What Are the PUWER Regulations?

If you’re an employer, self-employed individual or anyone else responsible for work equipment, you’ve likely heard about PUWER and its significance when it comes to legal compliance. But what are the PUWER regulations exactly, what do they cover and what are the steps you need to take to make sure you comply? This is what we’ve covered in the guide below.

What Are the PUWER Regulations and What Does PUWER Stand for?

PUWER stands for the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and it’s a UK law that mandates employers, those who are self employed and anyone else who controls equipment and/or machinery at work to make sure it’s suitable for its intended purpose and safe to use. It aims to prevent accidents and injuries to workers by setting a requirement for machines to be safe and equipped with the necessary machine guarding to prevent staff from coming into contact with any moving parts.

The PUWER regulations require machinery to be suited for its intended purpose, safe to use, properly guarded and operated by adequately trained staff. The main requirements under PUWER are:

Equipment suitability
Inspection and maintenance of equipment
Adequate training of machinery operators
Health and safety measures including machine guards, emergency stops and warnings
Meeting any applicable specific requirements e.g. for mobile machines or power presses

What Do the PUWER Regulations Cover?

The PUWER regulations cover any type of equipment, machinery, apparatus or installation that is used in a workplace and are applicable to virtually any workplace, whether it’s a factory or an office. They also apply to employee-owned equipment that’s used for work as well as equipment that an employee may be required to use from home.

What Equipment Is Covered by PUWER?

Any equipment that is used at work is covered by PUWER, including:

Hand tools (hammers, screwdrivers, drills, knives)
Power tools (saws, grinders)
Machinery (industrial presses, conveyor belts)
Vehicles (forklifts, tractors)
Office equipment (photocopiers, computers)
Lifting equipment (cranes, hoists)

*Note: the pieces of equipment listed in brackets are examples only and not a complete list of each category.

Accessafe supplies a wide range of machine guarding product types designed in line with relevant regulations and suitable for various types of machinery including custom designs and configurations.

How to Achieve PUWER Compliance

Employers are responsible for achieving PUWER compliance, but the process of getting there and keeping track of the processes may seem a bit complicated, especially if running a large scale operation. If you’re unsure where to start, here’s a list of steps you can take to ensure the machines used in your business comply with PUWER:

Make a list of all pieces of equipment used in your business
Conduct a risk assessment and create a spreadsheet noting down the risk level associated with each machine
Make sure each piece of equipment is suitable for its intended use and maintained in safe working order
Schedule regular inspections and have one after machine installation, relocation or any type of unusual circumstances
Install appropriate machine guarding and safety measures to protect staff and visitors from any moving / dangerous parts
Restrict machine use to trained employees only
Provide sufficient information, instruction and training to anyone operating the machines on how to do so safely, warning signage, etc. and refresher training as needed
Keep records of all inspections, maintenance and training carried out as this will help you demonstrate compliance
Regularly review and update risk assessments and safety measures especially if there’s any change in staff, equipment or any other aspect of your processes

Making sure that you’ve got the appropriate machine guarding equipment in place is a key part of achieving PUWER compliance and avoiding violations. Accessafe’s machine guarding range is designed and manufactured in line with all relevant regulations to help you ensure you’ve got the correct equipment in place, protect your workforce and remain PUWER compliant.

What Is a PUWER Risk Assessment?

A PUWER risk assessment is a regular check aimed at assessing whether workplace machinery is safe to use, what the risks involved are and what controls and procedures are in place to make sure it’s secure, suitable, well maintained and used by trained employees.

Some of the questions you should be aiming to answer with your risk assessment include:

Is the equipment you’re using fit for its purpose?
Is it safe and properly maintained?
Are the appropriate machine guards, controls, emergency stops, etc. in place?
Are the staff using it well trained?

How Often Is Equipment Checked Under PUWER?

There isn’t a fixed period of time for PUWER equipment checks, instead the frequency is determined on the basis of the risk levels involved, the type of equipment itself, conditions / environment and how often it’s used. The following are some guidelines:

High-risk equipment used frequently: Every 6 months
General machinery: Annually
Low risk, fixed, non-powered equipment: Up to 4 years

What Are the Consequences of PUWER Violations?

PUWER violations can have severe consequences from stopping operations at your business to fines and even criminal prosecution for directors and managers:

Disruption to business, inefficiency, wasted time
Reputational damage to your company, loss of client trust and future contracts
Increased spend due to costs from accidents
Significant penalties potentially reaching millions depending on severity
Criminal prosecution with directors / managers potentially facing personal liability
Serious harm to employees

Why Is PUWER Important in the Workplace?

PUWER is important in the workplace because it helps make sure machinery is suitable and safe to use and that the controls and machine guards needed are in place to reduce accidents and keep everyone tasked with operating those machines as safe as possible.

PUWER is also important because it helps enforce proper training of staff who do operate machinery at the workplace making sure everyone’s properly informed and prepared as to how to use the machines in a way that reduces injuries and fatalities as much as possible.

PUWER compliance overall contributes to a more confident, efficient environment which also helps improve productivity and employee morale.

Achieve PUWER Compliance with Accessafe

Accessafe is one of the most trusted suppliers of various types of high quality machine guarding in the UK designed in-line with relevant regulations to help you achieve PUWER compliance and protect your workforce. To learn more, download our full PDF guide on PUWER and the consequences of non-compliance here or have a look at our machine guarding page. Alternatively, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team. We’d be happy to assess your setup and help you stay safe, legal and productive!

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