We’ve worked alongside the NFU Mutual for more than 20 years, completing the most thorough machinery and equipment inspections for you, their customers. And we’re here to help you get ready for a long and successful 2021 holiday season…

Get ready…

After so many months of upheaval across the world, it’s important for you in the hospitality industry that you’re ready for a much-anticipated return to something more along the lines of ‘normality’.  With so much recent disruption, making sure you can hit the ground running when you open the doors again is absolutely crucial.   And it’s our job at VIS to help make sure you can do just that.

Staying safe

Helping keep you and your customers safe will always be our top priority. Industrial safety can be a matter of life or death and we all know if can’t be left to chance.   If your coffee boiler has missed an inspection and is no longer fit for purpose, but you don’t know this to be the case because of the missed examination report, for example, continuing to use it without the necessary repair work could have catastrophic results.  Maintaining a thorough schedule of examinations, however, will help keep your people and your customers safe and your business operational.

… and legally compliant

Right from the start of the COVID crisis, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) issued guidance making it clear that the requirements of the regulations would continue to apply.  As a result, it has remained vital that your equipment has been (and continues to be) maintained and inspected at all times.  Whether you’ve been closed for most of the Covid-19 period or you’re operating in a different capacity than you’re used to, meeting your inspection deadlines has remained a legal requirement.

And with a Government road map that now clearly directs us through to the end of these challenges, it’s especially important that your business is safe and good to go.

Keeping disruption to a minimum

Machinery failures could have a knock-on effect on business performance too.  If a piece of equipment is found to have defect, it could be taken out of operation immediately, which could impact your business in many ways.  Whether it delays your productivity or means you can’t provide the same level of service for your customers, taking your machinery out of use while waiting to be repaired, or even replaced, could cause avoidable chaos and disruption.

Are you good to go?

We know that the idea of re-opening your business after a period of closure or reduced activity is exciting all round and it’s important to make sure that this goes to plan.  Ensuring your machinery is good to go to is key.  The last thing you need is a failing coffee machine or an out of service lift just days after you’ve welcomed your customers back!  On top of disruption and downtime, this could be bad for your brand and reputation.

Additional risk after a period of downtime

When it comes to re-opening after a period of downtime, it isn’t just a case of simply switching things back on.  The HSE recently issued guidance on the safe re-starting of pressure equipment after a period of downtime.  Whether it’s your café steam boiler or industrial refrigerator, if you’re in the hospitality sector, it’s likely you’ll be re-starting equipment of this nature and if it isn’t done properly, the results could be devastating.

Read the HSE guidance here.

We’re here to share the load

Our team of specialists know everything there is to know about all of the relevant legislation, so you don’t have to,

And what’s more, we’ll plan your inspections around you and your business.  We’ll work with you to avoid your busiest times, such as the lunch time rush if that’s your preference, and we’ll never take your machinery out of service to complete an inspection when you need it most.

We understand the challenges of Covid-19 have taken a toll on many businesses and it’s our job to help keep your machinery (and business) operational regardless of the circumstances.  We’re Type A accredited meaning you’ll get the very best service and technical competency from our people, giving you the peace of mind that we’ve got your inspections covered – one less thing to worry about in

On top of that, if you’re overwhelmed by the demands of re-starting your business and don’t know where to start when it comes to your pressure systems, we’re here to help, simply get in touch for more information.

A bit more about the relevant legislation

Here’s a quick overview if you’d like to know a bit more about the legislation most likely to impact your machinery and equipment in the hospitality industry. 

• The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) are in place to ensure that all lifting equipment is used in a safe manner. Any business or organisation whose employees operate lifting equipment on the job are required to comply to these regulations, which come under the Health and Safety at Work Act. For you this could include passenger lifts, good lifts, window cleaning hoists, forklift trucks and much more.
• The Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 (PSSR) cover the safe design and use of pressure systems. The aim of PSSRis to prevent serious injury from the hazard of stored energy (pressure) as a result of the failure of a pressure system or one of its component parts.  This includes steam plant such as coffee boilers, hot water and heating systems if over 100 degrees C operating pressure and industrial refrigerators etc.

What’s more, you can’t carry out your own inspections, even if you think you’re up to the job.  The guidance makes it clear that these statutory examinations much be completed by an independent, competent person.  In addition, for certain items of pressure and steam plant the equipment would need to be dismantled and prepared for our engineer surveyor to undertake a thorough examination.

Leave nothing to chance with Vulcan Inspection Services.