PUWER

PUWER doesn't set a fixed inspection interval. You inspect work equipment at suitable intervals worked out by risk assessment, plus after it's installed, after it's moved to a new site and after anything that could have damaged it. The one exception is power presses. The law says at least every 12 months if the press has fixed guards only, and at least every 6 months for any other guarding (PUWER Regulation 32). For everything else, the interval is yours to set. That's why it

LOLER covers lifting equipment, PUWER covers all work equipment. Here's what each requires, how they overlap, and which one applies to your equipment.

What a PUWER compliance audit covers, how to get ready for one and what to do after: equipment condition, maintenance records, training and risk assessments.

Regular LOLER and PUWER inspections are a legal requirement, and they're how faults get found before someone gets hurt. Skip them, and you risk an HSE notice on a public register, a bill of £188 an hour for the inspector's time, an unlimited fine and, worst of all, a serious injury. Here's what the law asks for, what happens when it's missed, and 3 real cases from the last 18 months... What the law requires Lifting equipment (LOLER): a thorough examination by a competent pers