Useful Document Storage Information

Listed below are the retention schedules for a range of business records. The categories included are
Admin  ~  Company  ~  Employment  ~  Financial  ~  Health & Safety  ~  Insurance  ~  Legal  ~ Pensions  ~ Sales Records  ~  Transport

 

Archive Retention Schedule

Archive category

Specific archive type Retention period Reason for retention
HEALTH & SAFETY

Accident books, accident
records/reports
Equipment inspection
records
Geotechnical Assessment
of Quarry

3 years after the date of the last entry

Varies according to equipment

At least 3 years from date record was
made
Legal

Legal

Legal
Copy of Declaration of EC
Conformity including Final
Inspection Certificate
Asbestos (health records)
10 years from date when safety
component was last manufactured

5 years from date of monitoring or
40 years if health record required
Legal


Legal
Radioactivity (monitoring
results)
Radioactivity (Dose
Assessment and Recording
of Classified Person
Approved Dosimetry
Service)
Control of Substances
Hazardous to Health
(COSHH)
RIDDOR reports
2 years from the date on which they
were made
Until the person to which it relates has
or would have reached 75, but for at
least 50 years from the date made


40 years from date of last incident


3 years from date of notification
Legal

Legal




Legal


Legal
Risk assessments


Safe systems of work

Permit to work systems
Compressed air health
records
Machine maintenance
books
Construction – agent’s
written declaration
Gas maintenance of
residential properties
Statements/policies/
guides
Until superseded (should be reviewed
after 3 years at maximum – earlier if
circumstances change)
At least 6 months after completion
of work
A minimum of 12 months
40 years from date of last entry

Life of equipment

Life of health and safety file

2 years from date of check

Annual review
Legal


Commercial

Commercial
Legal

Legal

Legal

Legal

Commercial

 

Please note

All material on this website is based on the working practices of
Ardington Archives and is intended for guidance purposes only.
While every reasonable effort has been made to verify the accuracy
of the information provided, no liability can be accepted in respect
of any errors or discrepancies and the content of the website is
not intended to be relied upon for legal purposes.