A PUWER inspection checks that work equipment is safe to use and has not deteriorated. Regulation 6 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 requires one after installation where safety depends on how the equipment is installed, at suitable intervals where it could deteriorate dangerously, and after exceptional events. The result must be recorded.
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What PUWER covers
PUWER is the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. It applies in Great Britain to work equipment, which the regulations define as "any machinery, appliance, apparatus, tool or installation for use at work". HSE describes the scope as extremely wide. A hammer, a ladder, a pillar drill, a compressor, a forklift and a production line are all work equipment. So is a tool an employee brings in and uses at work.
"Use" is wide too. It covers starting, stopping, programming, setting, transporting, repairing, modifying, maintaining, servicing and cleaning. HSE notes that unsafe maintenance has caused many deaths and serious injuries, and the regulations apply to clearing a blockage or cleaning down as much as to production.
The duties fall on employers for the equipment their employees use, whether the firm owns it, hires it or borrows it. They also fall on anyone who has control of work equipment, to the extent of that control.
When PUWER requires an inspection
Not every item needs a formal inspection. HSE's guidance is that for many items a quick visual check before use is enough. Regulation 6 requires an inspection in three situations:
- After installation. Where the safety of the equipment depends on how it is installed, it must be inspected after installation and before it is first put into service, and again after it is assembled at a new site or in a new location.
- At suitable intervals. Where the equipment is exposed to conditions causing deterioration that could result in a dangerous situation.
- After exceptional circumstances that could have jeopardised its safety. HSE's examples are major modifications, known or suspected serious damage and a substantial change in how the equipment is used.
An inspection in this sense is a visual or more rigorous inspection by a competent person, with testing where that is appropriate. The result must be recorded, and the record kept until the next inspection is recorded.
There is also a rule for equipment that moves between firms. Equipment that needs inspection must not leave your business, or be used in your business if it comes from someone else, unless it is accompanied by physical evidence that the last inspection was done. For hired equipment that means asking for the inspection report, tag or label when it arrives.
Regulation 6 does not apply to everything. Lifting equipment is excluded because it has its own thorough examination under LOLER, and ladders, scaffolds and other work at height equipment are excluded because the Work at Height Regulations 2005 cover their inspection. Power presses have their own rules later in PUWER. See our forklift daily checklist and ladder inspection checklist for those.
What else PUWER requires
Inspection is one regulation among many. A useful inspection tests the equipment against the rest of them, which is how the checklist below is arranged.
| Regulation | What the employer must do |
|---|---|
| 4: Suitability | Provide equipment that is suitable for the job and the conditions, and use it only for operations it is suitable for. |
| 5: Maintenance | Keep equipment in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair. Where a machine has a maintenance log, keep it up to date. |
| 7: Specific risks | Where use involves a specific risk, restrict use to the people given the task, and restrict repairs and maintenance to people designated and trained for them. |
| 8 and 9: Information and training | Give users and their supervisors adequate health and safety information, written instructions where appropriate, and adequate training. |
| 11: Dangerous parts | Prevent access to dangerous parts, or stop them moving before anyone reaches them. Fixed guards come first where practicable, then other guards or protection devices, then jigs, holders and push sticks. |
| 14 to 18: Controls | Provide start controls that need a deliberate action, stop controls that take priority over start controls, emergency stops where needed, clearly marked controls and safe control systems. |
| 19: Isolation | Provide a means of isolating the equipment from all its sources of energy that is clearly identifiable and readily accessible. |
| 20 and 21: Stability and lighting | Stabilise equipment by clamping or otherwise where necessary, and provide suitable and sufficient lighting where it is used. |
| 22: Maintenance operations | So far as is reasonably practicable, make it possible for maintenance to be done with the equipment shut down, or otherwise without risk. |
| 23 and 24: Markings and warnings | Mark equipment clearly where that is needed for safety, and fit warnings or warning devices that are unambiguous and easily understood. |
Who can inspect, and how often
The person must be competent. HSE's guidance on inspection puts that plainly: anyone with enough knowledge and experience of the equipment to know what to look at, what to look for and what to do if they find a problem. HSE says this can often be done in-house by experienced staff. Complex or high-risk machinery may need the manufacturer or a specialist.
