Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER 1998) Background[edit] The PUWER 1998 legislation replaced the 1992 regulations and seeks to address, control and prevent workers risk of injury and death from equipment they use during the course of their jobs. In addition to the requirements laid out in the PUWER legislation equipment used for lifting (such as fork lifts) is also subject to the requirements of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998. The regulations apply to any employer or self-employed worker who uses equipment at work[1] but not equipment used by the public which comes under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. PUWER covers all work equipment from office furniture through to complex machinery and company cars and is also applicable if a company allows a worker to use their own equipment in the work place.
All new machinery should carry a CE mark[2] from its manufacturer to prove its compliance with safety laws. Requirements of PUWER[edit] Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) - COSHH. RIDDOR - Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995. Environmental Protection Act 1990. Part I establishes a general regime by which the Secretary of State, as of 2008 the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, can prescribe any process or substance and set limits on it in respect of emissions into the environment.
Authorisation and enforcement was originally in the hands of HM Inspectorate of Pollution and local authorities but, as of 1996, became the responsibility of the Environment Agency (EA) and Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). Operation of a prescribed process is prohibited without approval and there are criminal sanctions against offenders. The Act aims to control and reduce pollution Part II sets out a regime for regulating and licensing the acceptable disposal of controlled waste on land. Controlled waste is any household, industrial and commercial waste (s.75(4)). Unauthorised or harmful depositing, treatment or disposal of controlled waste is prohibited with prohibition enforced by criminal sanctions. Background[edit] Health and Safety at Work Act. Before 1974 approximately 8 million employees had no legal safety protection at work. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 provides the legal framework to promote, stimulate and encourage high standards of health and safety in places of work.
It protects employees and the public from work activities. Everyone has a duty to comply with the Act, including employers, employees, trainees, self-employed, manufacturers, suppliers, designers, importers of work equipment. Employers' responsibilities The Act places a general duty to 'ensure so far as is reasonably practicable the health, safety and welfare at work of all their employees'. Employers must comply with the Act.
They must: An employer is forbidden to charge his or her employees for any measures which he or she is required to provide in the interests of health and safety (for example, personal protective equipment). Employees’ responsibilities Employees have specific responsibilities too - they must: The powers of an inspector include: 1.