End of Lesson:- Work Equipment - Answers

A1 The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 defines what
is and what isn’t work equipment. Although you probably think that this
answer is a little evasive, such a statement should form part of your answer
together with some examples which fall within the definition of work
equipment: lawn-mower, photocopier, hand saw and some examples which
fall outside the definition of work equipment: livestock, substances,
structural features such as walls.
A2 RIDDOR requires not only the reporting of accidents and illness, but also of
dangerous occurrences which as far as PUWER is concerned could mean
the collapse of lifting equipment or the failure of a pressure vessel.
A3 PUWER 98, regulation by regulation
As we emphasise, at Certificate level you are not expected to remember
the numbers of the individual regulations which make up, in this case,
PUWER and you would never get a question like this in the examination -
as we said earlier, these are revision questions, not examination questions.
You should be able to use each regulation and its title as a ‘trigger’ to
describe what you know about PUWER.
PUWER 98 regulation 4 suitability of work equipment The workplace risk
assessment will form an integral step in the selection of work equipment
which will prove appropriate for a particular task, for the particular
circumstances* in question, including both day to day operation and
maintenance. Employers must ensure that equipment - whether purchased as
new, hired and/or adapted - must be suitable for the work it is required to do.
* It is very important to take into consideration any hazards created by the
location: if for example, equipment is being used in wet conditions on a
building site, or electrical equipment is to be used in inflammable atmos-
pheres. PUWER 98 regulations 5, 6, 23 maintenance operations and
inspection PUWER 98 lays considerable stress on the need to inspect and
maintain equipment to ensure that the equipment is kept in an efficient state,
in efficient working order and in good repair. The extent and complexity of
maintenance will vary enormously, from simple checks on hand tools to a
substantial programme for a complex system.

It is hard to imagine a situation where it would not be appropriate to keep a

maintenance log: recording work carried out and generating triggers and
timetables for future maintenance and inspection activities.
PUWER 98 regulation 7 specific risks, regulation 12 protection against specified
hazards As we explained in the study material, regulation 7 is concerned with the
specific risks of whatever piece of work equipment you care to name - chisels,
tractors, food mixers, milking machines - but not cows (why not?), printing
machines ... PUWER 98 does not spell out the hazard potential of each and
every single piece of work equipment - that is the task of the risk assessment.
Regulation 12 of PUWER 98 does identify a limited number of specified
hazards, for example overheating and fire. Regulation 12 cross refers to other
legislation which may take precedence over PUWER 98 ... can you think of
some examples of such ‘trump’ card legislation - if not refer back to the unit 9
study material.
PUWER 98 regulations 8, 9 information and training This requirement can be
related back to the HASAWA section 2(3).
PUWER 98 regulation 11 dangerous parts of machinery ... employers to take
effective measures to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery or stop
their movement before any part of a person enters a danger zone. The term
‘dangerous part’ has been established in health and safety law through judicial
decisions. PUWER 98 requires a hierarchy of controls for dangerous parts of
machinery (assuming that the complete replacement of the machine by one
inherently less hazardous has been considered as an option, but is not
practicable). For your Certificate examination, you should be able to describe this
hierarchy of controls.
PUWER 98 regulation 13 high or very low temperature Contact with hot or cold
surfaces should be reduced by engineering control - insulation, shielding,
reduction in the quantities of liquids being handled, use of lids and so on; in
addition to these engineering controls, personal protection may be necessary.
PUWER 98 regulations 14–18 control systems: start, stop, emergency stop ... it
should not be possible for a machine to start without the application of a control;
(particularly important in a situation where the machine has been stopped
automatically by the activation of a safety device - it should be necessary to re-
set the machine first). An emergency stop system should be readily available ... it
may be acceptable for the system to come to a halt more rapidly than for a
conventional stop. Emergency stops should never be used as functional stops
during normal operation. All controls and emergency stops must be clearly
visible, instantly identifiable and appropriately positioned.
PUWER 98 regulation19 isolation from sources of energy All work equipment
should be provided with suitable means to safely isolate it from its source of
energy, whatever form this source may take (you should be able to provide some
examples and also to provide a definition of ‘isolation’).
PUWER 98 regulation 20 stability ... including: limitations on the height of, for
example, a mobile tower scaffold; stabilising equipment which could topple; use
of stabilisers on mobile cranes
PUWER 98 regulation 21 lighting
... suitable and sufficient lighting (suitable and sufficient - the two words
which are always to be
used when referring to the legal requirements for lighting)
 PUWER 98 regulations 23, 24 markings, warnings Clearly marked
information giving, for example, safe working loads, maximum operating
speed and so on. A warning normally takes the form of a notice or an audible
signal such as a ringing bell or a flashing reversing light.

