PUWER Assessment

deals with the safety of work equipment from three aspects; the initial integrity, the place where it will be used and the purpose for which it will be used.

Regulation 5 builds on the general duty in the HSW Act section 6 which requires work equipment to be maintained so that it is safe.

covers the extent and nature of the inspection. It deals with; the different situations where inspections of work equipment is required, the purpose of the inspection, who should carry out the inspection, keeping records of the inspections.

there is a general duty in the HSW Act to provide employees and others, such as temporary workers supplied through an employment agency, with the information and instructions necessary to protect their health and safety. Regulation 8 supplements that general duty. Regulation 9 focuses on providing training to people who use the work equipment, providing training to employees who manage or supervise the use of work equipment, and the need for separate driver training.

does equipment comply with community directives? (e.g. does it display a CE mark, is there an EC Declaration of Conformity Certificate)?

require employers to take effective measures to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery or stop their movement before any part of a person enters a danger zone. It specifies the measures which you should take to prevent access to the dangerous parts of the machinery to achieve compliance. It sets out various requirements for guards and protection devices and appliances. There is national, european and international standards that act as guidance on measures to prevent access to dangerous parts BS EN ISO 13854:2019, BS EN 14120:2015, BS EN ISO 13857:2008, BS EN 14119:2013

Protection for Specific Hazards

many items of equipment have exposed surfaces, or contain or use hot or very cold substances. This regulation deals with the risks from these and looks at the measures you can take to reduce the risk of injury to people coming into contact with hot or very cold work equipment, parts of work equipment or articles or substances in the work equipment.

Regulation 14 addresses the risks to health and safety created by the starting or uncontrolled operation of work equipment. It covers the need for one or more controls for starting work equipment. And why, apart from automatic equipment, equipment should never start or change its operating conditions unintentionally

Regulation 15 deals with controls for ensuring that work equipment being operated under normal conditions can be stopped without risk to health and safety. Stopping work equipment may involve a number of coordinated operations that have to be brought under control to avoid risk to health and safety.

Regulation 16 deals with the number of emergency stop controls, the accessibility of those controls, interaction with other controls required, circumstances where emergency stop controls are not necessary, the priority given to emergency stop controls. The main purpose of an emergency stop control is that it is simple to locate and operate.

Regulation 17 this regulation deals with the controls for work equipment; ensuring that the purpose of the control is clearly identifiable, the location of the controls so that neither the operator nor any other person near the equipment is at risk, the use in particular circumstances of warnings to signal the use of equipment controls, giving advanced warning to people exposed to risk, giving people exposed to risk the means of avoiding it.

Regulation 18 deals with taking realistic and practical allowances into account when choosing or specifying control systems. Not to increase risk when the control system is operating, either directly or indirectly by impeding the operation of other safety measures. Not increasing risk if a control system fail or loses its power supply. There are national, european and international standards BS EN 60204-1, BS EN ISO 13849-1, BS EN 62061 which provide guidance on design of control systems so as to achieve high levels of performance related to safety. Though they are aimed at new machinery, they may be used as guidance for existing work equipment.

Regulation 19 the aim for this regulation is to allow equipment to be made safe under particular circumstances such as when maintenance is to be carried out, when an unsafe condition develops, or where a temporarily adverse environment would render the equipment unsafe, for exampel electrical equipment in wet conditions or in flammable or explosive atmosphere.

Regulation 20 many types of equipment could topple over, overturn or collapse unless they are securely fixed. This regulation explains how equipment should be stabilised, clamped, tied or fastened to make it safe.

Regulation 21 any place where a person uses work equipment should be suitably and sufficiently lit. If the ambient lighting provided in the workplace is suitable and sufficient for the tasks involved in the use of the equipment, special lighting won’t be needed. This regulation looks at areas where additional lighting may be required.

Regulation 22 requires that equipment is constructed or adapted in a way that takes account of the risks associated with carrying out maintenance work, such as routine and planned preventative maintenance.

where equipment is dangerous or has dangerous parts that project, the equipment should be marked so that employees are not put at risk.

makes it clear that warnings are not appropriate unless they are clearly signalling danger. The regulation focuses on ensuring that warnings are clear, easy to understand, unmistakeable.