PUWER sets no intervals. It says "suitable intervals", and HSE's guidance is that the frequency should come from your risk assessment, taking account of the manufacturer's recommendations, industry advice and your own experience. Equipment used outdoors or in harsh conditions will need looking at more often. HSE gives three levels as examples:
- Quick checks before use: the cable on a hand-held power tool, a functional test of brakes and lights on mobile plant.
- Weekly checks: that guards are present, that safety devices work, tyre pressures.
- More extensive examinations every few months or longer: the general condition of a ladder, close examination of a safety harness, portable appliance testing.
The interval is not fixed for ever. HSE says it can be lengthened if the inspection history shows negligible deterioration and should be shortened where experience shows that is needed.
HSE also warns against overdoing it. Asking for too much detail too often leads to a tick-box exercise or to the inspections stopping altogether. Inspect what matters for safety on that machine, and leave the rest out.
PUWER inspection checklist
Use one sheet for each machine or item. Each line is written so that "yes" means all is well. Cross out the lines that do not apply to the item in front of you and add anything from the manufacturer's manual.
Suitability and installation
- The equipment is being used for the work it was designed for and within the maker's limits
- It was inspected after it was installed or last moved, where its safety depends on how it is installed
- It is stable, and is bolted down or clamped where it needs to be
- The lighting at the equipment is good enough for the work
- There is enough clear floor space around it to work and to feed material safely
Guards and dangerous parts
- Fixed guards are in place and securely fastened
- Interlocked guards stop the machine when opened
- No guard or interlock has been bypassed, tied back or removed
- Guards are in good repair, with no cracks, gaps or missing fixings
- Guards do not block the operator's view of the work where they need to see it
- Push sticks, jigs or holders are provided and used where a guard cannot fully enclose the danger
- Nothing can be thrown out of the machine towards the operator or people passing
Controls and emergency stops
- The machine starts only when the start control is deliberately operated, including after a stoppage
- Stop controls are within easy reach and bring the equipment to a safe stop
- Operating a stop control overrides the start control
- Emergency stops, where fitted, are within easy reach and work when tested
- Every control is clearly visible and marked with what it does
- From the controls, the operator can see that nobody is in a danger zone, or a warning sounds before the machine starts
Isolation and energy
- The equipment can be isolated from every source of energy
- Isolators are clearly identified and easy to reach
- Isolators can be locked off, and locks or tags are available for maintenance work
- Stored energy, such as compressed air or hydraulic pressure, can be released before work on the machine
- Electrical cables, plugs and casings are undamaged
- Air and hydraulic hoses and couplings show no leaks, bulges or chafing
Maintenance and condition
- Maintenance has been done to the manufacturer's schedule
- The maintenance log, where the machine has one, is up to date
- No reported defect is waiting to be repaired
- Blades, cutters and abrasive wheels are in good condition and correctly fitted
- There is no unusual noise, vibration, overheating or leaking in use
- Cleaning and routine maintenance can be done with the machine shut down and isolated
Markings and warnings
- Safe working loads, speeds and other limits are marked on the equipment where they apply
- Warning labels are in place and readable
- Warning lights and alarms work and can be clearly seen or heard
Information and training
- Operating instructions are available at or near the equipment
- Everyone who uses the equipment has been trained to use it and the training is recorded
- The people who supervise its use have been trained as well
- Use of higher-risk machines is restricted to named people
- Operators know how to report a defect, and do
What to do when equipment fails
If the inspection finds a fault that affects safety, the equipment comes out of use until it is put right. HSE's guidance on maintenance is blunt about this: never use faulty or damaged equipment, and do not ignore reports of damaged or unsafe equipment.
