Industrial facilities and current regulations: keys to ensuring compliance

Ensuring that an industrial facility complies with all current regulations is not just an administrative matter. It is a strategic decision that directly impacts the safety, operational continuity and viability of the project.

Whether it is a new implementation, an expansion or a regularisation, ensuring regulatory compliance from the outset avoids penalties, unexpected inspections and unforeseen costs.

In this article, we explain how to ensure regulatory compliance for an industrial facility from the project phase to commissioning.

Identify the applicable regulations from the outset

The first step in ensuring that an industrial facility complies with current regulations is to identify all the rules and requirements that affect it, both technically and legally and administratively.

This includes a combination of national, sectoral and regional regulations, as well as specific requirements depending on the type of facility.

The main categories of regulations that should be reviewed include:

• Technical and construction regulations: aspects related to the design, execution, materials and safety criteria applicable to the facilities.
• Occupational health and safety: measures to protect workers and minimise operational risks, including periodic inspections and preventive controls.
• Environmental regulations: requirements for emissions control, waste management, energy consumption and environmental impact.
• Energy efficiency and sustainability: technical and legal criteria that condition design and maintenance, especially in thermal systems, air conditioning, or renewable energies.
• Specific sector requirements: depending on the type of activity, such as food, chemicals, or automotive, it may be necessary to incorporate additional standards or specific certifications.

In Catalonia, the Generalitat's website offers general information on procedures and regulations related to construction and installations, as well as specific requirements for professionals and installation companies.

Designing with regulatory compliance built in

Many regulatory issues do not arise at the time of inspection, but much earlier: in the design phase.

When regulations have not been taken into account from the initial design stage, subsequent corrections can involve costly modifications, delays in commissioning or even the temporary shutdown of the activity.

Therefore, to avoid this, regulatory compliance must be integrated from the outset. Some essential keys:

• Work with engineers specialised in industrial regulations, who are familiar not only with the applicable technical regulations (electrical, thermal, fire safety, etc.), but also with the interpretative criteria of the administration and control bodies.
• Design with updated regulations, taking into account possible recent modifications or specific regional requirements.
• Integrate safety, accessibility, energy efficiency and maintenance criteria into the design, not as added elements, but as a structural part of the project.
• Analyse the regulatory impact on costs and deadlines, especially in installations with specific requirements (ATEX, emissions, PCI systems, high-power electrical installations, etc.), to avoid budget deviations or delays in legalisation.

When regulatory compliance is part of the project strategy, legalisation ceases to be an obstacle and becomes a natural and agile process.

Legalisation and official processing of the installation

Before the start of the project, it is essential to draw up a map of permits and plan their processing to take into account the timescales throughout the project's life cycle.

Depending on the type of activity and installation, the process may include:

• Submission of the technical project and report to the local council or the relevant regional body.
• Obtaining a building permit, prior notification or environmental licence, depending on the applicable regulations.
• Processing of the first occupancy or commissioning licence.
• Issuing of installation and construction management certificates, signed by qualified technicians.
• Inspection by an Authorised Control Body (OCA) when required by regulations.
• Registration in specific industrial or sectoral registers (electrical installations, gas, pressure equipment, PCI, etc.).

Each of these points is developed in different phases of the project and, in some cases, they are prior to the start of construction or the commissioning of the facilities.

It is therefore essential to have a permit map in order to monitor the correct development of the project and its implementation.

Incomplete or incorrect documentation can delay the start-up of the activity or the obtaining of building permits by weeks (or months).

Therefore, having specialised technical advice not only ensures that the documentation is correct, but also speeds up the process, reduces risks and avoids unnecessary downtime.

Auditing, certification and periodic inspections

Ensuring regulatory compliance does not end with legalisation. Industrial facilities are living processes: equipment wears out, processes evolve and regulations may be updated.

Therefore, it is essential to establish a system of continuous review and control. Key elements:

• Periodic audits: these check that equipment, processes and measures comply with regulations.
• External certifications: standards such as ISO 9001 or ISO 14001 help to structure compliance management.
• Official inspections: these can detect deviations and require corrective measures.

Conclusion

Ensuring that an industrial facility complies with all current regulations is not just a legal formality: it is a continuous and structured process that affects the entire company.

With an expert team and a proactive approach, you can move forward with confidence, minimise risks and ensure sustainable and efficient operation.

If you need support to legalise, audit or adapt your industrial facility, our engineering team can accompany you through all phases of the project.