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Regulations
Whereas the Machinery Directive is aimed at suppliers, this Directive (89/655/EEC as amended by 95/63/EC, 2001/45/EC and 2007/30/EC) is aimed at users of machinery. It covers all industrial sectors and it places general duties on employers together with minimum requirements for the safety of work equipment. All EU countries are enacting their own forms of legislation to implement this Directive.
For example it is implementation in the UK under the name of The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (often abbreviated to P.U.W.E.R.). The form of implementation may vary between countries but the effect of the Directive is retained.
The articles of the Directive give details of which types of equipment and workplaces are covered by the Directive.
They also place general duties on employers such as instituting safe systems of working and providing suitable and safe equipment that must be properly maintained. Machine operators must be given proper information and training for the safe use of the machine.
New machinery (and second hand machinery from outside the EU) provided after January 1, 1993 should satisfy any relevant product directives, e.g., The Machinery Directive (subject to transitional arrangements). Second hand equipment from within the EU provided for the first time in the workplace must immediately provide minimum requirements given in an annex of the U.W.E. Directive.
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| Figure 8: Directive Covers Use of Equipment |
Note: Existing or second-hand machinery which is significantly overhauled or modified will be classified as new equipment, so the work carried out on it must ensure compliance with the Machinery Directive (even if it is for a company's own use).
Suitability of work equipment is an important requirement of the directive and it highlights the employer’s responsibility to carry out a proper process of risk assessment.
It is a requirement that machinery must be properly maintained. This will normally mean that there must be a routine and planned preventive maintenance schedule. It is recommended that a log is compiled and kept up to date. This is especially important in cases where the maintenance and inspection of equipment contributes to the continuing safety integrity of a protective device or system.
The Annex of the U.W.E. Directive gives general minimum requirements applicable to work equipment.
If the equipment conforms to relevant product directives, e.g., The Machinery Directive, they will automatically comply with the corresponding machine design requirements given in the minimum requirements of the Annex.
Member states are allowed to issue legislation regarding the use of work equipment that goes beyond the minimum requirements of the U.W.E. Directive.
Detailed information on the Use of Work Equipment Directive can be found at the official EU website: