Work equipment and the Löfstedt review

Following the HSE review of ACOPs, prompted by the Löfstedt review of health and safety regulations, Safe use of work equipment (L22) will be revised and a new ACOP published by the end of 2014. Material supporting Regulation 6, which deals with inspection, will be amended to clarify that inspection requirements for work equipment used for work at height are now provided by Regulation 12 of the Work at Height Regulations (WAHR) 2005 rather than Regulation 6 of Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER). In addition, the material supporting Regulation 9, which deals with training, will be reviewed to provide further advice on refresher training for chainsaw operators, and the material supporting Regulation 7, dealing with specific risks, will be clarified and updated.

The scope of the ACOP, Safe use of power presses (L112), will also be reviewed to remove anomalies and ambiguity, particularly in the types of machine included and the materials being used by the end of 2014. The ACOP, Safe use of woodworking machinery (L114), will be amended with regard to the material in Regulations 7 and 12, as they currently relate solely to safety issues and not health. The review, due to be completed by the end of 2014, will also consider adding links to other relevant guidance, on noise for example. Further details of the proposed changes to the three ACOPs above, are available on the HSE website.

Advice on common issues, for example on young people, temporary workers and migrant workers and guidance in relation to information, instruction, training and worker consultation and representation requirements, will be rationalised across all three ACOPs. References to other relevant legislation and guidance will also be updated.

Minor changes will be made to Safe use of lifting equipment (L113). The HSE will update and revise the ACOP by the end of 2014, clarifying the scope of the regulations and making it easier for duty holders to understand what they can do to comply with the legal requirements. Details on the proposals to review the ACOP are available on the HSE website.