A4 The three aspects of work that will need to be encompassed in a training

programme will be:
 day to day operation of the equipment - starting, stopping, loading,
unloading and so on
 foreseeable abnormal situations such as a drill bit shattering or a tyre
puncturing
 what the HSE describe as ‘conclusions to be drawn from experience in
using the work equipment’ which means that, following training, the worker
should have sufficient knowledge to be able to make constructive criticism
about the equipment and its use in the workplace in question.

A5 It will be necessary to consider the employees’ age and existing competence

and hence what additional training will be necessary to enable them to use,
supervise or manage the use of the work equipment with due regard to
health and safety. (It is important to remember that an employer has an
obligation to train not only to those who use work equipment but also to
those supervising or managing.)
The training programme should also take account of the circumstances in
which the employee is to work (alone, under close supervision of a
competent person or whatever).
A6 Machinery motion may be described as being a combination of rotary and
linear motion; (reciprocating movement can be seen as a form of linear
motion).

A7 The mechanical hazards associated with machinery motion may be classified

as follows:
 entanglement
 friction or abrasion
 cutting
 shear
 stabbing or puncture
 impact
 crushing
 drawing in, which might lead to one or more of the above hazards
A8 Definitions
 machinery is apparatus for producing or applying power, having fixed or
moving parts each with definite functions
 a hazard has the potential to cause personal injury or ill health
 risk is a measure of the likelihood that a hazard will result in harm together
with the resulting severity
 a safeguard is a guard or device designed to protect persons from danger
 a guard is a physical barrier that prevents or reduces access to a danger
point
 a safety device is a device other than a guard that eliminates or reduces
danger
 a safe working practice or safe system of work is a method of working that
eliminates or reduces the risk of injury
 an interlock is a safety device that interconnects a guard with the control
system or the power system of the machinery
 failure to danger is any failure of the machinery, its associated safeguards,
its control circuits or its power supply that leaves the machinery in an
unsafe condition
 failure to minimal danger is any failure of the machinery, its associated
safeguards, control circuits or its power supply that leaves the machine in
a safe condition, or rather, a condition of minimal danger
 integrity is the ability of the devices, systems and procedures to perform
their function without failure or defeat

A9 The hierarchy of control which is appropriate for machine safety: having

assessed the risk posed by the machinery in question, the solution must
then be chosen through the hierarchy of controls (we have added a few
notes under each heading):
 substitution, the use of a safer machine .... remember that there are legal
requirements for purchase of new machinery
 engineering control to reduce the severity of harm and the likelihood of
harm arising from the hazard in question
 administrative control including the establishment of appropriate working
procedures for day to day operation and cleaning and maintenance and
emergency procedures
 personal protective equipment if all other measures fail to achieve
sufficient control

A10 Selection of guards: F I A T. Fixed guards being the first choice, followed
by interlock guards, automatic guards and fina.

A11 Hand tools are non-powered tools and they include:

Screwdrivers.
 Hammers.
  Pliers.
 Spanners.
 Wrenches.
 Stanley knives.
 Paint brushes.

A12 Hazards associated with the use of an electric drill will consist of:
 Electric shock.
 Puncturing.
 Entanglement.
 Noise.
 Dust.

A13 Non-mechanical machinery hazards will include:

 Slips, trips and falls.

 Falling and moving objects.
 Manual handling hazards.
 Noise.
 Hot and cold temperatures.
 Inhalation of dust.
 Radiation.
 Vibration.
 Electricity including static.

This is a brief list and more can be added.

A14 Examples of trip devices include:

 Light curtains.
 Foot mats.
 Sensitive edges.