- Stop and isolate. Switch off, isolate from the power supply and lock off if there is any chance of it being switched back on.
- Label it. A clear "do not use" tag at the controls, with the date and a name.
- Get it repaired by someone competent. For complex or high-risk equipment that may mean the manufacturer or a specialist contractor.
- Inspect it again before it goes back into use. Serious damage and major modification are among the exceptional circumstances that call for a fresh inspection under regulation 6.
- Ask why it failed. A guard that keeps coming off is usually a guard that gets in the way of the job, and that needs a different guard or a different method.
Minor faults that do not affect safety can stay in use with an action raised, a name against it and a date.
What to record
Where regulation 6 applies, the result of the inspection must be recorded and kept until the next inspection is recorded. HSE's guidance is that the record does not have to be on paper. If it is kept in another form, such as on a computer, it should be held securely and be available to an inspector on request. HSE adds that records are not normally required for the simplest pre-use checks.
A useful record identifies the item, gives the date and the name of the person who inspected it, lists what was checked and what was found, and says what was done about any defect and when the next inspection is due. Operator training belongs with your other training records. If equipment is one stop on a wider walk-round, our workplace inspection checklist covers the rest of the premises.
Keeping it in SafetyPro360
The checklist above can be set up in SafetyPro360 as a checklist of your own, with each line as a question, and you can keep a separate version for each type of machine. The person inspecting runs it on a phone at the equipment. Each completed check is kept with its date, who did it and its score. SafetyPro360 does not schedule the inspection for you, so set your intervals and keep to them.
Questions people ask
Is a PUWER inspection a legal requirement?
Yes, in the situations regulation 6 describes: after installation where safety depends on how the equipment is installed, at suitable intervals where it is exposed to conditions causing deterioration that could lead to danger, and after exceptional circumstances such as serious damage. For other equipment HSE says a quick visual check before use is often enough.
How often should a PUWER inspection be carried out?
PUWER gives no fixed interval. It requires inspection at "suitable intervals", and HSE's guidance is to set the frequency by risk assessment using the manufacturer's recommendations, industry advice and your own experience. HSE's examples range from quick checks before each use, through weekly checks of guards and safety devices, to fuller examinations every few months.
Who can carry out a PUWER inspection?
A competent person. HSE describes this as anyone with enough knowledge and experience of the equipment to know what to look at, what to look for and what to do if they find a problem. It can often be an experienced member of your own staff. Complex or high-risk machinery may need the manufacturer or a specialist.
How long must PUWER inspection records be kept?
Regulation 6 requires the result of each inspection to be recorded and kept until the next inspection of that equipment is recorded. The record need not be on paper, but HSE says an electronic record should be held securely and be available to an inspector on request. Keeping older records as well shows a history.
What is the difference between PUWER and LOLER?
PUWER covers all work equipment. LOLER, the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998, adds extra duties for equipment that lifts loads, including a thorough examination by a competent person at intervals set by the regulations or by an examination scheme. PUWER's inspection regulation does not apply to lifting equipment, but its other duties, such as maintenance and training, still do.
Does PUWER apply to hired equipment and hand tools?
Yes to both. Work equipment means any machinery, appliance, apparatus, tool or installation for use at work, and the duties apply whether you own the equipment or not. Equipment that needs inspection and comes from another business must arrive with physical evidence that its last inspection was carried out, such as a report, tag or label.
Where this comes from
- Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, regulation 6 (legislation.gov.uk)
- HSE: PUWER overview
- HSE: Inspection of work equipment
- HSE: Maintenance of work equipment
- HSE: Thorough examinations and inspections of lifting equipment
This guide is general information for small employers in Great Britain, checked against the sources above on the date shown. It is not legal advice. If something serious depends on it, check the source or ask a competent adviser.