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Engineering and Inspection Insurance >

What is PUWER 98 & LOLER Legislation ?

Stemming from a European Directive relating to the use of work equipment, two important regulations became effective from 5 December 1998 in Great Britain.

PUWER 98

The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 relates to the provision of work equipment and its safe use. - click here

PUWER 98 requirements include:

• Work equipment should be inspected at intervals when it is exposed to conditions causing deterioration which is liable to result in a dangerous situation
• Where the safety of work equipment depends on installation conditions, it is inspected to ensure that it is installed correctly and is safe to operate after it is first installed or after it has been assembled at a new situation or location
• Following any incident or change in working environment which affects its safety, work equipment should be inspected by a competent person.

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Mobile Work Equipment should be:

• Designed or adapted to ensure passengers are carried without harm
• Equipped to minimise the risks to safety of persons riding on the equipment if it rolls over

Self-Propelled Work Equipment should be equipped with devices to ensure that:

• It cannot be started by an unauthorised person
• The likelihood of a collision is minimised where equipment travels on rails
• There are devices for braking and stopping
• Where necessary, there are back-up/fail-safe systems to the main braking system
• Where necessary additional devices are provided to improve drivers field of vision
• The vehicle is fitted with appropriate lighting for its safe use
• The vehicle is equipped with appropriate fire fighting appliances if there is a risk of fire, unless such appliances are kept nearby

Remote-controlled self-propelled work equipment should:

• Incorporate controls to automatically stop the movement of the equipment once it exceeds its control limits, where there is a risk to safety

Power take-off shafts on mobile work equipment require:

• Safety measures to prevent seizure of the drive unit or power takeoff shaft. Where this is not possible, precautions must be taken to protect employees from harm
• The core requirements of the present Power Press regulations are contained within a separate section of PUWER 98.
• Some of the Regulations dealing with mobile work equipment do not come into effect until 5 December 2002.

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LOLER

The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 applies over and above the requirements of PUWER 98 for lifting equipment and lifting operations.

LOLER requirements include

• Where the safety of lifting equipment depends on installation conditions, it is thoroughly examined to ensure that it is installed and working safely before it is put into service for the first time or at a new site or location
• Following any incident or change in working environment which affects its safety, lifting equipment should be thoroughly examined

LOLER offers employers options regarding periodic examinations of lifting equipment:

1. Examined at prescribed recurring intervals of:

• At least every six months for lifting accessories (tackle) and equipment for lifting persons
• At least every 12 months for other lifting equipment

2. Periodic examinations of lifting equipment at intervals identified in an "examination scheme

An Examination Scheme defines:

• The relevant legislation for compliance
• The frequency of examination for a given item of lifting equipment
• The scope and process of examination of lifting equipment

The employer is responsible for ensuring that lifting equipment is inspected by a competent person at suitable intervals between thorough examinations. This will ensure that health and safety conditions are maintained and that any deterioration can be detected and rectified in good time.

The guidance document accompanying the regulations emphasises the need for independence and impartiality of competent persons.

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