Prove every piece of work equipment is suitable, maintained and safe to use.
Track PUWER inspections and maintenance for all work equipment, with risk-based schedules, defect logging and a complete audit trail.
The duty
What Work Equipment compliance involves.
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) require employers to ensure work equipment is suitable for its purpose, maintained in a safe condition and inspected at suitable intervals by competent people.
CertFlow gives every machine an asset record, a maintenance and inspection schedule, and a defect-to-remedial workflow that proves the equipment was kept safe throughout its life.
Your legal duties
What the regulations require.
Suitability of work equipment
Work equipment must be suitable for its intended use and the conditions in which it is used, and only used for operations, and under conditions, for which it is suitable.
Maintenance and inspection
Equipment must be maintained in efficient working order and good repair, and inspected at suitable intervals by a competent person where safety depends on the installation conditions or on deterioration.
Guarding and protective devices
Dangerous parts of machinery must be guarded, and controls, stop and emergency-stop devices, isolation, stability, lighting and warning markings must all meet PUWER requirements.
Information, instruction and training
Everyone who uses, supervises or manages work equipment must have adequate information, instruction and training covering its safe use and the risks involved.
How CertFlow handles it
From due date to defensible certificate.
Work Equipment runs on the same platform as every other discipline, so the workflow, the registry and the audit trail are identical, whatever your team inspects.
Ready-to-issue templates
A built-in PUWER 1998 report template, plus a drag-and-drop builder and bespoke PDF overlay for any client-specific form.
Automatic scheduling
Put every work equipment asset on a recurring examination cycle. CertFlow generates the jobs and warns you before anything falls due.
Captured on site, offline
Readings, photos and signatures are captured in the field on mobile, fully offline, and sync the moment a connection returns.
Audit-ready proof
Every work equipment certificate is filed in a searchable, exportable compliance registry with a full timestamped history.
From the field
What inspectors commonly find.
The defects and gaps that come up again and again on work equipment inspections, the ones a good system helps you catch before an auditor does.
- Guards removed, bypassed or never refitted after maintenance
- Emergency stops and interlocks that no longer function
- No record of inspection after installation, relocation or a major repair
- Operator training and authorisation records missing
- Equipment used beyond its rated capacity or intended purpose
Why it matters
Penalties & enforcement.
Unsafe or poorly maintained work equipment breaches PUWER 1998 and can lead to HSE enforcement notices, prosecution and unlimited fines, alongside serious injury and the cost of unplanned downtime.
Free download: the Work Equipment duty-holder guide Hoists and Cranes UK Ltd Zero missed recertifications since go-liveQuestions
Work Equipment on CertFlow, answered.
What counts as work equipment under PUWER?
Almost any machinery, appliance, tool or installation used at work, from hand tools, ladders and power tools to production machinery, conveyors and workshop plant.
How often must work equipment be inspected under PUWER?
PUWER does not fix intervals. Inspection frequency is risk-based and set by the duty holder, taking account of the manufacturer guidance, the conditions of use and the rate of deterioration.
How is PUWER different from LOLER?
PUWER covers all work equipment in general. LOLER adds specific duties for lifting equipment and lifting operations. Lifting equipment must satisfy both sets of regulations.
How does CertFlow help with PUWER?
CertFlow holds every machine as an asset with its own inspection and maintenance schedule, a defect-to-remedial workflow and a complete, timestamped history that proves the equipment was kept safe.
Can I record machine guarding checks?
Yes. Build any PUWER inspection checklist, including guard and interlock checks, run it on a recurring schedule and log every action through to completion.
Further reading
Guides and reference for work equipment.
Duty Holder’s Guide to PUWER 1998
What the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 require of you, in plain English.
References
Work Equipment: official sources
- PUWER 1998legislation.gov.uk
- PUWER: HSE guidanceHSE
- Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974legislation.gov.uk
Links to primary UK legislation and official regulator guidance. CertFlow is independent and not affiliated with these bodies.
Related disciplines
Often run alongside Work Equipment.
Lifting Equipment
Thorough examinations for every crane, hoist and sling, on schedule, on record.
General Health & Safety
Workplace inspections, audits and checklists on a recurring schedule.
Electrical
EICRs, fixed-wire testing and PAT, captured on site, certified in minutes.
See it on your data
Run your first work equipment report in the demo.
We'll set up a live environment with your asset types and branding, then walk you through a PUWER 1998 job end to end.