Servicing and maintaining roller shutters are a requirement for HSE compliance. Legislation sets the maximum intervals at which a business should book servicing for any mechanical doors, and insurance policies often include these as conditions. Other factors such as frequency of use, location and size will affect how often to service roller shutter doors.

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Roller Shutter Door Maintenance

Regular Servicing Is Essential

Regular maintenance is the best way to prevent breakdowns and unscheduled downtime. In car park shutters, a malfunction due to a lack of servicing is often related to corrosion or extreme misalignment, and these require expensive repair work and new parts. Added to the potential income lost by having a door out of order, it is best to avoid this type of problem.

If misalignment, corrosion, or damaged parts are not noticed at a service, shutters can even collapse during daily operations. A total collapse poses a health and safety risk to both staff and customers, for which the owner is liable.

Our emergency repairs are often needed for warehouse or car park roller shutters that haven’t been serviced in years. These cases often need major repair work to return them to a functional state, which is a lot more expensive than the cost of servicing would have been. It’s also more time-consuming.

Car park roller shutter doors are considered workplace equipment, and legislation comes under ‘PUWER’ and Workplace Regulation 1992: Maintenance of Equipment, Devices and Systems, which says equipment, including powered shutters, ‘shall be maintained (including cleaned as appropriate) in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair.’

How Often Should You Service Automatic Shutters?

According to HSE, all mechanical doors and their corresponding parts require inspection at least once every 12 months. Owners are also required to obtain and keep paperwork, signed by the authorised professional, as a record of inspection.

Annual inspections are the absolute minimum, as a lot can happen in a year, and acting on the results of these inspections is important to keep your doors in good working order.

Shutter Maintenance Best Practices

As industrial door professionals, we carefully consider the best ways to reduce the risk of failure and malfunction in all types of doors.

Powered roller shutters should receive a service every 6 months.
In many cases, automatic car park shutters are used year-round, multiple times a day. Even just on weekdays, this could add up to 1000 uses in just six months. The resulting strain on unlubricated or misaligned parts can have a big effect in a short time. We recommend keeping a frequent maintenance schedule to catch any issues before they escalate.

Manual roller shutters should be serviced at least once a year.
Unpowered shutters have fewer safeguards and electrical parts to inspect, and the manual process of opening and closing means you are more likely to pick up on misalignment, friction, or other issues immediately. Therefore, a full service once every 12 months is fine, as long as there is ongoing maintenance for minor issues.

Other Considerations

Certain situations increase the likelihood of rapid deterioration, and shutters under extreme stress should have more frequent servicing, such as every 4 months.

Roller shutters in exposed positions get the brunt of harsh weather and strong winds. They are likely to deteriorate more quickly than those in dry, indoor areas or under awnings. These will therefore need more frequent inspection and servicing.

Consider how frequently the shutters are used. Car park roller shutters, for example, in a private building will be used consistently throughout the day and night. Components are likely to deteriorate more quickly than shop front shutters, or those only used at the beginning and end of the day.

If you notice an issue that requires attention, contact a professional for shutter door repair.

What’s Included in a Typical Service Visit?

Shop and car park roller shutters must be serviced by a qualified engineer every six months.
A service should include:

• Lubrication of moving parts, e.g. gears, rollers, hinges and guides.
• Checking and adjusting spring and cable tension
• Checking fixings and alignment
• Inspecting safety brakes and anti-fall devices
• Testing controls, including manual controls, limit switches and emergency releases
• Cleaning sensors to ensure they function correctly
• Inspecting the structural integrity of door panels, guides, and rollers
• Inspecting motors, gears, controls and electrical components
• Checking functionality of safety features, e.g. motion sensors and emergency stop controls
• Checking for wear and tear of load-bearing components

Signs Your Shutters Might Need Immediate Attention

Aside from scheduled services, a qualified engineer is the best person to carry out car park shutter repair. You should get in touch with a professional immediately if you notice any of the following:

• Unusual noises or vibrations
• Slow or jerky operation
• Delayed opening/closing response
• Visible signs of damage or corrosion
• Shutters not opening fully or failing to close properly

Professional Shutter Maintenance You Can Rely On

We provide maintenance for automatic roller shutters to a wide variety of clients, as well as 24-hour emergency shutter repairs. Our experienced team of technicians are authorised professionals for servicing roller shutters and provide thorough inspections, improving safety and compliance where these doors are installed.

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