Introduction to Health and Safety at Work

primary
purpose is to 
protect people at work.
159
11
Work equipment 
hazards and control
Figure 11.1
Typical machinery safety notice.
Figure 11.2
CE 
mark.
Any equipment used by an employee at work is 
generally covered by the term ‘Work Equipment’. The 
scope is extremely wide and includes, hand tools, power 
tools, ladders, photocopiers, laboratory apparatus, lifting 
equipment, fork lift trucks, and motor vehicles (which 
are not privately owned). Virtually anything used to do 
a job of work, including employees’ own equipment, is 
covered. The uses covered include starting or stopping 
the equipment, repairing, modifying, maintaining, ser 
-
vicing, cleaning and transporting.
Employers and the self-employed must ensure 
that work equipment is suitable; maintained; inspected 
if necessary; provided with adequate information and 
instruction; and only used by people who have received 
suffi cient training.

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Introduction to Health and Safety at Work
160
Under ‘user’ law employers have to provide safe equip-
ment of the correct type; ensure that it is correctly used; 
and maintain it in a safe condition. When buying new 
equipment the ‘user’ has to check that the equipment 
complies with all the ‘supply’ law that is relevant. 
The 
user must check that the machine is safe before it 
is used
.
Most new equipment, including machinery in particu-
lar, should have ‘CE’ marking when purchased. ‘CE’ 
marking is only a claim by the manufacturer that the 
equipment is safe and that they have met relevant supply 
law. If this is done properly manufacturers will have to do 
the following:
➤
fi nd out about the health and safety hazards (trap-
ping, noise, crushing, electrical shock, dust, vibra-
tion, etc.) that are likely to be present when the 
machine is used
➤
assess the likely risks
➤
design out the hazards that result in risks or, if that 
is not possible
➤
provide safeguards (e.g. guarding dangerous parts 
of the machine, providing noise enclosures for noisy