1. PROVISION AND USE
OF WORK EQUIPMENT REGULATIONS
PUWER
1998
No.23076
HEALTH AND SAFETY

2. PUWER
REGULATION 1: CITATION AND COMMENCEMENT
PUWER came into effect on 5th December 1998
All work equipment including mobile and lifting equipment and the
inspection of work equipment.
 New
 Existing second-hand
TO ALL SECTOR -It applies to all workplaces and work situations
where the HSW Act applies.
These Regulations apply to all of Great Britain, inside and
outside, and offshore activities.

3. PUWER
What is PUWER:
The primary objective is to ensure that work equipment should not
result in health and safety risks, regardless of its age, condition
or origin.
Puwer is set out as follows:
PART I -II
Regulation 1 to 3: interpretation, definitions, applies.
Regulation 4 to 10: are the management duties, selection of
equipment, maintenance, inspection, specific risks, information, instructions and training.
Regulation 11 to 24: they cover the guarding of dangerous parts of work equipment
(stop controls, lighting, warning markings)
PART III
-Regulation 25 to 30: mobile work equipment risk- e.g. Fork lift trucks and dumper
trucks
PART IV
-Regulation 31 to 35: the safe use of power presses- guard o protection
device, inspected daily and the regulatory obligations.
PART V
Regulation 36 to 39: transitional provisions, repeals or revokes legislation

4. PUWER
What does PUWER do:
Generally, require that equipment provided for use at work is:
Suitable for intended use
Safe for use, maintained in a safe condition and inspected
Use only by people who have received adequate
information, instruction and training
Accompanied by suitable safety measures

5. PUWER
Risk assessment:
Type of work equipment, substances and electrical or mechanical hazards
Action to eliminate/control any risk during maintenance:
Disconnecting the power
Supporting parts of work equipment which could fall
Securing mobile work equipment so that it cannot move
Removing or isolating flammable or hazardous substances
Depressurising pressurised equipment
Other matter to consider include environmental conditions such as:
Lighting
Problems caused by weather conditions
Other work being carried out which may affect the operation
Activities of people who are not at work

6. PUWER
REGULATION 2: INTERPRETATION
DEFINITION:
Work equipment- any machinery, appliance, apparatus, tool or installation
for use at work
Use- any activity involving work equipment (starting, stopping, setting,
transporting, repairing, modifying, cleaning, etc)
Dutyholder: include a duty on people who have control of work equipment.
Inspection: visual or more rigorous inspection by competent person, testing.
Identify whether the equipment can be operated safely and remedied before
any risks.
Suitable : it is foreseeable will affect the health or safety of any person.

7. PUWER
REGULATION 3: APPLICATION
The requirements imposed by these Regulations applies:
Employers , the self employed persons in respect of work equipment used
at work
To a person who has control to any extent of:
Work Equipment
A person at work who uses or supervises or manages the use of work
equipment
The way in which work equipment is used
Other workers who may be affected
To all work equipment & sectors
With a lot of employer- is required co-operation and co-ordination of activities.

8. PUWER
REGULATION 4: SUITABILITY OF WORK EQUIPMENT
Safety of work equipment from 3 aspects:
Its initial integrity (design, construction or adaptation to be
suitable for the purpose for which it is used) When selecting work
equipment, employers should take account of ergonomic risk.
The place where it will be used- the health andd safety of person-
woking conditions/workplace (there is sufficient space between the
moving parts of work equipment/there is sufficient air of good quality-
combustion-ventilation)
The purpose for wich it will be used- only for operations which it
is suitable

9. PUWER
REGULATION 5: MAINTENANCE
Employer must ensure that work equipment is maintained.
It does not cover the maintenance process- HSW act frecuency of maintenance:
Intensity of use
Operating environment
Variety of operations
Risk to health and safety from malfunction or failure
MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT: to be targeted to health and safety risk-failure ore
deterioration of work equipment
Planned preventive maintenance: replacing parts and consumables (guards,
protection devices)
Condition-based maintenance: the condition of safety critical parts, to avoid hazards
(Equipment hire)
Breakdown maintenance: after faults or failures have occurred.
Every employer shall ensure that the maintenance log is kept up to date.
Manufacturer’s recommendations
Maintenance workers: competent to do the work
(information, instructions and training required)

