Environmental permits and F-gas (UK)
A list of checks and obligations with their cadence, ready to add to your agenda.
For businesses operating a regulated facility under an environmental permit in England and Wales (waste, industrial installations, water discharge, medium combustion plant) and for anyone operating refrigeration, air-conditioning, heat pump or fire protection equipment containing fluorinated gases. Covers permit condition compliance, periodic returns to the regulator, F-gas leak checks and COMAH duties for upper tier establishments. Does NOT cover day-to-day waste handling (see the duty of care kit), trade effluent consents with water companies, or the Scottish (SEPA) and Northern Irish (NIEA) regimes.
Questions about this product?
Ask what is in the manuals, how often the maintenance is due and what it takes to do it.
What it already has at hand
- No manual on this page
- 10 planned checks, the most frequent every 3 months since the last inspection
Planned checks
Informative summary verified on 11/09/2026. It does not replace legal advice: the regulation cited prevails. If you spot an error, report it.
Some checks are only mandatory in certain countries: pick yours and the list follows.
In Italy this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In France this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Germany this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Switzerland this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Austria this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
- 01
Test the COMAH internal emergency plan every 3 years
The operator of an upper tier COMAH establishment must, at suitable intervals not exceeding three years, review and where necessary revise the internal emergency plan and test it, taking account of changes at the establishment and in the emergency services. Evidence is the exercise record together with the updated plan. Applies to upper tier COMAH establishments; the local authority must also prepare and test the external emergency plan, likewise on a three-yearly cycle.
every 36 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationControl of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/483) reg. 12(6)United Kingdom onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 02
Submit the Pollution Inventory return by 28 February
Operators of installations subject to Pollution Inventory reporting must report the previous year's releases and transfers of pollutants to the Environment Agency by 28 February. The data feeds the national inventory and the UK PRTR; evidence is the submission receipt for the annual return. Applies to Part A(1) installations, some waste facilities and nuclear sites whose permit imposes the reporting; it does not apply to businesses with no Pollution Inventory condition in their permit.
every year by 28 FebruaryLegal obligationEnvironmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 (SI 2016/1154), permit condition on Pollution Inventory reportingUnited Kingdom onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 03
Submit the waste returns required by the permit
Operators of permitted waste facilities must send the Environment Agency data on the waste tonnages received and handled (national operator waste returns), normally quarterly and by the deadlines set in the permit. Failure to submit by the deadline is a breach of permit conditions; evidence is the submission receipt for the return. Applies to operators of permitted waste treatment, recovery or disposal facilities in England; it does not apply to registered exemptions.
continuous check, confirm every 3 monthsLegal obligationEnvironmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 (SI 2016/1154) reg. 12; permit conditions on record keeping and reportingUnited Kingdom onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 04
Check the F-gas leakage detection system
Where the equipment has an automatic leakage detection system, the operator must have it checked at least once every 12 months to confirm it works properly; for electrical switchgear the check is at least every 6 years, that is 72 months. Without this check the doubled leak-check intervals cannot be relied on; evidence is the system check report. Applies only to equipment fitted with an automatic leakage detection system, which is mandatory above 500 tonnes CO2 equivalent.
every 12 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationAssimilated Regulation (EU) No 517/2014 art. 5(3)United Kingdom onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 05
Review the COMAH safety report at least every 5 years
The operator of an upper tier COMAH establishment must review and, where necessary, revise the safety report at intervals not exceeding five years from the last submission, and also after a major accident or a significant modification. Evidence is the updated safety report and the correspondence with the Competent Authority (HSE and the Environment Agency). Applies only to upper tier establishments exceeding the Schedule 1 quantities of COMAH 2015; lower tier establishments do not produce a safety report but must hold and review the MAPP.
every 60 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationControl of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/483) reg. 8 and reg. 10United Kingdom onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 06
F-gas leak check every 3 months (500 t CO2e and above)
For equipment with a charge of 500 tonnes CO2 equivalent or more, leak checks must be carried out at least every 3 months; with an operational automatic leakage detection system the interval becomes 6 months. At this threshold a leakage detection system is mandatory and evidence is the leak check report in the logbook. Applies to stationary equipment with a charge of 500 tonnes CO2 equivalent or more per circuit.
every 3 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationAssimilated Regulation (EU) No 517/2014 art. 4(3)(c) and art. 5(1); Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/310)United Kingdom onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 07
F-gas leak check every 6 months (50-500 t CO2e)
For equipment with a charge of 50 tonnes CO2 equivalent or more and under 500, leak checks must be carried out at least every 6 months by certified personnel. With an operational automatic leakage detection system the interval becomes 12 months; evidence is the leak check report recorded in the logbook. Applies to stationary equipment with a charge from 50 to under 500 tonnes CO2 equivalent per circuit.
every 6 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationAssimilated Regulation (EU) No 517/2014 art. 4(3)(b); Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/310)United Kingdom onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 08
F-gas leak check every 12 months (5-50 t CO2e)
The operator of stationary equipment containing fluorinated gases with a charge of 5 tonnes CO2 equivalent or more and under 50 must have a leak check carried out at least every 12 months by certified personnel. Where an operational automatic leakage detection system is fitted the interval doubles to 24 months; evidence is the leak check report recorded in the equipment logbook. Applies to stationary refrigeration, air-conditioning, heat pump, fire protection, organic Rankine cycle and switchgear equipment with a charge from 5 to under 50 tonnes CO2 equivalent, calculated per refrigerant circuit rather than by weight in kg.
every 12 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationAssimilated Regulation (EU) No 517/2014 art. 4(3)(a); Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/310)United Kingdom onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 09
Check compliance with environmental permit conditions
The operator must not run the regulated facility except as authorised by the environmental permit and must comply with every permit condition: emission limits, monitoring, records and operating techniques. A periodic internal review of the conditions and the evidence collected reduces the risk of non-compliance; evidence is the current permit together with the compliance file. Applies to anyone operating a regulated facility: installations, mobile plant, waste operations, intensive farming, water and groundwater discharges, medium combustion plant and specified generators according to the transition dates in reg. 12(1A).
continuous check, confirm every 12 monthsLegal obligationEnvironmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 (SI 2016/1154) reg. 12, reg. 38United Kingdom onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 10
Keep and retain F-gas records for 5 years
The operator must keep records for each piece of equipment containing 5 tonnes CO2 equivalent or more: type and quantity of gas installed, quantities added during maintenance or repair, dates and results of leak checks, gas recovered and disposed of, and the name, address and certificate number of the company that did the work. Records must be kept for 5 years and made available to the regulator on request. Applies to operators of equipment holding 5 tonnes CO2 equivalent or more; the record-keeping duty falls on both the operator and the servicing company.
continuous check, confirm every 12 monthsLegal obligationAssimilated Regulation (EU) No 517/2014 art. 6United Kingdom onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026
In Spain this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Portugal this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In United States this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Other country this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
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