Can I check whether a trades business's equipment is actually certified and safe before I buy?

Yes, and this is a standard part of due diligence for any trades business where equipment is central to the operation. A buyer can and generally should request records showing when equipment was last inspected, certified, or serviced, whether required certifications are current, and whether there are any outstanding safety orders or deficiencies flagged against specific equipment. Sellers who maintain proper equipment records tend to make this straightforward; gaps in documentation are themselves useful information, since they can signal either sloppy recordkeeping or actual maintenance shortfalls.

Where equipment certification depends on periodic third-party inspection, confirming the certifying body and the inspection schedule directly, rather than relying solely on the seller's representations, adds a layer of verification, particularly for higher-risk equipment. This matters both for legal compliance going forward and for practical value: equipment that needs immediate repair or recertification to keep operating affects what the business is actually worth.

Building equipment inspection into the due diligence timeline, and tying any findings to price adjustments, seller-funded repairs, or holdbacks in the purchase agreement, is the practical way to manage what you find, rather than discovering a certification gap only after you've taken over operations.