10. PUWER
REGULATION 6: INSPECTION
INSPECTION- include a pre-use check make before using for the firs time the work
equipment (after installation or in a new location)
The equipment is installed correctly & is safe to operate.
INSPECTION is only NECESSARY where is a SIGNIFICANT RISK :
Incorrect installation or re-installation
Deterioration
Exceptional circumstances which could affect the safe operation
FRECUENCY of inspection depend on:
TYPE OF EQUIPMENT
WHERE IS USE
HOW IT IS USED
INSPECTION should include VISUAL checks, FUNCTIONAL checks and TESTING
INSPECTOR- have the necessary knowledge and experience- information, instructions and
training required (what to look at /what to look for / what to do)
Each inspection is recorded and kept until nex inspection

11. PUWER
REGULATION 6: INSPECTION
RECORD shoul normally include:
Information on the type and model of equipment;
Any identification mark or number that it has;
Its normal location;
The date that the inspection was carried out;
Who carried out the inspection;
Any faults; and/or
Any action taken;
To whom the faults have been reported;
The date when repairs or other necessary action were carried out.

12. PUWER
REGULATION 7: SPECIFIC RISKS
Where the use of work equipment is likely to involve a specific risk to
health and safety, every employer must ensure that:
The use of work equipment is RESTRICTED TO PERSONS given
the task of using it.
Repairs, modifications, maintenance or servicing of equipment
is restricted to persons who have been designated.
The persons designated for a particular task have received adequate
training

13. PUWER
REGULATION 8: INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS
Health & safety information is available to all persons who use work equipment
Any employee who supervises or manages the use of work equipment has
available to him adequate health & safety information & written instructions for the
use of the work equipment.
To provide employees with the INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS necessary to
ensure:
Their health and safety
Preventive measures
Competent person to help comply with health and safety requirements
Planning and organising health and safety training
INSTRUCTION or INFORMATION should cover:
All health and safety aspect from the use of the work equipment
Any limitations on these uses
Any foreseeable difficulties
The methods to deal with them
Conclusions drawn from experience using the work equipment

14. PUWER
REGULATION 9: TRAINING
All persons including supervisors & managers who use work equipment
have received adequate training for purposes of health and safety,
including :
Training using the work equipment
To know about any risks which such use may entail
Precautions to be taken
It should take place within working hours.
The obtained a relevant certificate of competence or competent award.

15. PUWER
REGULATION 10: CONFORMITY WITH COMMUNITY REQUIREMENTS
An item of work equipment has been designed and constructed in compliance
with any essential requirements.
All work equipment have : CE Marking and the relevant certificates or
declarations (copy of EC Declaration of Conformit)
Instructions have been provided.
REGULATION 11: DANGEROUS PARTS OF MACHINERY
To prevent access to any dangerous part
To stop the movement
To provision of fixed guards, protection devices or applicances- enclosing
every dangerous part or protection devices or protection appliances
To provision of information, instruction, training and supervision
You will need to take account of the requirements of work, your evaluation of the
risks, and the technical features of possible safeguarding solutions.

16. PUWER
REGULATION 12: PROTECTION AGAINST SPECIFIED HAZARDS
Material falling, rupture, overheating, discharge of any article or any gas,
liguid, vapor, ... or explosion
There are other specific regulation (Ionising, Substances Hazardous, Noise,
Asbestos, Construction, Vibration, Lead)
REGULATION 13: HIGH OR VERY LOW TEMPERATURE
To prevent injury to any person by burn, scald or sear, frostbite.
Personal protective equipment at work regulations 1992
Warning signs (visual, noise), instructions, training, supervision, technical
documentation...

