Introduction to Health and Safety at Work

17.26.6 Inspection – Regulation 6
Where the safety of work equipment depends on the 
installation conditions, it must be inspected:
➤
after installation and before being put into service 
for the fi rst time
➤
after assembly at a new site or in a new location
➤
to ensure that it has been installed correctly and is 
safe to operate.
Where work equipment is exposed to conditions causing 
deterioration which is liable to result in dangerous situa-
tions it must be inspected:
➤
at suitable intervals
➤
when exceptional circumstances occur.
17.26 
Pr
ovision and Use of W
ork Equipment Regulations 1998 (except part IV) as amended in 2002

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Summary of the main legal requirements
377
Inspections must be determined and carried out by com-
petent persons. An inspection will vary from a simple 
visual external inspection to a detailed comprehensive 
inspection which may include some dismantling and/or 
testing. However, the level of inspection would normally be 
less than that required for a thorough examin ation under, 
for example, LOLER for certain items of lifting equipment.
Records of inspections must be kept with suffi cient 
information to properly identify the equipment, its normal 
location, dates, faults found, action taken, to whom faults 
were reported, who carried out the inspection, when 
repairs were made, date of the next inspection.
When equipment leaves an employer’s undertaking 
it must be accompanied by physical evidence that the 
last inspection has been carried out.
17.26.7 Specifi c risks – Regulation 7
Where the use of work equipment involves specifi c haz-
ards, its use must be restricted to those persons given 
the specifi c task of using it and repairs, etc. must be 
restricted to designated persons.
Designated persons must be properly trained to 
fulfi ll their designated task.
Hazards must be controlled using a hierarchy of 
control measures, starting with elimination where this is 
possible, then considering hardware measures such as 
physical barriers and, lastly, software measures such as 
a safe system of work.