Inspecting work equipment

Ladders, power tools, harnesses and machines all wear with use. Some kit needs a regular inspection that is written down, and some only needs a quick look before use.

Which equipment needs inspecting

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) says not all work equipment needs a formal inspection. In many cases a quick visual check before use is enough.

An inspection is needed where significant risks to health and safety could come from incorrect installation, reinstallation, deterioration or any other circumstances. The HSE says the employer should decide which equipment needs inspecting, and how often, through a risk assessment.

When the law requires one

Under regulation 6 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER), an employer must have equipment inspected in three cases. The rules cover England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland has separate regulations of its own.

Where safety depends on how equipment is installed, an employer must have it inspected after installation and before first use, and after assembly at a new site or location.

Where the conditions it works in wear equipment down in ways liable to cause danger, it must be inspected at suitable intervals. It must also be inspected each time exceptional circumstances that could put its safety at risk have occurred, such as major modifications or serious damage.

Regulation 6 doesn't apply to some kit that is covered by other rules, including lifting equipment and equipment under the Work at Height Regulations 2005.

Ladders, harnesses, guard rails and working platforms such as scaffolds come under the Work at Height Regulations instead. Their inspection rules are much the same. One extra rule covers a working platform used for construction work where someone could fall 2 metres or more: it can't be used unless it has been inspected in that position in the previous 7 days. A mobile working platform can instead have been inspected on the site in that time.

How far an inspection goes

The HSE's examples run from quick checks before use, such as the cable on a hand-held power tool, to weekly checks of guards and safety devices. More thorough examinations come every few months or longer, such as a close look at a safety harness or portable appliance testing.

Intervals can be lengthened if the inspection history shows hardly any deterioration. They can be shortened where experience shows that is needed to prevent danger.

Who can do it

Anyone with enough knowledge and experience of the equipment can inspect it, the HSE says, as long as they know what to look at, what to look for and what to do if they find a problem. The HSE adds that experienced staff can often decide in-house what the inspections should cover, taking account of the maker's recommendations and industry advice.

Records

PUWER says the employer must record the result of an inspection and keep it until the next one is recorded. The HSE adds that the record doesn't have to be on paper. One kept on a computer should be held securely and shown to an enforcing authority on request.

The simplest checks before use don't normally need a record.

The HSE says equipment that needs an inspection shouldn't be used unless you know the inspection has taken place.

Equipment that needs these inspections must carry physical evidence of its last one when it leaves the business, or when it comes in from another, such as a hire company. The HSE's examples are an inspection report or, for smaller items, a tag, colour code or label.

Lifting equipment

Lifting equipment has its own rules, the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER), which include the thorough examination of lifting equipment.

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