17. PUWER
REGULATION 14-18: CONTROLS AND CONTROL SYSTEM
14-All equipments is provided with one o more controls, to starting the work
equipment and controlling any change (speed, pressure, operating conditions)
15-Any controls or stop control should bring the equipment to a safe condition
in a safe manner
16- An emergency stop control not to be considered as a substitute for
safeguarding. The emergency stops rapidly bring work equipment to a halt.
Emergency stop controls should be easily reached and actuated and operate in
priority to any control
17-All controls for work equipment are clearly visible and identifiable.
Visual, audible, tactile or combination of the three
(Colour, shape, position, marking, noise, signallers –control motion-)
18- All controls systems are safe

18. PUWER
REGULATION 19: ISOLATION FROM SOURCES OF ENERGY
Isolation means establishing a break in the energy supply in a secure manner
Clearly identifiable and readily accessible.
To allow equipment to be made safe under particular circumstances.
Lock or key
Precautions to ensure that people are not put at risk following reconnection of
the energy source.
REGULATION 20: STABILITY
Work equipment or any part of work equipment is stabilized by clamping or
otherwise where necessary for purposes of health & safety.
By ballasting or counterbalancing or foundation or supporting structure
Weather coditions
Certain types of mobile work equipment, can have their stability increased by
outriggers or similar devices.

19. PUWER
REGULATION 21: LIGHTING
Every employer shall ensure that suitable and sufficient lighting where a
person uses work equipment.
REGULATION 22: MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS
Maintenance operations can be carried out without exposing the person
carrying them out to a risk to his health & safety.
Appropriate measures can be taken for the protection of any person carrying
out maintenance operations.
Protection: providing temporaty guards, limited movement controls, .. Wearing
personal protective equipment, etc.

20. PUWER
REGULATION 23: MARKINGS
Work equipment is clearly marked & any markings are appropriate for
reasons of Health & safety are clearly visible.
Stop and start controls for equipment need to be identified.
Markings may use words, letters, numbers or symbols, colours,
shapes.
REGULATION 24: WARNINGS
Warning or warning devices which are appropriate for reason of health
and safety.
They are unambiguous, easily perceived and easily understood.

21. PUWER
PART III: MOBILE WORK EQUIPMENT
REGULATIONS 25-30
Mobile work equipment is any work equipment which is travelling between
different locations where it is used to carry out work.
To ensure that where work equipment, while in motion, not involve risk to
the safety of person.
Work equipment: Self-propelled mobile work equipment. Attachment.
Towed mobile work equipment. Remote-controlled mobile work
equipment. Pedestrian-controlled work equipment.
REGULATION 25: Employees carried on mobile work equipment. (It is suitable for
carrying persons safe manners)
FOPS- falling object protective structures- cage
REGULATION 26: Rolling over of mobile work equipment. ROPS
REGULATION 27: Overturning of fork-lift trucks.
REGULATION 28: Self-propelled work equipment.
REGULATION 29: Remote-controlled self-propelled work equipment.
REGULATION 30: Drive shafts

22. PUWER
PART IV- REGULATIONS 31-35: POWER PRESSES
31-Power presses to which Part IV does not apply-Schedule 2
32-Thorough examination of power presses, guards and protection devices
33-Inspection of guards and protection devices
34-Reports
35-Keeping of information
PART V- REGULATIONS 36-39: MISCELLLANEOUS
36- Exemption for the armed forces
37-Transitional provision-5th 1998-5th 2002 (Regulation 25-30)
38- Repeal of enactment (Offices, shops and Railway 1963)
39-Revocation of instruments- Schedule 4

23. PUWER
APPENDIX
SCHEDULE 1: INSTRUMENTS WHICH GIVE EFFECT TO COMMUNITY
DIRECTIVES CONCERNING THE SAFETY OF PRODUCTS
Construction products, noise, electrical, medical, gas, vessels,l ifts.
SCHEDULE 2 : POWER PRESSES TO WHICH REGULATION 32 TO 35
DO NOT APPLY
SCHEDULE 3: INFORMATION TO BE CONTAINES IN A REPORT OF A
THOROUGH EXAMINATION OF A POWER PRESS, GUARD OR
PROTECTION DEVICE
SCHEDULE 4: REVOCATION OF INSTRUMENTS