Covering Kirkwall and nearby
We cover the whole of the KW15 postcode district, along with nearby towns in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles. You book each visit for safety inspections and risk assessments directly with us, and a specialist automatic door engineer working under our management travels to your site on the agreed date.
Island addresses such as Kirkwall need more planning than the mainland. Photos, measurements and door details are gathered in advance, so that a survey and a later installation, or a repair visit, can each be done in as few trips as possible.
Nearby towns we also list for safety inspections and risk assessments (straight-line distance): Stromness (12.1 miles).
What to think about for safety inspections and risk assessments in Kirkwall
- Older shopfronts and listed buildings in Kirkwall may have narrow side screens and tight gaps that were thought acceptable when fitted. The report weighs what can reasonably be improved.
- Shared entrances in office blocks and business parks in Kirkwall may serve several tenants. Agree who holds the report and who pays for upgrades before booking.
- If the use of a building has changed, for example a unit in Kirkwall that has become a clinic or a gym, the door's original set-up may no longer suit its users.
- 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.
- Insurers sometimes ask for inspection reports at renewal. Booking the inspection well before the renewal date gives you time to act on any high-priority findings first.
Safety inspections and risk assessments in Kirkwall: guide prices
The visit price is agreed in writing before an engineer attends; parts and any further work are quoted before they are done. For island addresses, travel is included in the agreed visit price. 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 Scotland
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.
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
- Report the fault or service. Let us know whether the door has failed, is behaving oddly or is simply due a service or safety inspection. A short video of the problem helps the engineer prepare for the visit.
- Agree the price first. Before anyone travels to Kirkwall, the visit price is set out in writing. It is based on the door type, the work requested and the location, so you know the cost in advance.
- Diagnose, repair, test. On site, the engineer finds the cause and puts it right where the parts are to hand, or completes the planned service. Sensors, safety functions and emergency behaviour are checked before the door returns to use.
- Paperwork and next steps. A written record of the visit is left with you or sent afterwards. If parts must be ordered or more work is advisable, it is quoted separately and only goes ahead once you accept.
Start with a clear picture of your automatic doors in Kirkwall. Arrange an inspection and receive ranked findings you can plan and budget around.
Safety inspections and risk assessments in Kirkwall: questions
Can an inspection in Kirkwall 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.
Is there a guide price for safety inspections and risk assessments in Kirkwall?
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 Kirkwall, and quote any parts or further work before doing them. The price guide lists typical repair and service costs.
Our insurer in Kirkwall has asked for a risk assessment. Is this what they mean?
Most likely. Insurers usually want a documented, site-specific risk assessment of the door by a competent person, along with service records. Check their exact wording and send it to us. Our report covers the door's hazard zones, test results and recommended actions, which is what most insurers expect to see.
How often should doors in Kirkwall 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.
How often should automatic doors in Kirkwall be serviced?
No law sets a fixed interval. We recommend 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; busy doors are often serviced more often. Site staff should also carry out simple regular checks and keep a record of them.
Can visits in Kirkwall be arranged outside working hours?
Yes, where the site needs it. Early-morning, evening and weekend visits can be arranged for shops, surgeries and offices that cannot lose their entrance during the day. Any difference in price for out-of-hours attendance is agreed in writing before the visit is booked, alongside the standard visit price.
Is a building warrant needed for a new automatic entrance in Kirkwall?
Often, yes. Most building work in Scotland needs a building warrant before it starts, and the non-domestic Technical Handbook sets out what an accessible entrance should provide, including a clear opening of at least 800 mm. We tell you at the survey if your job is likely to need one.