The most common misreading of PUWER is treating it as "annual inspection for everything." It isn't. Regulation 5 (maintenance) applies to all work equipment. Regulation 6 (inspection) is conditional — and knowing which duty applies to which asset is the difference between a defensible register and busywork.
Regulation 5: maintenance — applies to everything
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER), Regulation 5, requires every piece of work equipment to be maintained in:
- an efficient state,
- efficient working order, and
- good repair.
"Efficient" here means efficient from a health and safety point of view, not productivity. PUWER doesn't mandate how — planned preventive maintenance, condition-based, or breakdown maintenance can all be appropriate depending on risk. Where a maintenance log exists, it must be kept up to date, but PUWER does not itself require you to create one for every asset.
Regulation 6: inspection — applies in two situations
Formal inspection is required only where:
- Safety depends on the installation conditions. Then the equipment must be inspected after installation and before first use, and after assembly at any new site or location. Think of machinery whose guarding, stability, or services depend on how and where it was put together.
- The equipment is exposed to conditions causing deterioration liable to result in dangerous situations. Then it must be inspected at suitable intervals, and after any exceptional circumstances liable to have jeopardised its safety — impact damage, modification, long idle periods.
The interval for the second case is risk-based, not fixed. A press brake in a dry workshop and a site saw living outdoors do not warrant the same cadence, and PUWER expects you — not the calendar — to justify the difference. The extent of the inspection also scales with risk: a visual check, a functional test, or a strip-down where warranted.
Everything else — equipment where neither condition applies — needs Reg 5 maintenance, but no statutory Reg 6 inspection.
The LOLER boundary
Lifting equipment lives under both sets of regulations, and the split matters:
| Risk | Regime | What it requires |
|---|---|---|
| The lifting function — load integrity, SWL, lifting people | LOLER | Thorough examination at 6/12-month statutory intervals or per a written examination scheme, by a competent person, recorded in a ROTE |
| Everything else about the same machine — guarding, controls, stability, electrical | PUWER | Reg 5 maintenance always; Reg 6 inspection where the conditions above apply |
A forklift truck is the classic example: LOLER thorough examination for the lifting mechanism, PUWER for brakes, steering, lights, and guarding. One machine, two record streams. (For the lifting side, see our guide to LOLER inspection frequency.)
Records
Reg 6 inspection results must be recorded and kept until the next inspection is recorded. Where equipment leaves your undertaking (or is hired out), it should be accompanied by physical evidence that the last inspection has been carried out — a real obligation for hire fleets that often surprises companies new to it.
The practical standard an HSE inspector applies is simple: can you produce, for any given asset, what its inspection regime is, why that regime is suitable, and the record of the last inspection? A register structured around those three questions — like our free PUWER register template — answers the visit before it gets difficult.
Where Core fits
For companies inspecting customer equipment, PUWER's risk-based intervals are exactly what generic calendar tools handle badly: different cadences per asset, per environment, per client. Core stores the regime against each asset, schedules from it, and keeps the inspection history attached to the asset for its whole life — so the "why is this on a 3-month cycle?" question has a documented answer. Book a demo to see it against a real register.
Sources
- HSE — Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER)
- HSE — Safe use of work equipment: Approved Code of Practice L22
- PUWER 1998, Regulations 5–6 — legislation.gov.uk
Frequently asked questions
Does PUWER require an annual inspection of all work equipment?
No. PUWER Regulation 5 requires all work equipment to be maintained in an efficient state, efficient working order, and good repair — but formal inspection under Regulation 6 only applies where safety depends on installation conditions, or where the equipment is exposed to conditions causing deterioration liable to result in dangerous situations. The interval is then whatever is suitable, determined by risk — not a fixed annual rule.
What is the difference between PUWER and LOLER inspections?
LOLER applies specifically to lifting equipment and requires thorough examinations at fixed statutory intervals (6 or 12 months, or per an examination scheme) by a competent person. PUWER applies to work equipment generally, and its inspection duty is conditional and risk-based. Lifting equipment is subject to both: LOLER for the lifting-specific risks, PUWER for everything else about the equipment.
Who can carry out a PUWER inspection?
A competent person — but PUWER is less prescriptive than LOLER. The level of competence needed depends on the equipment and the risk; for many machines a properly trained in-house person is sufficient, while complex or high-risk plant may warrant specialist or engineering input.
Do PUWER inspections need to be recorded?
Yes — the result of a Regulation 6 inspection must be recorded and kept until the next inspection is recorded. Records can be kept in any retrievable form, but you must be able to demonstrate the last inspection happened and what it found.