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PUWER compliance checklist: sources and guidance

A check of one item of work equipment against the main duties of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER). HSE explains that PUWER requires equipment to be suitable for its intended use, safe, maintained in a safe condition [25], and used only by people with adequate training [54].

How often: Set by your organisation through risk assessment, taking account of the manufacturer's recommendations. Check again after major changes, damage or a change in how the equipment is used.[39][41][38]

Purpose

Use this PUWER compliance checklist to review one machine, tool or other item of work equipment against the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER). PUWER places duties on people and companies who own, operate or have control over work equipment [5]. The checklist follows the duties as HSE describes them: the right equipment for the job, kept in good repair, inspected where needed, used by trained people, and fitted with the guards, controls and isolation it needs. It leaves a record of who checked which item, when, and what was decided.

Who should use it

Employers, supervisors and maintenance staff who look after work equipment, and health and safety advisers carrying out an equipment audit. Work equipment is any machinery, appliance, apparatus, tool or installation for use at work [31], including equipment that employees bring for their own use [24], so the checklist can be used for anything from a hand tool to a production machine.

How often

PUWER does not set one interval for all equipment. HSE says the need for inspection and its frequency should be decided through risk assessment [39], taking full account of the manufacturer's recommendations [41]. Intervals can be lengthened where the inspection history shows little deterioration, or shortened where experience shows that is needed to prevent danger [40]. The interval for this full check is set by your organisation. Check again after any event that could have affected the equipment's safety, such as major modifications, known or suspected serious damage, or a big change in how it is used [38].

How to use this checklist

  1. Fill in one form for each item of equipment. Choose the equipment type first: the mobile equipment questions only appear for mobile or self-propelled equipment.
  2. Look at the equipment where it is used, with its instructions, maintenance log and inspection records to hand.
  3. Mark N/A only where a check really does not apply, for example the new-equipment questions for an older machine.
  4. Three checks are marked critical. Faulty or damaged equipment should never be used [49], equipment that needs inspection should not be used unless you know the inspection has taken place [42], and HSE says to take effective measures to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery [3]. If any of them fails, take the equipment out of use until it is put right.
  5. Record each defect and who will fix it, then sign the form.

What the rules say

HSE's summary of PUWER says you must, among other things:

  • make sure equipment is constructed or adapted to be suitable for its purpose [28], and only used for suitable purposes [29];
  • maintain it in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair [14], and keep any maintenance log up to date [12];
  • inspect it after installation and before use where safety depends on the installation [9], and inspect it where it is exposed to deterioration so that faults are found in good time [4];
  • give users, supervisors and managers adequate information and training [8] [54];
  • prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery, normally by fixed guarding [3], following the hierarchy in PUWER regulation 11(2) [7];
  • provide identified, safe controls [2] and suitable means of isolating the equipment from all power sources [11].

New equipment should arrive with appropriate conformity marking, a Declaration of Conformity and instructions in English [22]. Mobile work equipment has extra duties on carrying people, rollover and braking [20] [16].

The regulations do not list every part to check on every machine. Where a check depends on the equipment, follow the manufacturer's instructions and your risk assessment. HSE's Approved Code of Practice for PUWER (L22) gives more detail; it is a separate HSE publication and is not reproduced here.

What this checklist does not cover

  • Thorough examination of lifting equipment under LOLER. Lifting equipment must meet LOLER as well as PUWER; use a LOLER record for it.
  • Pressure systems, which fall under the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations.
  • Power presses working on cold metal, which have their own thorough examination and guard inspection duties and Approved Code of Practice.
  • The detailed rules for woodworking machinery in its own Approved Code of Practice.
  • Personal protective equipment and electrical installations, which have their own regulations.
  • The product supply duties of manufacturers and suppliers of new machinery.
  • Northern Ireland. This page is written for Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) only.

Questions

What does PUWER require?

HSE sums it up as equipment that is suitable for its intended use, safe for use and maintained in a safe condition [25], used by people who have had adequate training [54], and protected by measures such as guarding, emergency stop devices, isolation, and clear markings and warning devices [15].

How often does work equipment need to be inspected under PUWER?

There is no single interval. The need for inspection and how often it happens should be decided through risk assessment [39]. Inspections range from quick checks before use, such as cable condition on hand-held power tools or testing brakes and lights on mobile machinery [43], to more detailed checks at longer intervals. Record the result and keep the record at least until the next inspection [45].

Who can carry out a PUWER inspection?

Anyone with enough knowledge and experience of the equipment [35] to know what to look at, what to look for and what to do if they find a problem [36]. The inspection should concentrate on the safety-related parts needed for safe operation [46].

Do I have to keep a maintenance log?

No. HSE says there is no requirement to keep a maintenance log, but recommends keeping maintenance records for high-risk equipment [32]. Where a machine does have a maintenance log, it must be kept up to date [12].

Does PUWER cover lifting equipment and pressure systems?

PUWER still applies, but other regulations apply as well: lifting equipment must also meet LOLER, and pressure equipment must meet the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations [23]. This checklist does not cover the thorough examinations those regulations need.

Can a safe system of work replace a machine guard?

Only in limited cases. HSE says a safe system of work may be an acceptable alternative to guarding, but only after an adequate risk assessment [33]. Guarding comes first, following the hierarchy in PUWER regulation 11(2) [7].

Sources

Each cited excerpt was found word for word in the official text on the date shown.

  1. [1]HSE: Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) - overview — Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Retrieved September 24, 2026.
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Guidance, not legal advice. It does not replace the law, the manufacturer's instructions or your organization's competent people.