The University is committed to keeping everyone safe when using work equipment. This summary explains your responsibilities and the basic rules that apply whenever you use equipment for work, research or teaching.
We have also provided guidance [PDF] to assist those with responsibility for work equipment to manage the health and safety risks and comply with the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) and other relevant legislation.
Work equipment includes any tool, machine or system used for work and teaching activities. This would include equipment owned by the University, individuals or hired.
If you use work equipment, you must:
You must not:
If you are a manager or Head of Department / School you have additional responsibilities to ensure your work equipment is safe. These are set out in our guidance and summarised in the "who does what" table below.
You must be trained before using hazardous work equipment (or if you are in training, you must be closely supervised).
Some higher risk equipment also requires formal authorisation. If you are unsure whether you are authorised to use equipment, please check with your manager or academic supervisor first.
Refresher training may be required if equipment changes or you haven’t used it for a while.
It is good practice to check all work equipment before use. In some cases your manager may require you to record confirmation that you have carried out a visual check.
To do a visual check:
If something isn’t right: STOP, isolate the equipment, if safe to do so, and report it.
Do not attempt repairs or modifications unless you are competent and authorised to do so.
Using some work equipment can create health risks, including:
Always follow control measures (e.g. ventilation, PPE, hygiene rules) and raise concerns with your manager or the Health and Safety Team.
There are specific rules around disposal of certain work equipment. These are detailed in our guidance. Please speak to your manager, Estates and Facilities or, for IT equipment, ICT to find out how to dispose of electrical equipment, batteries, laboratory equipment and other hazardous work equipment. This also applies to equipment you may want to sell or donate to others.
Lithium-ion batteries, such as those in your smart phone or laptop, can catch fire rapidly if they are damaged. For this reason they must not be disposed of with regular waste.
It is also important to report any damage to lithium-ion batteries to your School technical team, ICT (for IT equipment) or Estates and Facilities as soon as possible.
In the event of identifying a swollen or damaged battery you must stop using the device immediately. If it is plugged in, unplug it.
Inform the Estates and Facilities helpdesk directly for prompt collection.
If it can be done so safely, remove the battery from the device.
The battery (or device) must be placed in a fire-resistant battery safe bag. (Estates and Facilities or ICT can provide these if you do not have one).
The Estates and Facilities Team will collect the bag and transfer to a sealed metal container for temporary storage. They will then arrange for disposal via an approved contractor.
If it is personal equipment you may need to photograph it, so that you can show your insurers or the equipment provider the damage.
Refer to our Health and Safety Guidance: Work Equipment [PDF] for further information.
| Guidance section | Manager / Head of School / Department | User |
| 3 | Ensure that risk assessments are carried out, covering installation, use, cleaning, maintenance and foreseeable misuse of hazardous work equipment | Contribute to risk assessments by telling you manager about how you use work equipment and any concerns about its use |
|
4 & 5
18 |
Select and approve work equipment that is safe and meets UK product (UKCA) and work equipment safety standards. Follow links in our guidance for information on legal and industry standards. |
Don't use, purchase or bring in equipment from home other other workplaces, unless it has been assessed and approved.as complying with UK product and health and safety law. |
| 4 | Make sure the equipment is installed properly. | |
| 6, app1 | Ensure users receive appropriate training and, where necessary are formally authorised to use hazardous wok equipment. | Only use equipment that you are trained and authorised to use |
| 7 | Develop and put safe systems of work into place | Follow safe systems of work for work equipment. |
| 8 | Restrict access to hazardous work equipment. | Never remove or interfere with guards or safety features. |
| 9 | Ensure risk assessments cover health risks from work equipment (e.g. noise, vibration, dust and fumes) | Make sure you wear any required personal protective equipment and report any health effects from using work equipment. |
| 12 |
Arrange for hazardous equipment is inspected and maintained, including pre-use checks, in accordance with manufacturers recommendations. Electrical equipment will also need Portable Appliance Testing (PAT). |
Carry out pre-use checks on work equipment and, if required to. make a record of your check. Report any damaged or unsafe equipment and take it out of use until repaired or replaced. |
| 12 | If you have pressure systems, local exhaust ventilation or lifting equipment, arrange for the equipment to have its statutory examination. | Check that local exhaust ventilation, lifting gear and pressure systems is work properly before use and use with care. |
| 13 | Make sure you dispose of unwanted equipment, including Lithium-Ion batteries, safely and legally. |
Seek advice before disposing of work equipment. Don't put batteries in the general waste. |
| Form / Document | Purpose |
| Read our guidance to find out what you need to do to manage work equipment safely. | |
| Use this to help plan the purchase (or acquisition) and installation of work equipment | |
| PUWER Compliance Checklist [DOC] | Use this to check that work equipment meets the requirements of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations, as part of your risk assessment. This is particularly important if the equipment is not new or not of UK/EU origin. |
| List of Work Equipment Hazards [PDF] | Use this to help you identify hazards associated with the use of work equipment, for your risk assessment |
| HSE guidance on work equipment safety (Links to external site) | |
| HSE guidance on lifting equipment (Links to external site) | |
|
Risk assessment guidance and forms on InBeds |
Follow our guidance on risk assessment and use our risk assessment form to record your assessment. |
| Safe System of Work [DOTX] | Use to set out what those doing the task need to do and how to do it safely. |
Note that there are many more useful links in out Work Equipment Guidance.