Why Annual Roller Shutter
Servicing Matters

The Case for Servicing in Plain English

A roller shutter is a mechanical system with moving parts that wear over time. Springs lose tension. Bearings wear. Guide channels accumulate debris. Lubrication dries out. Motor capacitors degrade. Any of these, left unaddressed, will eventually cause a failure.

The question is whether that failure happens at a convenient time, during a planned service visit when an engineer is already on site and the right parts are to hand, or at an inconvenient time, such as 11pm when your staff have left, your premises is exposed, and you need an emergency engineer within the hour.

Annual servicing is the difference between those two outcomes.

What Happens During a Service Visit

A standard service visit from Shutter Repairs Essex covers:

• Full visual inspection, curtain, slats, bottom rail, guide rails, hood, fastenings, and structural components
• Spring tension check and adjustment, springs that are losing tension place additional load on the motor; early detection prevents sudden failure
• Lubrication of all moving parts, guide rail channels, bearings, chains, pivots, and bottom rail guides
• Motor inspection and thermal check, identifying motors that are running hot, drawing excessive current, or showing signs of developing failure
• Limit switch check and calibration, ensuring the shutter stops correctly at open and closed positions
• Control system and remote test, wall panels, keypads, and remote handsets all tested
• Safety feature test, safety edges, photocells, and auto-reverse mechanisms where fitted
• Written service report, documenting all work done and any recommendations for your PUWER compliance records

The Financial Case

The numbers on servicing are straightforward. An annual service visit costs a fraction of an emergency repair, and an emergency repair costs a fraction of an emergency replacement. Regular servicing shifts the probability distribution firmly towards the least expensive outcome.

Beyond the direct cost comparison, consider the indirect costs of an unplanned shutter failure:

• Lost trading time for retail premises while the shutter is being fixed
• Disrupted logistics and production for industrial premises
• The premium associated with out-of-hours emergency attendance
• The cost of temporary security measures while waiting for parts
• Management time spent dealing with an emergency rather than running the business

The Legal Obligation

Under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER), commercial premises are legally required to maintain roller shutters in a safe and serviceable condition. Annual servicing by a competent engineer, with written records, is the standard way of demonstrating compliance with this obligation.

For a full explanation of your PUWER obligations, see our guide: Is Annual Roller Shutter Servicing a Legal Requirement?

What a Maintenance Contract Includes

Our maintenance contracts for Essex businesses cover:

• Scheduled service visits at the agreed frequency, annual or bi-annual
• Written PUWER-compliant service reports after every visit
• Priority emergency response between service visits, you are at the front of the queue
• Preferential rates on any repair work identified during or between service visits

Contracts are available for single premises and multi-site operations across Essex. We manage the scheduling, you do not need to remember to call us each year. Contact us to discuss a contract for your premises.

How Often Should My Shutter Be Serviced?

For most commercial premises in normal use, annual servicing meets PUWER requirements and is sufficient to maintain the shutter in reliable condition. For high-use shutters, particularly on industrial and logistics premises with 15 or more cycles per day, bi-annual servicing is strongly recommended. Our engineers will advise on the appropriate frequency for your specific shutter and usage pattern.