Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER)

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PUWER 

Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) 

What you must do

If your business or organisation uses work equipment or is involved in providing work equipment for others to use (eg for hire), you must manage the risks associated with that equipment in accordance with health and safety regulations. This includes ensuring that you:

- ensure the equipment is constructed or adapted to be suitable for the intended purpose of use or provision

- take account of the working conditions and potential health and safety risks in the workplace when selecting work equipment

- ensure work equipment is used solely for suitable purposes

- maintain work equipment in an efficient state, ensuring it is in good working order and repair

- keep up to date maintenance logs for any machines requiring them

- inspect equipment for safety if its operation depends on the manner of installation, ensuring it is checked after installation and before use

- regularly inspect work equipment exposed to deteriorating conditions to detect faults in a timely manner and manage health and safety risks appropriately

- provide all individuals using, supervising, or managing work equipment with adequate health and safety information. This should include, where necessary, written instructions and appropriate safety markings and warnings

- ensure that those who use, supervise, or manage the use of work equipment receive sufficient training covering the correct use, associated risks, and necessary precautions

- restrict the use of specific work equipment, especially those that pose specific health and safety risks (eg woodworking machinery), to trained and authorized personnel only

- implement effective measures to prevent access to dangerous machinery parts. Typically, this involves fixed guarding; however, if routine access is required, interlocked guards should be employed to stop dangerous movements before a person can reach hazardous areas. Where interlocked guards are not feasible, such as with a circular saw blade, the equipment must be adequately protected, along with a safe system of work as outlined in PUWER regulation 11(2) and the PUWER Approved Code of Practice, or for woodworking machinery, the Safe Use of Woodworking Machinery: Approved Code of Practice and guidance

- manage risks from falling or ejected parts and substances from work equipment, and prevent rupture or disintegration of equipment

- control the risks associated with very hot or cold temperatures from work equipment or the materials being processed to prevent injuries

- provide work equipment with clearly identified controls for starting, stopping, and other operations, ensuring these systems are safe

- provide suitable means for isolating work equipment from all power sources, including electric, hydraulic, pneumatic, and gravitational energy, where appropriate

- ensure work equipment is stabilized through clamping or other means to prevent injury

- take necessary precautions to enable maintenance operations on work equipment to be performed safely while the equipment is shut down, thus protecting the health and safety of maintenance personnel

When providing new work equipment for use at work, you must ensure it aligns with PUWER compliance and the essential requirements of any relevant product supply law (for new machinery this means the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations). You should check that:

- it has the appropriate conformity marking and is labelled with the manufacturer's details

- it comes with a Declaration of Conformity

- it provides instructions in English

- it is free from obvious defects — and that it maintains this standard throughout its operational life

When supplying mobile work equipment, you must ensure that:

- if employees are carried, the equipment is suitable for that purpose

- risks from rolling over are minimized, and any person being carried is protected in the event of a fall or rollover, including provisions against crushing through suitable restraints and rollover protection systems

- self-propelled equipment can be safely controlled, equipped with effective brakes, adequate driver visibility, and, where necessary, lighting

- measures are taken to mitigate risks from drive shafts powering accessories attached to mobile work equipment by using adequate guards

For further details, please visit: https://www.hse.gov.uk/work-equipment-machinery/puwer.htm