The regulations require risks to people’s health and safety, from equipment used at work, to be controlled or prevented. They aim to make working life safer for everyone using and coming into contact with the machinery and equipment.

They require equipment provided for use at work to be:

• Suitable for intended use
• Maintained in a safe condition to ensure safety
• Used only by people who have received adequate instructions, information and training
• Inspected by a competent person
• Have suitable safety measures – warnings and markings

What equipment is covered?

Any equipment used by an employee at work is going to be covered by PUWER:

• Hand tools – hammers/knives
• Ladders
• Drilling machines
• Lifting equipment
• Dumper trucks
• Motor vehicles

Employees who provide their own equipment are also covered by PUWER.

It is not just larger companies that are subject to the regulations, if you use or control work equipment, then you have a legal obligation to follow them.