The property owner's responsibility for automatic doors

Your responsibility for care and maintenance

Under Sweden's Planning and Building Act, a building must be kept in good condition and maintained so that its technical characteristics, including safety in use, are preserved. For power-operated devices, including automatic sliding, swing and revolving doors, Boverket's regulations (BFS 2011:12) specify what this means: the owner or person responsible must ensure the device is operated, regularly checked, cared for and maintained to provide satisfactory protection of health and safety.

You can hire a service company to do the practical work, but a service agreement does not in itself release you from your duties under Swedish planning and building legislation. Agree who books service visits, follows up faults and makes sure the work is documented. The installer and manufacturer may also be responsible for defects in the installation or product.

Three sets of rules apply at once

The requirements on an automatic door come from several directions:

• Sweden's Planning and Building Act and Boverket's regulations for power-operated devices: operation, regular checks, care and maintenance, with a log of all work carried out.
• Swedish workplace rules: if the door is in a workplace, the employer must also ensure the equipment is maintained and safe to use (AFS 2023:11, which replaced AFS 2006:4 from 2025).
• The Machinery Directive and SS-EN 16005: the door must be CE marked before it is put into service. The standard calls for regular maintenance and recommends a safety check by a competent person at least once a year.

In a workplace in Sweden, responsibility can sit with two parties at once: the property owner under building legislation and the employer, often the tenant, under workplace rules. Define their respective responsibilities in the lease so that no task is overlooked.

Inspection — what is actually required?

In Sweden, power-operated devices are generally subject to periodic inspection by an accredited inspection body. For many powered gates and industrial doors, the interval is two years, but check what applies to your particular device. Automatic sliding, swing and revolving pedestrian doors that are CE marked under the Machinery Directive and have a declaration of conformity may be exempt from initial and periodic inspection.

The exemption only covers accredited inspection. The duties of care, maintenance and record-keeping still apply in full to CE-marked doors. For devices subject to inspection, a missed inspection can lead to a prohibition on use and a building sanction fee. In Sweden, the municipal building committee is the supervisory authority.

Service — how often?

The manufacturer's instructions govern the maintenance interval. In practice, the industry recommends service one to four times per year, depending on how heavily the door is used and the environment it sits in. SS-EN 16005 states that safety functions should be checked by a competent person at least once a year. The check covers sensors, protection against trapping and the forces exerted by the door, among other things. Make sure the results are recorded.

The maintenance log shows what has been done

In Sweden, Boverket's regulations require the owner or person responsible for a power-operated device to keep a log. Every check, care and maintenance task must be recorded with the date, scope of work and who carried it out. The log must be available to inspection bodies and the supervisory authority.

If an accident happens, the log can help show which checks and work were carried out. Whether reasonable steps were taken to prevent harm may matter when liability is assessed, but documentation does not guarantee protection from liability. Neglected maintenance can also affect insurance cover, depending on the policy terms.

With Digilog, every door gets a digital logbook reachable directly from a QR label or CE sign on the door. Every action is recorded with date, scope and performer — exactly what a maintenance log must contain — and you and your service company see the same history.

Checklist for handover from your installer

Go through the following with your installer at handover. For an upgrade, also clarify whether the change requires new CE marking:

• CE marking and a declaration of conformity for the installed door
• A risk assessment for the installation per EN 16005
• User instructions and operation and maintenance instructions in Swedish for doors supplied in Sweden
• A started logbook for the door
• A proposed service agreement with intervals per the manufacturer's instructions
• A plan for an annual safety check with an inspection report

Frequently asked questions