Coverage across East Sussex
From large town centres to quiet villages, entrances across East Sussex vary a great deal, and the right approach to safety inspections and risk assessments varies with them. A surgery door used by patients with walking frames needs different settings from a supermarket entrance, so the engineer looks at the actual door first. The towns we list in this area currently number 11.
Towns listed in East Sussex: Brighton, Eastbourne, Hastings, Hove, Bexhill-on-Sea, Hailsham, Seaford, Crowborough, Peacehaven, Uckfield, Lewes.
What to think about for safety inspections and risk assessments in East Sussex
- Schools and nurseries need particular care with finger traps at hinges and beside side screens, because children are more likely to put their hands into gaps.
- Glass leaves need safety glazing and visible markings. Faded or missing manifestation is a common finding, and one of the quickest and cheapest to put right.
- Power failure behaviour is easy to overlook. The inspection tests what the door does when the mains supply or battery fails, which matters most on escape routes.
- Older shopfronts and listed buildings in East Sussex may have narrow side screens and tight gaps that were thought acceptable when fitted. The report weighs what can reasonably be improved.
- Retail entrances in East Sussex with heavy footfall can have sensors knocked out of alignment over time. The inspection checks that detection still covers the full closing edge.
Safety inspections and risk assessments in East Sussex: guide prices
The visit price is agreed in writing before an engineer attends; parts and any further work are quoted before they are done. Guide price: typically £125 to £250 ex VAT.
| Item | Guide price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Safety inspection and risk assessment, existing door | £125 – £250 | per door, written report, ex VAT |
| Inspection added to a service visit | reduced | quoted with the service |
| Upgrades found by the inspection | quoted separately | see safety and compliance upgrades |
The inspection price is agreed in writing before the visit. Any upgrades the report recommends are quoted separately so you can plan them.
Standards and rules in England
Workplace law (the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992) expects powered doors to have suitable and effective features to stop them trapping anyone and, where needed for safety, to open by hand unless they open automatically if the power fails. Doors at work must also be kept in efficient working order under a suitable system of maintenance. HSE guidance on those regulations says the frequency of maintenance depends on the equipment and the manufacturer’s information.
No law sets a fixed service interval. We recommend that a trained engineer checks the safety functions at least once a year, with service intervals set by the manufacturer’s instructions and how heavily the door is used, and that someone on site carries out simple regular checks and keeps a record.
BS EN 16005 is the current standard for the safety in use of powered pedestrian doors, and BS 7036-0:2014 is the British code of practice for risk assessment and risk reduction used alongside it. Standards are not law in themselves, but they are the recognised benchmark for showing an automatic door is safe to use, and we set up, test and document doors with reference to them. Standards are not retrospective, so an older door does not become unlawful when a standard is updated; a site-specific risk assessment shows whether any upgrades are sensible.
How it works
- Explain the problem. Whether the door is stuck, slow, noisy or due its next check, a short description and a few photos tell us which kind of visit to book for safety inspections and risk assessments and what to bring.
- Visit cost agreed. You get the visit price in writing before we book the engineer. There are no hidden extras: parts and further work are always quoted separately and in advance.
- Engineer on site. The engineer inspects the operator, sensors, tracks and leaves, carries out the repair or service, and runs the door through its safety tests before it goes back into use.
- Follow-up quoted. You are sent a record of the visit. If something else needs attention, we quote it in writing; for doors on a service plan, the next visit date is noted on the record.
Ask for an inspection price for your site in East Sussex. Every door is assessed on its hazard zones, and upgrades are quoted separately if you want them.
Safety inspections and risk assessments in East Sussex: questions
Can an inspection in East Sussex be combined with a service?
Yes, and it often makes sense. The engineer services the door, then carries out the risk assessment while on site, which saves a second visit. The combined price is agreed in writing before the visit, and you receive both the service record and the inspection report.
What do you charge for safety inspections and risk assessments in East Sussex?
Our guide is £125 to £250 excluding VAT (per door), the same guide prices we use across the UK. We agree the visit price in writing before an engineer attends in East Sussex, and quote any parts or further work before doing them. The price guide lists typical repair and service costs.
How long will our door in East Sussex be out of use during the inspection?
Usually only for short periods while sensors are tested and the door is observed in different modes. A single door generally takes about an hour in total. For busy entrances the inspection can be planned for a quieter time, or one leaf tested at a time where the door allows it.
How often should doors in East Sussex be risk assessed?
There is no set legal frequency. Most owners assess each door once, then repeat the assessment when the door is altered, when the people using it change or after an incident. In between, regular servicing keeps the safety functions checked, which in our view should happen at least once a year.
Do you leave a written record after each visit in East Sussex?
Yes. Every visit ends with a written record of what was checked, what was done and anything that still needs attention. For safety inspections you receive a report of the findings and a site-specific risk assessment. Keeping these on file is the usual way to show that a workplace door is maintained and in good working order.
What if a door in East Sussex is found to be unsafe?
The engineer explains the problem and, where needed, leaves the door in a safe state, for example switched off or set so it cannot trap or strike anyone. You receive a written note of the issue. The repair or upgrade that would put it right is quoted before any further work is carried out.
Do businesses in East Sussex have to fit automatic doors?
No law says every building must have automatic doors. Under the Equality Act 2010, service providers and employers must make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, and building regulations guidance in England calls for a powered door where an entrance door would otherwise be too heavy to open. An automatic door is often the simplest way to meet both.