Safety of Machinery and Work Equipment - PUWER, Fountain Safety Solutions Ltd.

These regulations apply to virtually all work equipment currently in use and they place a duty on all employers to provide equipment that is safe and suitable for their intended use. Companies also have an obligation under these regulations to inspect work equipment prior to putting it into service. This applies to both new and second hand equipment.

Accidents caused by damaged and unsuitable work equipment cost companies £1000’s in lost work, lost manpower, legal bills, compensation claims and loss of future work.

To ensure that your company will comply with PUWER’98, we will complete an extensive PUWER Audit. This will determine any non-compliances which can be considered as hazards and are formally risk-assessed in accordance with The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

Our risk assessments come with recommendations and solutions on how compliance can be achieved.

We provide a full documentation package that includes audit checklists, risk assessments, audit report and priority list.

Key Points Included in the PUWER Audit:

Integrity—equipment should be safe through its design, construction or adaptation
Place—equipment should be suitable for the different environments where it is expected to be used
Use—equipment should be suitable for the task for which it is intended to be used
Isolation—applies to electrical, pneumatic and thermal energy supplies
Protection against moving parts—suitability of guarding, sensors and interlocks
Control System—suitability, starting, stopping, emergency stopping and consequence of failure
Instructions & Training—examination of safe operating procedures and training records
Inspection & Maintenance—frequency, suitability and documentation of procedures
Extremes of Temperature—protection against hot and very cold surfaces

Safety of Work Equipment