Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER)

Every year there are numerous accidents due to the misuse of machinery and work equipment, some of which are fatal. It is not always appreciated that an accident within the workplace can cost the organisation dearly. This is often because additional cover will be needed to undertake the work normally carried out by the injured party, as well as the fact that insurance premiums could be increased along with the possibility of legal prosecution and civil claims. Therefore, it is vital that organisations only permit adequately trained staff to use safe well-maintained equipment.

Work equipment can often be described as any piece of machinery, tool or item used within the working environment, it can be as simple as a chair in the office through to a company car or a complex vehicle tail lift. All work equipment is covered by the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and this piece of legislation requires employers to undertake specific actions. These regulations also apply to organisations that permit employees to use their own tools and work equipment for tasks on their behalf. Therefore it will be important to ensure all equipment is suitably checked.

All manufacturers must ensure that machines that they make and supply are safe for use and they should be fitted with the appropriate safety devices. The manufacturer should have also compiled a suitable and sufficient risk assessment whilst constructing the apparatus and designed out any hazards at the manufacturing stage. Unfortunately this is not always possible so the manufacturers must highlight any inherent hazards by displaying suitable warning signs on the equipment as well as supplying the requisite information within the instruction manual.

All new machinery and equipment should display a suitable CE marking on the unit to show that it complies with all relevant supply laws. Unfortunately the CE marking does not necessarily mean that the machine/equipment is safe and it will be down to the user to ensure that it is not dangerous prior to it being used for the first time.

Work equipment is often a huge expense to your organisation and it is important to ensure that it is in good working order at all times as down time may result in jobs not being completed as quickly as necessary and may lead to additional expenditure if extra equipment is required to be hired. Therefore it is vital that suitable maintenance is undertaken on all items of equipment regardless of the nature of the apparatus.

Unfortunately, not all equipment that is used within the business has clearly defined service schedules, this is where Citation plc comes in. Citation plc’s health and safety consultants will advise you about time scales that are required for maintaining your equipment as well as completing all necessary risk assessments.

We currently provide fixed cost compliance solutions for over 6,000 clients across the UK.

If you would like to arrange for one of our local Business Development Managers to explain how our services can safeguard your business, please click on the "Call Me Back" button to arrange an appointment.

Operating throughout the UK with experts on Health & Safety Law on hand in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and Cardiff, Citation have emerged as one of the United Kingdom’s leading health and safety and employment law consultancies.

Citation provides fixed cost compliance packages to organisations of all sizes throughout the country. Citation has been the recipient of a number of Business Awards including the Queen’s Award for Enterprise and is proud of its contribution towards a safe and fair business environment whilst at the same time relieving the burden of regulatory compliance from its clients.