How often should access equipment be inspected?
The temptation to postpone scheduled inspections, or cut corners to save money and time can lead to a business nightmare, with dangerous results for your customers and staff. Potential hazards are lurking beneath the surface, and they might not be instantly visible to the naked eye, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t there. You might think you’re skipping uneccessary inspections, but the results of unplanned downtime, emergency repairs and costs of damaged equipment (or even worse… Injured workers) would suggest otherwise.
Elavation Platforms and Training have been running since 2004 and consist of 50 years of specialist experience, over 800 machines, and LOLER certifications. Elavation meets all platform maintenance and servicing requirements, giving their customers peace of mind that all equipment used remains safe and follows legal requirements. This blog will explore the importance of PUWER inspections, who should carry them out, and the process of inspection, let’s dive into it now!
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What is a PUWER inspection?
A PUWER inspection (Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998) is a safety check of work equipment to ensure it is safe to use, and maintained in good condition. The main point of these inspections is to identify any potential risks early, before they become a threat to your workspace, and that all equipment remains safe for its intended use.
It is the duty of those who own, operate, or have control over work equipment to book an inspection and ensure that all their equipment is safe to use, and maintained in good condition, as well as only being used by people with adequate training, such as IPAF accredited training.
Who should carry out PUWER inspections?
In short, a competent person with the necessary knowledge, skills, and experience to perform the inspection effectively. This includes knowing what to include in the inspection, and how and when to carry it out (covered in more detail below).
If the equipment you own isn’t too complex, these inspections can be completed in-house; a fully trained employee must take the appropriate measures to ensure maintenance on all work equipment, otherwise the equipment and services should be shut down. An easier option would be to contact a third-party organisation to carry out the PUWER inspection, such as Puwer.co.uk, who’ll send engineers to your site to complete all inspections accurately.
PUWER Testing: What is assessed and when?
Before we get into everything that needs to be assessed in PUWER testing, we wanted to start with when these tests need to be conducted. These inspections are required in all these following circumstances:
- After installation and before first use
- After reassembly at a new location
- When exposed to conditions that could cause deterioration
- When there are exceptional circumstances, such as major modifications or suspected damage
- At regular intervals
If any of those circumstances apply to you then you must go ahead with the necessary assessment protocol, this involves looking into the following:
- Electrical and mechanical condition: The equipment’s condition, including any defects or damage
- Safety features: Whether the equipment has appropriate guarding, emergency stop devices, and visible markings
- Maintenance records: The equipment’s maintenance records, installation information, and modification details
- Compliance: Whether the equipment meets the necessary standards and regulations
- Risk assessment: An assessment of potential risks, the probability of harm, and a plan to eliminate or reduce those risks
Once all these factors have been assessed and your machinery is working accurately, then you are safe to use all equipment and continue services as usual. It’s important that you consider these factors when you are choosing where to hire your equipment from. Elavation is a service who are committed to the safety of their staff and customers, making them the best choice for all your access equipment needs.
