DynamoDental

Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, Regulations 15 and 17; PUWER 1998; PSSR 2000; HTM 01-05

Equipment maintenance records: what to keep and why

No single regulation tells a dental practice exactly which equipment records to keep. Several require records for their own purposes: the CQC expects evidence that equipment is maintained and that governance records are accurate and complete; PUWER requires any maintenance log to be kept up to date; PSSR requires the written scheme and reports of examination to be kept; HTM 01-05 requires logbooks for decontamination equipment.

Jurisdiction
England
Last verified
9 September 2026
Next review
9 March 2027
Version
1

In plain English

No single regulation tells a dental practice exactly which equipment records to keep. Several require records for their own purposes: the CQC expects evidence that equipment is maintained and that governance records are accurate and complete; PUWER requires any maintenance log to be kept up to date; PSSR requires the written scheme and reports of examination to be kept; HTM 01-05 requires logbooks for decontamination equipment.

Put together, the pattern is consistent. For each item the practice should be able to show what it is, what maintenance it needs, what has been done, what was found, what remains outstanding and when the next action is due. Records that meet that test answer most inspectors' questions and, more usefully, let the practice see problems coming.

The most common weaknesses are records that exist but cannot be matched to an asset, service reports filed without the recommendations being followed up, and specialist evidence (examination reports, validation logs) mixed in with routine servicing so that neither can be found quickly.

Who does what

Your responsibility as the provider

  • Deciding who holds the equipment records and where they live
  • Keeping an asset register and keeping it current when equipment is added, moved or disposed of
  • Filing every service, repair, examination, validation and test record against the right asset
  • Reviewing outstanding recommendations and recording the decision taken on each one
  • Keeping records for as long as the relevant regulation or the practice's own retention policy requires
  • Making the records available to inspectors and to the specialists who need them

What Dynamo Dental delivers directly

We help practices organise relevant maintenance records and identify next actions within the agreed scope. The practice remains responsible for ensuring its regulatory duties are met. For the equipment we look after, that means:

  • An asset register entry for every item we look after, with manufacturer, model, serial number, location and installation date where known
  • A report for every visit, matched to the asset, stating what was done, what was found, parts fitted, recommendations and the next due date
  • A due-date view showing when each item is next due for service and, where the practice supplies the dates, when specialist examinations or validations fall due
  • Recording of maintenance gaps and the documentation the practice holds during a Practice Engineering Survey
  • Help with structuring the records so that routine servicing, statutory examination and validation are kept in separate, clearly labelled sections

Verified specialist competence, or a specialist partner

  • Reports of examination, validation records, radiation QA records and electrical installation reports come from the relevant specialist and are filed alongside ours, not replaced by them
  • Retention periods for particular record types: check the relevant regulation and the practice's own policy, with advice from its compliance adviser where needed

Outside our scope

  • Producing records for work we did not carry out, or backdating anything
  • Holding the practice's records as the only copy: the practice keeps its own set
  • Compliance audits of the practice's record system
  • Clinical, staff or patient records of any kind

Questions

Questions on this topic

How long should we keep equipment service records?

Different regulations set different expectations, and the practice's own retention policy should cover equipment records. As a minimum, keep the full maintenance history for as long as the equipment is in use, and keep statutory examination and validation records for the period their regulations require. Check the current guidance for each record type rather than relying on a single rule.

Is a digital record acceptable?

Yes, provided it is accurate, complete, kept up to date and can be produced when asked for. Inspectors are interested in whether the record shows what was done and when, and whether the practice acts on it, not in the format. Keep specialist reports as the original documents from the specialist.

Other topics

Not sure what records you should have?

The Practice Engineering Survey establishes what exists and what is missing, without claiming to be an audit.

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