Reviewed by David Barber, Specialist Practitioner in Occupational Health. Last updated: September 2026. This guide explains what HSE is checking in the motor vehicle repair sector, which health surveillance garages and body-shops may need, and how isocyanate biological monitoring works.
BOOK A FREE 30-MIN REVIEWA programme of 1,000 targeted inspections was launched in September 2025, focusing on businesses using isocyanate-containing paints.
Inspectors are checking long-standing requirements under COSHH and the noise and vibration regulations.
Not every garage needs every test. It is required where employees are exposed to hazards at levels that put their health at risk.
Paint sprayers exposed to isocyanates need respiratory health surveillance and skin checks, and HSE recommends an annual urine test (biological monitoring).
COSHH health surveillance records must be kept for at least 40 years.
In September 2025, HSE launched 1,000 targeted inspections of motor vehicle repair businesses across Great Britain. The campaign focuses on workplaces using isocyanate-containing paints and coatings, which HSE identifies as the leading cause of occupational asthma in the UK. Many skilled paint sprayers develop the condition each year and have to leave the trade permanently.
Inspectors are assessing compliance with COSHH. They want to see that exposure to isocyanates is being prevented or adequately controlled, that controls such as spray booths and air-fed breathing apparatus are working, and that this is being checked through health surveillance and biological monitoring.
Enforcement is already taking place. During 2026, HSE has served Improvement Notices on vehicle body repair businesses for failing to place employees exposed to isocyanates under suitable health surveillance.
No. There is no new legislation. The duties HSE is checking have applied for many years under:
What has changed is the level of scrutiny. A business that has not reviewed its health surveillance for some time may find gaps that were always there but are now far more likely to be noticed.
Health surveillance is a programme of regular health checks for employees exposed to specific workplace hazards. Its purpose is to detect early signs of work-related ill health, such as hearing loss, HAVS, dermatitis or occupational asthma, so action can be taken before the condition becomes serious or permanent.
It also tells you whether your controls are working. If a worker's hearing, lung function or skin starts to change, that is a signal to look again at how exposure is being managed. Health surveillance supports your controls. It never replaces them.
No. Health surveillance is required where your risk assessment shows that employees are exposed to a hazard at a level that creates a risk to their health, and where there is a valid way of detecting the effect. In practice, many garages will need some surveillance, but the type and scope depend on the work being done.
A small MOT centre with occasional air tool use has very different needs from an accident repair centre spraying 2K paints every day. The right starting point is always an accurate risk assessment.
Garage and bodyshop health risks, and the surveillance that may apply.
A guide, not a checklist. What your business needs depends on your risk assessment and the exposures your employees actually have.
2K paints, clearcoats and hardeners in bodyshops
Respiratory surveillance, skin checks and annual urine testing
Sanding, welding and cutting, brake work, exhaust
Spirometry (lung function) where indicated
Road tests, vehicle movement, recovery, HGV work
Vision tests, driver and safety-critical medicals
Isocyanates are respiratory sensitisers. Breathing in isocyanate paint mist can cause occupational asthma, and skin contact can cause dermatitis and may contribute to sensitisation. Once someone is sensitised, even tiny exposures can trigger a severe asthma attack, which usually means they can no longer work with these products.
HSE expects workers exposed to isocyanates to receive a baseline assessment before they start, followed by a health questionnaire and lung function test (spirometry) carried out by a competent person at least once a year. Regular skin checks should look for signs of dermatitis. HSE's guidance on surveillance for occupational asthma also advises closer checks in the early period of exposure, when sensitisation is more likely to develop.
Biological monitoring for isocyanates is a urine test that measures breakdown products of isocyanate in the body. HSE describes it as the most practical and cost-effective way to measure a paint sprayer's exposure. It shows whether isocyanate is getting past your controls, whether through the lungs or the skin.
Biological monitoring does not tell you anything about a person's health. It tells you about exposure. That is why HSE expects health surveillance and biological monitoring to work alongside each other.
Audiometry is required where employees are regularly exposed above the upper exposure action values (a daily or weekly exposure of 85 dB(A), or a peak of 137 dB(C)), or where they are otherwise at risk, for example because they already have hearing damage. It normally involves a baseline test followed by regular checks, typically annually for the first two years and then every three years, unless results suggest more frequent testing is needed.
HAVS surveillance is required where employees are likely to be regularly exposed above the exposure action value of 2.5 m/s² A(8), or are considered at risk for another reason. HSE recommends a tiered approach: an initial questionnaire, then an annual questionnaire, with referral to a qualified occupational health professional and, if needed, a doctor where symptoms are reported. Early detection means work can be adjusted before the condition progresses.
Mechanics are frequently in contact with used engine oil, fuels, solvents and degreasers, as well as wet work and repeated hand washing. Where there is a reasonable likelihood of dermatitis, skin surveillance should be in place. This usually combines regular self-checks by trained employees with periodic checks by a responsible or qualified person.
Where employees rely on tight-fitting respiratory protective equipment (RPE), such as disposable masks, half masks or full-face masks, each wearer should have a face-fit test to confirm the mask seals properly. This includes some sanding and mixing tasks in body-shops. Loose-fitting air-fed hoods do not need a face-fit test, but must still be suitable, maintained and worn correctly.
Technicians who road test vehicles, move customer cars or work on HGVs may carry out safety-critical tasks. Vision testing, driver medicals (including HGV medicals for those who need a vocational licence) and drug and alcohol testing help employers manage these risks. Drug and alcohol testing is not usually a legal requirement for garages, but many businesses include it in a clear, fairly applied policy.
Every inspection is different, but garages should be ready to show:
Health surveillance only protects your workforce, and your business, if it is done properly. In July 2026, HSE took enforcement action for the first time against an occupational health service provider, after finding that health surveillance was being delivered by personnel who were inadequately trained and unsupervised.
When choosing a provider, check that:
David Barber (OH) Ltd is a SEQOHS-accredited occupational health provider based in Shardlow, Derby. We work with garages, MOT centres, dealerships, body-shops and commercial vehicle workshops across Derby and Derbyshire to:
Find out more about occupational health for garages and body-shops in Derby.
This guide is general information to help employers understand their responsibilities. The surveillance that applies to your business depends on your own risk assessment and workplace exposures.
Book a free, no-obligation 30-minute review. We will talk through the work your team does, look at your risk and COSHH assessments, and help you put a proportionate programme in place, on site, across Derby and Derbyshire. Prefer to talk? Call 01332 318978.
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