How often do you need a PUWER inspection? Intervals by equipment
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's the question we get asked most after "how much?". So below are the typical intervals we see, equipment by equipment, and where each one comes from.
The quick snapshot
Power presses: at least every 6 or 12 months, depending on the guards. The law sets this.
Fall arrest lanyards and harnesses: a detailed inspection at least every 6 months, or every 3 months if they're used a lot. This comes from HSE guidance.
Most other machinery and work equipment: usually every 12 months, unless your risk assessment points to more often.
Any equipment: after installation, after it's moved to a new site and after any damage or exceptional event.
Who decides how often?
You do, as the employer, through a risk assessment. HSE says the frequency "should be determined through risk assessment". That assessment should take into account:
what the manufacturer says
industry guidance for that type of equipment
how hard the equipment works, and in what conditions
what past inspections have found
The last point counts for quite a lot - If 3 years of inspections show a machine barely changes, you can stretch the interval. If a conveyor in a dusty yard keeps showing wear, you shorten it.
The person who sets the intervals has to be competent. They don't have to be the person who carries out the inspections.
Typical PUWER inspection intervals by equipment
Equipment | Detailed inspection, typically | Where the interval comes from | Quick checks by your team |
Power presses, fixed guards only | At least every 12 months | The law: PUWER Regulation 32 | Guards inspected and tested after every tool setting, and within 4 hours of the start of each shift (Regulation 33) |
Power presses, other guards | At least every 6 months | The law: PUWER Regulation 32 | As above |
Fall arrest lanyards and harnesses | At least every 6 months, or every 3 months with frequent use | HSE leaflet INDG367 | Before every use |
Ladders, steps and podiums | At fixed intervals you set and record. Every 7 days if part of a scaffold | HSE ladder guidance | Each working day |
Workshop and process machinery (lathes, drills, saws, guillotines, conveyors) | Every 12 months | Risk assessment. 12 months is the usual insurer interval | Guards and emergency stops before use |
Fire curtains | At least once a year, by a qualified engineer | BS 8524 | Operated monthly, or weekly on escape routes |
Powered doors, roller shutters, gates and barriers | Every 6 to 12 months, following the manufacturer's instructions | Risk assessment. HSE says powered gates must be "regularly checked" | Safety edges and sensors checked regularly |
Gym equipment | Every 12 months | Manufacturer's instructions and risk assessment | Before each session |
Winches that pull rather than lift | Every 12 months | Risk assessment. A winch that lifts falls under LOLER instead | Rope or strap and brake before use |
Forklifts, MEWPs and telehandlers | Lifting parts every 12 months, or every 6 months if they lift people. Usually done in the same visit as the rest of the machine | LOLER covers the lifting parts and PUWER covers the rest (brakes, steering, tyres) | Daily pre-use check |
These are typical starting points, not legal minimums (apart from power presses). Your own risk assessment can set a shorter interval, or a longer one where the equipment's history supports it.
When else does equipment need inspecting?
PUWER Regulation 6 also requires an inspection:
after installation and before first use, where safety depends on how the equipment has been installed
after it's assembled at a new site or location, which catches hired and mobile kit
after exceptional circumstances, such as damage, a modification, a major repair or a long spell out of use
There's one more rule that catches hire equipment out... Equipment can't leave your business, or be used after it arrives from another business, without physical evidence of its last inspection. That can be a report, a tag or a label.
PUWER or LOLER?
If the equipment's main job is lifting, it falls under LOLER and gets a thorough examination every 6 or 12 months. Everything else is PUWER.
Some machines actually need both! On a forklift, the mast, forks and chains are LOLER. The brakes, steering and tyres are PUWER. In practice, we examine the whole machine in one visit.
For the lifting side, read how often lifts need a LOLER inspection. For the difference between the two regulations, read LOLER vs PUWER: what's the difference?.
Is a PUWER inspection the same as a service?
No. A service is maintenance, which falls under PUWER Regulation 5: oil, adjustments, worn parts replaced. The inspection is the check that the equipment is still safe, and that the maintenance is doing its job. You need both.
Two other checks get mixed up with PUWER too. PAT testing of portable electrical equipment comes under the Electricity at Work Regulations. And compressors and other pressure vessels need a written scheme of examination under the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations. Both are separate from a PUWER inspection.
What records do you need to keep?
Record the result of each inspection and keep it until the next inspection is recorded (PUWER Regulation 6(3)). Records can be electronic, as long as they're secure and you can produce them if HSE or your local authority asks.
You don't normally need to record simple pre-use checks. Detailed inspections need recording every time.
A PULO report lists each item, whether it's safe to use, any defects with a date to fix them, and when the next inspection is due. See what one looks like on our sample report page.
How to set your own intervals
List your equipment, item by item, with where it's used.
Check the manufacturer's instructions for each item. They often give a service or inspection interval.
Start from the typical interval in the table above, and shorten it for anything that works hard or lives somewhere harsh.
Review it after each inspection. If nothing's changing, you may be able to stretch it. If defects keep turning up, inspect more often.
Or send us your equipment list, and we'll set the intervals for you as part of the first visit.
Book a PUWER inspection
PULO Compliance carries out independent PUWER inspections across Nottingham, Derby, Leicester, Loughborough, Lincoln and the rest of the UK. We don't sell, service or repair equipment, so a defect gets reported because it's there.
Read what a PUWER inspection costs, see our PUWER inspection service, or call 07412 957 441 to discuss your equipment needs.
FAQs
How often do you need a PUWER inspection?
PUWER doesn't set a fixed interval. Equipment that can deteriorate and become dangerous must be inspected at suitable intervals, set by risk assessment. Most machinery is inspected every 12 months. Power presses have fixed legal intervals of 6 or 12 months.
Is a PUWER inspection a legal requirement?
Yes, where the equipment's safety depends on how it's installed, or where it's exposed to conditions that cause deterioration that could lead to danger. PUWER Regulation 6 requires an inspection by a competent person in those cases, and the result must be recorded.
Who decides how often equipment is inspected under PUWER?
The employer, through a risk assessment. It should take into account the manufacturer's instructions, industry guidance, how the equipment is used and what past inspections have found. The person setting the intervals must be competent.
How often do power presses need a thorough examination?
At least every 12 months if the press has fixed guards only, and at least every 6 months otherwise (PUWER Regulation 32). Guards must also be inspected and tested after every tool setting, and within the first 4 hours of each working period.
How often should harnesses and lanyards be inspected?
HSE recommends a detailed inspection at least every 6 months, or at least every 3 months for lanyards that are used frequently. A pre-use check is needed before every use.
How long do you keep PUWER inspection records?
Until the next inspection of that equipment is recorded (PUWER Regulation 6(3)). Records can be paper or electronic, but must be available if an inspector asks for them.
What's the difference between a PUWER inspection and a LOLER thorough examination?
LOLER covers equipment used for lifting and sets fixed intervals of 6 or 12 months. PUWER covers all other work equipment, with intervals set by risk assessment. Some machines, like forklifts, need both, and are usually examined in one visit.
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