Equipment

Employers are required to ensure that all equipment supplied and used for work purposes is safe and does not pose any short term or long term hazard or risk to an employee’s health or welfare.  Equipment must be suitable and appropriate to its purpose, circumstances and environment.

The obligations cover all areas including offices, shops and hotels. Employers are required to ensure those using equipment have sufficient knowledge and training.

The Regulations cover a wide range of equipment and affect all types of businesses.  For example,  welding tools, production lines, furnaces, circular saws and lifting equipment are covered.

Equipment must be suitable for what it is being used for; assessed for levels of vibration; maintained safe at all times; inspected at regular intervals, wear and tear might compromise safety and inspected before first use under certain circumstances.

If the risk assessment highlights potential problems, it is necessary to minimise these risks.  This might include providing protective guards, emergency stop buttons, warnings, notices.  It  might also include developing new work practices or otherwise ways to limit exposure.  It may be possible to reduce the risk of workplace equipment by providing safety guards, installing signs, providing personal protective equipment and/or providing guidelines.

Equipment must be checked regularly and there must be a documented maintenance programme in place.  Certain types of equipment must be examined by competent and qualified persons.  In addition to normal repair and services, it is necessary to keep the certificates and records of such checks.

In addition it is necessary to maintain safety devices around certain equipment such as guards, alarms, cages.  Production equipment must be checked regularly.

All equipment must be disposed of safely so as to avoid waste.  If equipment contains hazardous components it will be necessary to follow the provisions of the Hazardous Waste legislation dealing with disposal.

Manufacturers and distributors of electrical and electronic goods must comply with the Waste, Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations (WEEE).   This places responsibility on producers to join a compliance scheme.

Distributors and sellers must provide consumers with free take back facilities and provide consumers with information how to safely dispose of their products.

In certain businesses minimising workplace risks will require the use of personal protective equipment.   The Personal Protective Equipment Regulations make requirements in relation to protective clothing and equipment.

It must be appropriate to the risks of the workplace conditions, be suitable for the state of health of the employee, capable of being fitted and work correctly and comply with CE or BSCE standards.

Workers in a range of situations and activities may require protective head gear.  This  includes construction and building sites, working near hoists, tree felling, works where there are potentially falling objects, blasting works.  Where required head gear must be provided free of charge.

Ear protection may be required. This is mandatory in environment over 85 decibels.  It must be given upon request in environments between 80/85 decibels.

Eye protection equipment is required where there is exposure to dangerous substances such as chemicals, machinery or tools, including welding, grinding, cutting.  This would include safety spectacles, safety goggles or a face shield as appropriate.There are ongoing obligations in relation to checking equipment to ensure that it is still in order.

Feet protection is required in a whole range of businesses such as construction, manual handling, works involving chemical exposures, works with risks from heavy items or flammable atmosphere and work in wet conditions.

Protection for arms and hands may be required where there is a risk to this area of the body.  Potential hazards might include abrasion, extreme temperature, cuts, dangerous substances, electric shock, skin infection, disease, vibration.

Certain activities require all over body protection. This would include work in extreme temperatures, adverse weather, risk of chemical contact, construction, work in laboratories, risk of electrocution, work on railways.

There is a legal obligation to run a personal protective equipment maintenance programme. Needs must be assessed.  The equipment must be compatible with needs and must be adequately maintained and replaced.

All equipment should be well looked after and stored properly.  Users should be trained in relation to use. Records must be kept on premises and a schedule for checks and replacements must be put in place.  Employees must notify any loss of equipment.

Employees who work regularly with display screen equipment and visual display units may be at risk of getting aches and pains in their hands, arms, necks and backs especially if they work for long uninterrupted periods.  They are also at risk of temporary eye strain and related problems such as headaches, stress and back pain.

Under Health and Safety legislation employers must ensure that monitors, keyboards and input devices, furniture and the working environment meet minimum requirements and are easy to adjust to individual needs. The computer screen should tilt and swirl to suit the needs of users, be adjusted to the correct height,  show clear characters of adequate spacing, show a stable image with no flickering, have adjustable brightness and contrast, be free of reflective glare, be of suitable size.

It is also necessary that users know how to adjust brightness and contrast to suit lighting conditions, keep the screen surface clean, know how to adjust software settings to make the text sufficiently large and take breaks.

In the case of laptops, they should be as light as possible, be fitted with a clear and large screen, come in a lightweight carrying case, have a long battery life, have tilt adjustable keyboard, be able to be used at a docking station and have friction pads to prevent sliding across work surfaces.

Training for laptop users should include comfortable postures for using a laptop, using keyboard at the right height, adjusting screen, need for regular rest breaks, how to report problems that develop.

The work desk and work surface should be big enough to allow the user to arrange the screen, keyboard, documents in a flexible way.  The surface should be big enough to let the user work comfortably and change position.  Work station chair should be stable and allow the user to work comfortably.  They should be adjustable in height and have seat back adjustable in height and tilt.

General conditions in a work place also have an affect on health and safety. It is necessary to assess noise levels.  Sound proofing should be considered or noisy equipment should be removed.  Surrounding windows should have curtains or blinds to prevent reflective glare.   Temperature should not be as such so as to give heat so that it becomes uncomfortable.  Ventilation of humidity should be kept at a level which is comfortable.

Employees should be trained in the safe use of display screen equipment.  Risk assessment should be taken place in relation to such matters as the physical layout of the equipment and furniture, posture, special needs and the need for rest breaks.

Employees who regularly use display screen equipment have the right to eye and eye sight tests.  This can be carried out by an optometrist or doctor.  Employers only have to pay for glasses if special ones are needed.