Comply with work equipment safety regulations (PUWER)

What PUWER requires and who it applies to

The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) is one of the most widely applicable sets of health and safety regulations in the UK. It applies to every employer in every sector that uses any form of work equipment, from a simple hand drill to a CNC machine, from a commercial kitchen mixer to a hydraulic press.

If your employees use equipment to do their work, PUWER applies to you. There is no exemption based on business size or sector.

PUWER requires you to ensure that all work equipment is:

• Suitable for its intended use
• Safe for use, properly maintained and inspected
• Used only by people who have received adequate training and information
• Fitted with appropriate safety measures including guards, controls and warnings

This guide explains each duty in detail and what you need to do to comply.

What counts as work equipment

PUWER defines work equipment very broadly. It includes any machinery, appliance, apparatus, tool or installation used at work. This covers:

• Hand tools: Hammers, screwdrivers, knives, chisels
• Power tools: Drills, grinders, saws, routers
• Fixed machinery: Lathes, milling machines, presses, conveyors
• Vehicles used as work equipment: Forklift trucks, dumpers (but not vehicles used only on public roads)
• Lifting equipment: Cranes, hoists (also subject to LOLER 1998)
• Process plant: Chemical reactors, ovens, furnaces
• Office equipment: Paper shredders, guillotines
• Catering equipment: Mixers, slicers, ovens, deep fat fryers
• Agricultural machinery: Tractors, combine harvesters, ATVs
• Scaffolding and ladders: When provided for use at work

The key test is whether the equipment is provided for use or used at work. Equipment brought in by employees (such as their own hand tools) is also covered if you allow its use.

Duty 1: Suitability (Regulation 4)

Work equipment must be suitable for the purpose for which it is used or provided. Suitability means:

• The equipment is suitable by design, construction or adaptation for the actual work being done
• You have considered the working conditions and risks in the place where it will be used
• The equipment is used only for operations and under conditions for which it is suitable

In practice: Before purchasing or deploying equipment, consider whether it is appropriate for the task, the environment (wet, dusty, confined), and the workers who will use it. Using equipment for tasks it was not designed for breaches this duty.

Duty 2: Maintenance (Regulation 5)

All work equipment must be maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair. This means:

• Establishing a planned preventive maintenance schedule based on manufacturer recommendations and operating conditions
• Keeping a maintenance log for each piece of equipment
• Ensuring maintenance is carried out by competent persons
• Taking equipment out of use if it develops faults until it is repaired
• Maintaining safety-critical parts (guards, interlocks, brakes, emergency stops) to the same standard as operating parts

A maintenance regime must be appropriate to the level of risk. High-risk equipment requires more frequent and thorough maintenance than low-risk items.

Duty 3: Inspection (Regulation 6)

Where the safety of work equipment depends on the installation conditions or where it is liable to deterioration, you must arrange inspections:

When to inspect

You must determine suitable inspection intervals based on the type of equipment, the conditions in which it is used, and how heavily it is used. Consider:

• Manufacturer's recommendations for inspection intervals
• Intensity of use - equipment used continuously needs more frequent inspection than equipment used occasionally
• Working environment - harsh conditions (wet, dusty, corrosive) accelerate deterioration
• Age and condition - older equipment may need more frequent inspection
• History of faults - equipment with a track record of problems needs closer monitoring

Pre-use checks: In addition to formal inspections, encourage operators to carry out daily or pre-use visual checks before operating equipment. These informal checks catch many problems early.

Duty 4: Guarding dangerous parts (Regulations 11-12)

This is one of the most important PUWER requirements. Employers must take effective measures to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery and to protect against other specified hazards.

What makes guarding effective

Guards and protection devices must meet these requirements:

• Robust construction: Strong enough to withstand foreseeable impacts and stresses
• Cannot be easily bypassed or defeated: Workers must not be able to reach around, over, under or through guards
• Do not create additional risks: Guards must not introduce new trapping points or sharp edges
• Allow essential access: Where guards must be removed for maintenance, interlocks should prevent the machine from running
• Properly maintained: Guards must be inspected regularly and repaired or replaced when damaged

Critical warning: Removing or disabling machine guards is one of the leading causes of workplace amputations and fatalities. HSE treats guard removal as a very serious matter. If you discover workers have removed or bypassed guards, you must act immediately to stop work, reinstall the guards, investigate why they were removed, and address the root cause.

