Work Equipment Awareness

About this course.

This course raises awareness of the safe use of work equipment and the controls needed to prevent injury. Work equipment ranges from a simple hand tool to complex machinery, and using it incorrectly, or using faulty equipment, causes many serious workplace injuries every year in Great Britain. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) consistently records contact with moving machinery and being struck by moving or falling objects among the leading causes of fatal and major injury at work, which is precisely why a dedicated body of law governs how equipment is selected, maintained and used.

The course explains what work equipment is, the law (especially the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 — PUWER), the responsibilities of employers and employees, the key mechanical and non- mechanical hazards, and the controls — including suitability, maintenance, inspection, guarding, controls, isolation, and information and training. It also explains how lifting equipment carries additional duties under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER), and how CE and UKCA marking fit into the picture. By working through each section, reviewing the worked examples and tables, and completing the end-of- course assessment, you will gain practical awareness that you can apply immediately in your own workplace — whether you operate a single power tool, supervise a workshop, or manage a fleet of plant and machinery.