Provide and maintain safe work equipment

The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 place a statutory requirement on employers to:

1. Look at all work equipment in use, decide what can cause risks and how
2. Consider what can be done to prevent and reduce these risks
3. Check whether any of these measures are in place already
4. Decide whether more needs to be done, and if so, do it

Many things can cause a risk, for example:

1. Using the wrong regulator on a gas cylinder
2. Not fitting flashback arrestors to oxy-fuel gas workstations
3. Not providing the right practical based training for those using the equipment
4. Not maintaining regulators and other gas control equipment in line with relevant Codes of Practice and Guidance Notes
5. Not replacing regulators every five years or in line with manufacturers recommendations
6. Not providing standard operating procedures on the use of cylinders and associated gas control equipment

What can you do to reduce the risk?

• Use the correct equipment for the gases required on site
• Make sure all gas control equipment in use is to the correct British, European or International Standards
• Make sure all gas control equipment is regularly maintained in a safe condition
• Make sure all gas control equipment is replaced in line with recommendations
• Ensure standard operating procedures are in place covering the correct set up and use of single cylinders, oxy-fuel gas workstations and cryogenic vessels
• Ensure all operators are properly trained in the safe use of the equipment