Safety of workplace machinery, equipment

and tools
Types of work equipment in safety law
Employers are legally required to ensure that all equipment supplied and used for work purposes
is safe and does not pose a long-term hazard or risk to employee health. This doesn't just mean
equipment used in manufacturing, agriculture, construction, forestry or quarries - the rules apply
equally to other workplaces, from offices, shops and hotels to engineering or car repair services.

Employers are also required to ensure that those using equipment have enough knowledge and
training to use it safely.

The regulations cover a wide range of equipment and affect businesses in many industry sectors,
including the following:

 manufacturing - including welding tools, production lines, furnaces, machine tools,

circular saws, power presses and lifting equipment
 building and construction - items such as hand-held power tools, ladders, hammers,
drills, knives and screwdrivers
 offices - items such as computers and photocopiers
 workplace and off-road vehicles - including dumper and forklift trucks, tractors, rail
and road haulage vehicles

Equipment with moving parts and some kind of drive unit is normally known as machinery.

Safety of workplace machinery, equipment

and tools
Workplace equipment risk assessment
There are many hazards involved in the use of workplace equipment. For example:

 cutting equipment could cause trapping or amputation of limbs if there are insufficient
safeguards
 a forklift truck could roll over, causing crush injuries
 equipment that uses heat, such as ovens, grills and welding equipment, could cause injuries
ranging from minor scalding to disfigurement and serious burns
  equipment that emits very bright light, such as lasers or sources of ultraviolet light, could cause
damage to skin or eyes
 equipment that transmits vibrations into the hand or arm (HAV), or whole body (WBV), such as
grinding equipment or tractors, could cause long-term illness or disability
 equipment where people have to work in confined spaces, such as a storage tank, where the
space is at risk from developing an unbreathable atmosphere and/or filling up quickly with
noxious fumes or other substances

Download exposure to HAV guidance (PDF, 154K) (link is external).

Assess the risks

Your risk assessment needs to assess the likelihood of such hazards occurring. Look at risks
which occur not just during the normal operation of the equipment but also during installation,
maintenance, repairs, breakdowns and servicing.

Remember that you have responsibilities for equipment if you're running an office, shop or hotel
- the law isn't just for factories, warehouses and building sites.

See health and safety risk assessment.

Everyone who uses equipment should undergo initial training before using the equipment, attend
regular refresher courses, and be provided with appropriate safety equipment. You should
consider whether any specific groups of users might be at risk, young people for example.

There may be additional risks due to the way in which a piece of equipment is powered or
heated, such as electricity and gas.

Safety of workplace machinery, equipment

and tools
Reduce the risks of using workplace equipment
You can minimise the residual risks caused by workplace equipment by implementing a number
of measures:

 Purchase the right equipment and machinery for the job. Having the right tools for a
task greatly reduces risks. See purchase the right equipment.
 Provide safety guards on parts of equipment which could cause injury. Use fixed guards
where possible and consider which materials are most appropriate.
 Make sure that start and stop buttons, and emergency stop buttons can be found easily.
  Put appropriate warning signs on or near the equipment.
 Introduce - and stick to - special working procedures for dangerous equipment.
 Provide personal protective equipment (PPE) if risks can't otherwise be minimised.
See personal protective equipment.
 Provide employees with guidelines on how to minimise specific risks from heat-
producing equipment such as ovens and welding equipment. For example, provide PPE
such as masks, gloves and heat-resistant aprons and ensure that employees know how and
when to use them.

Regular exposure to high vibrations can be dangerous.

Safety of workplace machinery, equipment

and tools
Equipment maintenance and checks for safety
A maintenance schedule should be in place to ensure that your equipment is maintained
regularly. You should check equipment as often as suggested by the manufacturer or more often
if indicated by the risk assessment. Any daily checks should be undertaken as recommended by
the manufacturer. This will help prevent problems such as blockages, leaks or breakdowns,
which can increase risks.

In addition to the equipment itself, you'll also need to maintain safety devices around the
equipment such as guards, alarms, safety cages and warning signs.

If you use heat-producing equipment you should regularly check the environment around it.
Floors should be kept clear and there must be adequate ventilation at all times. You also need to
remove all combustible materials from the area and regularly maintain and check fire detectors.

Equipment checks required by law

Some types of equipment - from gas appliances and lifting equipment to pressure systems and
power presses - require examinations by law, often known as thorough examinations by a
competent person, in addition to normal repair and servicing. You need to keep the certificates
and records of such checks, detailing the findings and any remedial work carried out to correct
faults that were identified.

See appoint a competent person for health and safety.

How to check equipment safely

If any equipment is to be checked or repaired, it should always be turned off and isolated so it
can't be started in error.

Most equipment now comes with guidelines for maintenance, including advice on how to carry
out equipment checks safely.

Many businesses find it useful to establish documented procedures for maintenance and repair
work, such as a permit to work scheme. You can also use warning signs as a visible reminder
that equipment is temporarily out of use and/or a lock out system, ie the person doing the
maintenance work has a key that prevents the equipment starting up while they work on it.

Safety of workplace machinery, equipment

and tools
Purchase the safest workplace equipment and machinery
Buying the correct equipment for the task will greatly reduce the risks involved while carrying it
out. Before you buy any work equipment, consider:

 what the equipment will be used for

 who will use it
 where it will be kept
 what training users may need to operate it
 what risks may occur as a result

Make sure the manufacturer/supplier is clear about how you intend to use the equipment. Ask the
manufacturer/supplier what the residual risks and the operating limits are. This should be part of
the documentation received with the equipment.

When you're buying new equipment it's worth considering:

 whether there are any dangerous parts and if so whether any guards are supplied with the
equipment
 how any emergency-stop buttons work
 whether the environment in which you plan to operate the machinery is suitable for the levels
of dust, fumes, noise or vibration it may cause
 whether there are clear instructions and manuals for installation and maintenance

You must make sure that equipment:

  is safe to use
 is complete (eg guards and other safety equipment are not missing) unless it is supplied to be
incorporated into another machine
 is provided with clear instructions
 carries CE marking and has a Declaration of Conformity, which shows that key health and safety
standards have been met
 produces the least possible vibration in doing the work required - information on vibration levels
should be contained in the manufacturer's instruction documentation

If the equipment you're thinking of buying doesn't meet all of these rules, or you have any
concerns about safety, discuss them with the manufacturer/supplier before you go any further.

Download buying new machinery guidance (PDF, 110K) (link is external).

Disposing of old equipment

When dealing with old equipment, you must ensure it is safely and properly handled, stored,
transported and recovered or disposed of. This is known as the duty of care for waste. There are
certain laws for disposing of hazardous or electrical waste. See duty of care for business waste.

You may also consider recycling or refurbishing the equipment. Browse reduce and recycle
business waste.