What PUWER requires of you
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 apply to every piece of work equipment on your site — from a bench grinder to a production line. The duty is broad: equipment must be suitable for the job, safe to use, properly maintained, adequately guarded, fitted with accessible stop and isolation controls, and used only by people who have been trained and informed.
Unlike LOLER, PUWER sets no fixed interval. Regulation 6 requires inspection where the safety of the equipment depends on how it was installed or the conditions it works in, at intervals you can justify. That flexibility is where most businesses come unstuck: an inspector will ask what your interval is based on, and a documented, risk-based schedule is the answer.
Machinery we inspect
CNC machines
Mills, lathes, routers
Lathes & milling machines
Manual workshop plant
Pillar drills
Guarding & chuck keys
Bandsaws & circular saws
Blade guarding
Woodworking machinery
Planers, spindle moulders
Presses & guillotines
Two-hand control, light guards
Grinders & linishers
Wheel condition, rests
Production lines
Interlocks & guarding
Conveyors
Nip points & trip wires
Compactors & balers
Interlocked access
Mixers & mills
Access & isolation
General work equipment
Anything powered on site
What gets checked
- 01Fixed and interlocked guarding — present, secure, and not defeated or bypassed.
- 02Emergency stops and trip devices for accessibility, function and correct latching.
- 03Start controls, hold-to-run and two-hand controls for correct and safe operation.
- 04Isolation and lock-off provision, including local isolators and residual energy.
- 05Mechanical condition — bearings, drives, belts, chains and structural security.
- 06Electrical enclosures, glands and cable condition for damage and unauthorised access.
- 07Warning markings, instructions and CE/UKCA documentation where it should be present.
- 08Operator training records, safe operating procedures and maintenance history.
Setting an interval you can justify
| Situation | Typical approach |
|---|---|
| General workshop machinery | Annual inspection |
| High-risk or heavily used plant | Six-monthly or shorter |
| Second-hand or imported machinery | Before first use |
| Relocated or re-installed equipment | After installation |
| After modification, damage or long lay-up | Before returning to service |
What you receive
Written inspection report
Each machine listed with findings, a clear compliance status, and photographs of anything significant.
Prioritised action list
Defects ranked so you can deal with the dangerous items today and the housekeeping over the month.
Recommended interval
A justified inspection frequency per machine, based on its risk and how hard it works.
Evidence for auditors
Documentation that answers the inspector’s question: how do you know this machine is safe?
PUWER questions
Is PUWER a legal requirement?
Yes. PUWER 1998 places duties on employers to ensure work equipment is suitable, safe, maintained and used by trained people. Regulation 6 requires inspection where safety depends on the installation or the conditions of use.
How often should a PUWER inspection be carried out?
There is no fixed interval. Frequency follows risk, use and the manufacturer’s guidance — annual is common for general workshop machinery, six-monthly or shorter for high-risk or heavily used plant. What matters is that the interval is documented and defensible.
What is the difference between PUWER and LOLER?
PUWER covers all work equipment; LOLER adds specific duties for equipment that lifts. Lifting equipment has to satisfy both — which is why having one competent person cover both saves a second visit and a second set of paperwork.
Does second-hand machinery need a PUWER inspection?
Yes, and it is the most common reason for one. Second-hand and imported machines regularly arrive with guards missing, interlocks defeated or non-compliant controls, and the duty to put that right sits with you as the user, not the seller.
Where we work
PUWER inspections across Nottingham and the wider East Midlands — Derby, Leicester, Mansfield, Lincoln, Chesterfield, Loughborough, Newark and Worksop. See all areas covered.