Duty 5: Controls and emergency stops (Regulations 14-18)

PUWER sets detailed requirements for equipment controls:

• Regulation 14 - Start controls: Equipment must not start (or make a significant change in operating conditions) unless the operator deliberately activates the relevant control. After a stoppage, equipment must not restart automatically unless this is safe by design
• Regulation 15 - Stop controls: Every piece of equipment must have a readily accessible stop control that brings it safely to a complete stop
• Regulation 16 - Emergency stop controls: Where there is a risk of danger from equipment, an emergency stop must be provided. Emergency stops must be readily accessible and bring equipment to rest as quickly as possible. They are typically red mushroom-head push buttons on a yellow background
• Regulation 17 - Controls: Controls must be clearly visible, identifiable, and positioned to avoid accidental operation
• Regulation 18 - Control systems: Control systems must be safe. They must not create increased risk, must operate as intended, and must be designed so that a failure does not create danger (fail-safe principle)

Duty 6: Stability, lighting and other requirements (Regulations 19-24)

PUWER also requires:

• Stability (Reg 20): Equipment must be stabilised by clamping or otherwise to prevent it from moving in a way that could cause injury
• Lighting (Reg 21): Adequate lighting must be provided where equipment is used, maintained or inspected
• Maintenance operations (Reg 22): Equipment must be designed to allow safe maintenance while shut down, or where this is not possible, appropriate measures must protect maintenance workers
• Markings (Reg 23): Equipment must be clearly marked with warnings and information relevant to safe use, including any conditions of use
• Warnings (Reg 24): Equipment must have appropriate warnings or warning devices (visual, audible) where risks cannot be adequately controlled by other means

Duty 7: Information, instructions and training (Regulations 8 and 9)

Everyone who uses, supervises or manages the use of work equipment must receive adequate information and instructions (regulation 8) and adequate training (regulation 9):

What training must cover

Training must be tailored to the specific equipment and must include:

• How to operate the equipment safely - correct procedures for starting, operating and stopping
• Risks associated with the equipment - what can go wrong and the consequences
• Safety features - how guards, interlocks, emergency stops and controls work
• What to do if something goes wrong - emergency procedures, reporting faults
• Restrictions on use - who is authorised to use the equipment and under what conditions
• Maintenance requirements - pre-use checks, reporting defects

Records: Keep records of who has been trained, when, on what equipment, and by whom. This is essential evidence of compliance.

How to achieve PUWER compliance

PUWER and other regulations

PUWER works alongside other equipment-specific regulations. You may need to comply with additional requirements depending on the type of equipment:

• LOLER 1998: Lifting equipment also requires thorough examination at statutory intervals (6 or 12 months) under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations
• PSSR 2000: Pressure systems require a written scheme of examination under the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations
• EAWR 1989: Electrical equipment must meet the Electricity at Work Regulations
• Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008: New machinery must meet essential health and safety requirements and carry CE/UKCA marking

PUWER provides the baseline requirements that apply to all work equipment. Equipment-specific regulations add additional requirements on top of PUWER, not instead of it.

Common PUWER compliance failures

HSE inspectors commonly find these issues:

• Guards removed or defeated to speed up production or access
• No maintenance regime for safety-critical equipment
• Emergency stops not working or not tested regularly
• Inadequate training - particularly for new starters and temporary workers
• Equipment used for unintended purposes outside its design specification
• No pre-use checks before operating equipment
• No inspection records for equipment that requires Regulation 6 inspections
• Modifications made without proper assessment of the effect on safety

What to do next

1. Create or update your equipment register listing all work equipment
2. Check guarding on all machinery with dangerous moving parts
3. Establish maintenance and inspection schedules for all equipment
4. Review training records and fill gaps for all equipment users
5. Test emergency stops on all relevant equipment
6. For lifting equipment, see also our guide on LOLER compliance