PUWER98 Assessments
Our team of highly experienced PUWER98 Assessors carry out in-depth Risk Assessments on a wide range of Work Equipment, working with some of the biggest organisations in the UK and internationally, to produce comprehensive Compliance & Remediation Reports.
Our Compliance & Remediation Reports are supplemented by annual Audits Of Compliance to ensure ongoing safety.
PUWER98 Assessments
Provision & Use of Working Equipment Regulations 1998
The PUWER98 Regulations were introduced by the HSE (Health & Safety Executive) in 1998 to ensure that all companies who have a duty of care to their employees bring their plant and equipment up to a safe standard of operation. This includes regular maintenance and risk assessments of their plant and equipment with the objective of vastly reducing risk to operators and other personnel in the workplace and where possible removing risk completely.
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A crucial element of a PUWER98 Inspection (or PUWER98 Assessment) on machinery is a Risk Assessment. PUWER98 inspections must be carried out thoroughly and the results recorded. If non-compliances are identified, appropriate action should be taken. Depending on the severity of the non-compliance, it might be necessary to take immediate action to make the machine safe before it is used, or it might be sufficient to plan rectifications for a convenient time. Sometimes the only action required is the provision of information, instruction, training or supervision.
Suitable for the intended use
Safe for use, maintained in a safe condition and inspected to ensure it is correctly installed and does not subsequently deteriorate
Only used by people who have received adequate information, instruction and training
Accompanied by suitable health and safety measures, such as protective devices and controls. For example, emergency stop devices, clearly visible markings and warning devices etc.
Only used in accordance with specific requirements in the case of mobile work equipment and power presses
PUWER98 requires that Work Equipment provided for use is:-
The Risk Assessment/Audit Process...
1
SITE VISIT
Our highly experienced PUWER98 Assessors attend site and carry out in-depth surveys of each piece of equipment and engage with operators and supervision in order to fully understand the operation, setting up and loading/ unloading aspects of the equipment so as to be able to assess the equipment and provide a comprehensive PUWER98 Assessment Report.
2
COMPREHENSIVE REPORT
As part of our full turn-key package, assessors will produce a comprehensive written report following inspection.
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Reports will include photographic and visual information to supplement the report findings.
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Reports are submitted 1 week following completion of the assessment.
3
DETAILED ANALYSIS
Report will contain the following:
Comprehensive written explanation of assessment and findings
Photographic evidence of non-compliance issues
Risk assessment of equipment at time of assessment
List of identified PUWER remedial actions
Risk reduction based on undertaking remedial actions
Quotation for Guard-Tech to undertake required work, including certification
Safety is not an intellectual exercise to keep us in work. It is a matter of life and death. It is the sum of our contributions to safety management that determines whether the people we work with live or die
Sir Brian Appleton
Examples of PUWER98 Compliant Guarding
Annual Audit
Maintaining Machine Safety & Ensuring Compliance...
Our experience installation engineers carry out annual return visits to perform safety audits that ensure that the guarding systems and safety devices are maintained and remain compliant with the machinery safety standards as previously installed.
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Any faults, required repairs or adjustments will be carried out to ensure both the guarding and safety devices are compliant.
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Any tampering or over-riding of a guard or safety device is illegal and if identified during an audit will be immediately reported to the customer for their internal investigation process.
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Once guarding and safety devices have been re-assessed and continue to meet the required safety standards, they will received re-certification as part of the safety audit process.