risk assessments for substances like fuels, lubricants, and cleaning agents. Using ready-made documents such as our Motor Vehicle Repair Garage Health and Safety Template Bundle makes compliance easier while ensuring nothing important is missed.

Your motor vehicle repair garage risk assessment must identify all significant hazards that could harm staff, customers, contractors, or delivery drivers.

Key hazards include working beneath raised vehicles, slips and trips, fire risks from fuels and flammable liquids, noise exposure, exhaust fumes, manual handling, and electrical hazards including electric vehicles. Our Motor Vehicle Repair Garage Risk Assessment Template provides pre-filled, industry-specific risks and controls so you can meet your obligations quickly and confidently.

A risk assessment for a car repair garage must identify hazards, who could be harmed, the level of risk, and the controls you will put in place.

The process involves walking through your workshop, listing hazards such as vehicle lifts, power tools, exhaust fumes, COSHH substances, slips and trips, fire hazards, and manual handling. You must then record how these risks will be controlled, who is responsible, and keep the document up to date. To save time, our Motor Vehicle Repair Garage Risk Assessment Template comes pre-filled with industry-specific hazards and example controls, making it easier to create a compliant, professional document tailored to your business.

Yes. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, all businesses must carry out a fire risk assessment.

Motor vehicle repair garages face particular fire hazards from fuel, oils, solvents, and electrical equipment. Our Fire Risk Assessment Template & Essential Fire Safety Template Bundle help ensure you identify and control risks such as fuel storage, ignition sources, and evacuation procedures, keeping both staff and customers safe.

Garages work with many hazardous substances that fall under COSHH, including solvent degreasers, lubricants, fuels, cleaning agents, and exhaust emissions.

Employers must carry out COSHH risk assessments for substances they use and provide appropriate PPE, ventilation, and training. Our ready-to-use COSHH Risk Assessments are tailored for common chemicals and substances, helping you meet your legal duties while protecting staff health.

Motor vehicle repair garages with five or more staff must have a written health and safety policy, even sole traders are strongly advised to have one.

A health and safety policy outlines how you will manage health and safety within your organisation. While it’s a legal requirement for larger garages, smaller independent workshops also benefit, as it shows professionalism and a clear commitment to staff and customer safety. Our Health and Safety Policy Template is ready to edit, and pre-filled examples are included making it simple to tailor to your garage and stay compliant without the stress.

Electric and hybrid vehicles present high-voltage risks that can cause serious injury or death.

Only trained and competent staff should work on these vehicles, and specific risk assessments may be needed for battery isolation, high-voltage tools, and storage of damaged batteries. Our Motor Vehicle Repair Garage Risk Assessment Template includes controls for EV and hybrid vehicles, helping you comply with safety requirements in a fast-changing industry.

Risk assessments should be reviewed regularly and updated if there are significant changes.

As a general rule, you should review your motor vehicle repair garage risk assessment at least annually, or sooner if new equipment, processes, or legislation are introduced. Using editable templates such as our Motor Vehicle Repair Garage Risk Assessment Template makes it quick and straightforward to update your documents whenever required.

Garage staff should receive health and safety induction training plus task-specific training.

This may include manual handling, safe use of vehicle lifts, working at height, fire safety, noise awareness, and COSHH awareness. Many of the documents required are included in our Motor Vehicle Repair Garage Health and Safety Template Bundle — ensuring consistency and compliance with HSE requirements.

Keeping accurate, up-to-date documentation is the key to demonstrating compliance.

Risk assessments, policies, COSHH assessments, and fire safety documents must all be recorded, reviewed, and made available to inspectors if requested. Once tailored to your business, professional documents — such as the range of templates included in our Motor Vehicle Repair Garage Health and Safety Template Bundle — provide clear evidence of compliance and reduce the risk of fines or enforcement action.

Non-compliance can lead to heavy fines, prosecution, or even closure of the business.

If an accident occurs and you cannot demonstrate that risks were assessed and controlled, your business could face unlimited fines, director liability, and reputational damage. Investing in professional documents — like a Motor Vehicle Repair Garage Risk Assessment Template or Fire Risk Assessment Template — is a cost-effective way to protect your staff, your customers, and your business.