Introduction to Fire Safety Management

The regulations may be divided into two groups:
➤ Management duties – covering selection, maintenance,
inspection, conformity, information, instruction
and training
➤ Physical aspects of equipment – covering guarding,
control systems, emergency controls, stability, lighting
and warnings.
Defi nitions in PUWER
Term Meaning
Work equipment Any machinery, appliance, apparatus,
tool or installation for use at work
Use Any activity involving work equipment
including starting, stopping,
programming, setting, transporting,
repairing, modifying, maintaining,
servicing and cleaning
PUWER applies to the following duty holders:
➤ Employers in respect of work equipment provided
for use or used by their employees at work
➤ The self-employed for work equipment they use
➤ People who have control of work equipment.
15.26.1 Management duties – regulations 4 to 10
PUWER requires that:
➤ Work equipment is constructed or adapted so that it
is suitable for the purpose for which it is provided
➤ Work equipment is selected having regard to the
working conditions, the risks to health and safety in
the premises or undertaking where the work equipment
is used and any additional risks posed by the
use of the work equipment
➤ Work equipment is used only for operations and
under conditions for which it is suitable
➤ Work equipment is maintained in an effi cient state, in
effi cient working order and in good repair (and that
where any machinery has a log, it is kept up to date)
➤ Work equipment is inspected after installation and
before fi rst use (or after assembly at a new site or
location) where the safety of the work equipment
depends on the installation conditions (a record
must be made of this inspection)
➤ Work equipment is inspected at suitable intervals
where it is exposed to conditions causing
deterioration liable to result in dangerous situations
(a record must be made of this inspection)
Summary of key legal requirements
➤ Work equipment is inspected each time that exceptional
circumstances liable to jeopardise the safety
of the work equipment have occurred (a record must
be made of this inspection)
➤ Where the use of work equipment is likely to involve
specifi c risk to health and safety, the use of the
equipment must be restricted to those given the
task of using it and any repairs, modifi cations, maintenance
or servicing restricted to people specifi cally
designated to perform those operations. These designated
persons must also be given adequate training
related to these operations
➤ People who use work equipment or who supervise
or manage the use of work equipment have
adequate health and safety information and, where
appropriate, written instructions pertaining to the
use of the work equipment
➤ In providing adequate information and instruction, it
must be readily comprehensible to those concerned
and the following should be included:
➤ The conditions in which and the methods by
which the work equipment may be used
➤ Foreseeable abnormal situations and action to
be taken should these occur
➤ Any conclusions drawn from experience in suing
the work equipment
➤ Persons who use, supervise or manage the use of
work equipment receive adequate training for the
purpose of health and safety including training in:
➤ The methods which may be adopted when
using the work equipment
➤ Any risks which such use may entail
➤ The precautions to be taken against these
risks
➤ Work equipment is designed and constructed in
compliance with any essential requirements detailed
in EU Directives (see later section on the Supply of
Machinery (Safety) Regulations 1992).
15.26.2 Physical requirements – regulations 11
to 24
PUWER requires that:
➤ Measures are taken to either:
➤ Prevent access to any dangerous parts of
machinery or to rotating stock bars or
➤ To stop movement of dangerous parts or rotating
stock bars before a person enters a danger
zone
➤ The measures taken should consist of the provision
of:
➤ Fixed guards enclosing every dangerous part or
rotating stock bar, where practicable or
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