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Visitor attractions
Fairground ride inspection is the system of design review, testing and annual examination that shows an amusement device is safe to carry members of the public. It matters for insurance because fair organisers and insurers commonly ask to see a current declaration of operational compliance, and running a ride outside its inspection can give an insurer grounds to question a claim, depending on the policy terms.
Part of: Visitor attraction insurance
In short
HSE’s guidance is HSG175, Fairgrounds and amusement parks: Guidance on safe practice (third edition, 2017). A new or safety-critically modified device goes through three pre-use inspections: design review, assessment of conformity to design and an initial test. After that it needs an in-service inspection at least every 12 months. The appointed inspection body issues a declaration of operational compliance (DOC) lasting no more than 12 months. ADIPS is the industry scheme, supported by HSE, that registers inspection bodies. Using it is not a legal obligation, but you must use a competent inspector. Insurance sits alongside the inspections and does not replace them.
Last reviewed 7 October 2026 by the Apex commercial team.
The duties are in general health and safety law. The detail of how to meet them is in HSE guidance.
HSG175 is guidance, not an Approved Code of Practice. HSE says following it is not compulsory, but if you do, you will normally be doing enough to comply with the law.
HSG175 sets out four types of inspection. Three happen before a device is first used in Great Britain, or after a safety-critical modification. The fourth repeats every year.
| Stage | When | What it checks |
|---|---|---|
| Design review | Before first use in GB, or after a safety-critical modification | That the safety-critical aspects of the design are sound in concept |
| Assessment of conformity to design (ACD) | Pre-use | That the device has been built to the reviewed design |
| Initial test | Pre-use | That the device performs according to its initial test schedule |
| In-service annual inspection | At least every 12 months, or sooner if the inspector specifies | The device’s continuing condition |
| Daily checks | Before the device opens each day | Carried out by competent people against the operations manual |
The DOC. The appointed inspection body issues a declaration of operational compliance once the pre-use inspections are confirmed in writing as satisfactorily completed. It lasts no longer than 12 months. HSG175 says it expires on the date the first of the individual reports listed on it expires, so different parts can fall due at different times.
Repairs. HSE says repairs should be done by someone competent, and where a safety feature is affected the repair must be reviewed by a competent design reviewer.
ADIPS, the Amusement Device Inspection Procedures Scheme, is the industry scheme built on the HSG175 system. HSG175 says it is administered by ADIPS Ltd on behalf of the Amusement Device Safety Council, and that ADIPS Ltd assesses, registers and controls inspection bodies.
HSG175 describes three HSE-recognised, industry-run schemes:
HSE’s page for ride controllers says it considers inspectors registered under ADIPS or PIPA competent for these inspections. If you use an inspector from outside those schemes, you may have to show how you assessed their competence. HSG175 is explicit that there is no legal obligation to use an inspector from any particular scheme. The legal requirement is a competent inspector.
These examples are illustrative, not real cases.
Inspection shows the ride was fit to run. Insurance pays when something goes wrong and you are legally liable, or your equipment is damaged, subject to the policy terms.
| Risk | Cover usually engaged | Where gaps appear |
|---|---|---|
| Rider or passer-by injured by a ride failure or operator error | Public liability | Rides not declared; conditions tied to current inspections; a limit lower than the organiser or landowner requires |
| Staff hurt during build-up, operation or pull-down | Employers’ liability, compulsory for most employers in Great Britain (Employers’ Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969, s.1) | Casual seasonal crew not declared; work at height |
| Injury or damage caused by a ride or part you designed, made, imported or sold | Product liability | Design advice may need professional indemnity; exports, especially to the US; recall costs usually need separate cover |
| Sudden mechanical or electrical breakdown | Engineering breakdown cover | Wear and tear and gradual deterioration are commonly excluded |
| Ride damaged by fire, storm, theft or an accident in transit | Equipment or all risks cover | Transit limits; unattended vehicles; storage over winter |
| Income lost while a ride is out of action | Business interruption | Usually needs insured damage first; a failed inspection on its own is not commonly covered |
If an engineering policy includes an inspection service, check what it inspects. Don’t assume it replaces the ADIPS or PIPA inspections your ride needs.
If this affects your business, these are the points a broker will ask about:
Speak to a broker
Ride and attraction cover, placed by a named broker
Send us your current schedule, or tell us about the property if you are arranging cover for the first time. Or leave your number and a named broker will call you back, usually the same working day.
Apex Insurance Brokers is an independent insurance broker based in Bristol, established in 2009 and authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. We are not tied to one insurer: we work with over 30 markets, including Lloyd’s syndicates through wholesale brokers, and every client has a named broker who handles the placement, mid-term changes, certificates for clients and the renewal.
No. HSG175 says there is no legal obligation to use an inspector from any particular registration scheme. The law requires rides to be inspected by a competent person. HSE considers inspectors registered under ADIPS or PIPA competent; if you use someone else, you may have to show how you assessed their competence.
No longer than 12 months. A declaration of operational compliance lists the individual inspections and their dates, and HSG175 says it expires on the date the first of those reports expires. The in-service annual inspection should be done at least every 12 months, or sooner if the inspector specifies.
HSG175 is HSE’s guidance Fairgrounds and amusement parks: Guidance on safe practice. The third edition was published in 2017. It covers the design, manufacture, inspection, operation and maintenance of amusement devices and is aimed at controllers, operators, organisers, manufacturers, importers and inspection bodies.
Most operators need public liability and, if they employ anyone, employers’ liability, which is compulsory for most employers in Great Britain. Many also buy equipment cover, engineering breakdown cover and business interruption. If you build, import or modify rides, product liability matters too.
HSG175 tells organisers to check, before the fair starts, that all ride controllers have current insurance and that each device has a current DOC from a registered inspection body. Councils and landowners hosting fairs commonly set their own minimum limits in hire or licence agreements.
Apex arranges liability, equipment and engineering cover for ride operators, organisers and suppliers. Tell us what you run and where, and we’ll look for cover that fits. Or call 0117 325 0027.
Start your quote Call 0117 325 0027Apex Insurance Brokers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England and Wales, company number 07014570. This page is general information, not advice on your individual circumstances. Cover is always subject to the insurer’s acceptance and the policy terms, and this page does not guarantee that cover will be available or on what terms.
