Roller shutter maintenance rules: what the law says

5 minute read. Last updated November 2026.

Is there a legal requirement to service a roller shutter?

Yes, for a workplace, though the law sets the duty and not an interval. Regulation 5 of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 says the workplace and its equipment, devices and systems must be maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair. Where appropriate, they must be subject to a suitable system of maintenance.

Regulation 5 covers equipment and devices where a fault is liable to break any of the Regulations. Regulation 18 sets the rules for doors and gates, so a shutter's safety devices are caught. HSE's Approved Code of Practice, L24, names powered doors among its examples of equipment that needs a maintenance system.

Regulation 18 requires	What keeps it true on a shutter
Upward-opening doors have a device to stop them falling back	Springs, brake or motor brake checked
Powered doors cannot trap people	Safety edge or detector tested
Powered doors can be opened by hand where necessary	Manual override checked, tool available

These regulations apply in Great Britain. In Northern Ireland the equivalent is the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1993. The Door and Hardware Federation (DHF) says the content is identical and that the GB code of practice is used there.

How often should a roller shutter be serviced?

As often as the maker's instructions and the shutter's use require, because no law gives a fixed interval. L24 says the frequency depends on the equipment and that manufacturers' instructions are a key source. Inspection and maintenance should be carried out by suitably competent people.

Be wary of anyone who tells you the law demands a set number of visits. It does not. Set your own interval using these points:

Read the maker's instructions. If you have none, ask the maker or installer.
Count the movements. A shop that trades six days a week makes 624 a year.
Consider the conditions: salt air, grit, wind and damp all speed up wear.
Think about who could be hurt. A shutter over a busy pavement needs more care.
Review it after each report. An engineer's findings may shorten or lengthen the interval.

DHF says the schedule should be based on the individual use of the shutter, carried out by a competent door engineer. If you have no maker's instructions to go on, ask the engineer to propose a schedule based on your use.

Who is responsible for maintaining a shop shutter?

The employer and anyone with control of the workplace are responsible, and that can include a tenant, a landlord or a managing agent. Under regulation 4, every employer must make sure workplaces under its control meet the requirements. Anyone with control to any extent must make sure the matters within that control comply.

L24 says landlords, owners and managing agents must make sure common parts and shared facilities within their control comply, and that tenants should co-operate with each other and the landlord. In practice:

Situation	Likely to be responsible	Check
Single shop on a full repairing lease	Tenant	Repair clause in the lease
Shutter serves a shared yard or arcade	Landlord or agent	Service charge terms
Shop with employees	Employer, as well as any landlord duty	Regulation 4
Owner-occupier	Owner	No one else to share it with

DHF also says owners and managers have a duty of care to anyone affected by doors and gates on their premises, which reaches customers and passers-by as well as staff.

What should a shutter service include?

A proper service tests the safety-critical parts and leaves you a written report. Our service and safety check has a fixed price of £145 plus VAT per shutter, and it covers:

A spring tension check.
A motor and limit check.
Guide and lath inspection.
Lubrication.
A safety brake test.
A written condition report.

DHF warns that fixings, springs, brakes, drive chains and wiring wear and corrode over time, and that failures have caused deaths and injuries. It says these parts must be accessible for inspection, through hatches or removable panels if they are boxed in. If an engineer cannot reach them, the safety of the shutter cannot be assured. So tell us if your box has no access panel.

BS EN 12453, the standard for the safety in use of power operated doors, expects systems to be safe, appropriately maintained and left in a safe condition after maintenance. DHF reports a grading used with HSE. A red finding means a safety-critical defect, and the maintenance company should not return the shutter to service. An amber finding means the shutter can go back into service only on the owner's instruction.

What can I check myself between services?

You can look and listen, but you should not adjust or open anything. A simple user check takes a minute as you open up.

You can check	Leave to an engineer
The curtain runs straight and smoothly	Springs and anything under tension
No bent, missing or lifting laths	Brakes and drive parts
Guides are clear of litter and grit	Limit settings
No new noises or jerking	Wiring and control boxes
The safety edge stops and reverses it, if the maker's instructions allow this test	Removing the box cover
The override tool is where it should be	Using force on a stuck curtain

Stop using a shutter that drops, sticks or runs crooked. Our fault guide sets out what to do next. Regulation 5 expects faults to be dealt with, and L24 says that where there is serious or imminent risk, action should be taken immediately to isolate and rectify the fault.

Do I need to keep shutter maintenance records?

L24 says a maintenance regime does not necessarily need to be documented, but you should keep records anyway. A file of dated reports is the simplest way to show you have a system, and your insurer may ask for it.

The cost of not having one is real. In a case reported by DHF in 2016, a worker was injured when a roller shutter failed at a warehouse in Scarborough. The employers were prosecuted and fined £30,000. Investigators found that repairs were made only when a fault occurred, with no planned maintenance and inspection.

Keep the maker's instructions and the installation details.
File each service report, with the date.
Record repairs and who carried them out.
Note the next service date in your diary.

Book a service through the contact page. It has a fixed price of £145 plus VAT per shutter. The free survey applies to new work and not to servicing.

Common questions

Is a yearly service a legal requirement?

No. The law requires a suitable system of maintenance where appropriate, and sets no fixed interval. The interval comes from the maker's instructions and how the shutter is used.

Does the rule apply to a shop with no employees?

The Workplace Regulations turn on employers and people in control of a workplace, and the self-employed have a limited exemption for their own work. Other duties of care can still apply. Take advice if unsure.

Can my handyman service the shutter?

L24 says the work should be carried out by suitably competent people. Springs and brakes need a trained door engineer.

Do manual shutters need servicing too?

Yes. Regulation 18 requires a device that stops an upward-opening door falling back, and regulation 5 means that device has to stay in working order.

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Roller shutter maintenance rules