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Statutory Instrument 1998 No. 2306 The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 states in PART II that:

Suitability of work equipment

  1. Every employer shall ensure that work equipment is so constructed or adapted as to be suitable for the purpose for which it is used or provided.
  2. In selecting work equipment, every employer shall have regard to the working conditions and to the risks to the health and safety of persons which exist in the premises or undertaking in which that work equipment is to be used and any additional risk posed by the use of that work equipment.
  3. Every employer shall ensure that work equipment is used only for operations for which, and under conditions for which, it is suitable.
  4. In this regulation "suitable" means suitable in any respect which it is reasonably foreseeable will affect the health or safety of any person.

Maintenance

  1. Every employer shall ensure that work equipment is maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair.
  2. Every employer shall ensure that where any machinery has a maintenance log, the log is kept up to date.

Inspection

  1. Every employer shall ensure that, where the safety of work equipment depends on the installation conditions, it is inspected (a) after installation and before being put into service for the first time; or (b) after assembly at a new site or in a new location, to ensure that it has been installed correctly and is safe to operate.
  2. Every employer shall ensure that work equipment exposed to conditions causing deterioration which is liable to result in dangerous situations is inspected (a) at suitable intervals; and (b) each time that exceptional circumstances which are liable to jeopardise the safety of the work equipment have occurred, to ensure that health and safety conditions are maintained and that any deterioration can be detected and remedied in good time.
  3. Every employer shall ensure that the result of an inspection made under this regulation is recorded and kept until the next inspection under this regulation is recorded.
  4. Every employer shall ensure that no work equipment (a) leaves his undertaking; or(b) if obtained from the undertaking of another person, is used in his undertaking, unless it is accompanied by physical evidence that the last inspection required to be carried out under this regulation has been carried out.
  5. This regulation does not apply to (a) a power press to which regulations 32 to 35 apply; (b) a guard or protection device for the tools of such power press; (c) work equipment for lifting loads including persons; (d) winding apparatus to which the Mines (Shafts and Winding) Regulations 19936apply; (e) work equipment required to be inspected by regulation 29 of the Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1996