Work Equipment Within Your Business

Purchasing Of Machinery/Equipment.

Numerous care providers look at ways in which to make the work that they undertake easier, and quicker, and safety is not the first thing that is considered. It is therefore important that various considerations be taken into account when purchasing, using and maintaining any work equipment. There are also a number of pieces of health and safety legislation that have to be applied and observed for example: -
  • The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
  • The supply of machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008
  • The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998
  • Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998


The first thing that needs to be considered is the work task in order to identify how it is being carried out and if there is a better or safer way that it can be done. This should be done in a formal risk assessment where you analyse: -
  • The hazards associated with the task being undertaken.
  • The individuals who are at risk.
  • The current control measures that are in place.
  • What further control measures are required to be implemented?


If it is decided that the task can be made easier and safer by introducing a new piece of equipment, it will be necessary to compile a pre-assessment in order to help decide if the machine or the equipment will be suitable for the task that you want it to be used for, especially if it is a standard off the shelf unit. Therefore it is advisable to give the following points some thought: -
  • Where and how the equipment is to be used?
  • What it will be used for?
  • Who will use it and is additional training required to be given to staff?
  • What risks to health and safety could be introduced by the new equipment?
  • How do other businesses within the same sector undertake the task and what equipment do they use?


If you are purchasing an intricate machine or item of equipment it will be necessary to discuss your specific needs with your supplier as he may be aware of the limitations of the equipment and may be able to advise on alternative methods of carrying out the task.

All manufacturers must ensure that machines that they make and supply are safe for use and they should be fitted with the appropriate safety devices. The manufacturer should have also compiled a suitable and sufficient risk assessment whilst constructing the apparatus and designed out any hazards at the manufacturing stage. Unfortunately this is not always possible so the manufacturers must highlight any inherent hazards by displaying suitable warning signs on the equipment as well as supplying the requisite information within the instruction manual.

All new machinery and equipment should display a suitable CE marking on the unit to show that it complies with all relevant supply laws. Unfortunately the CE marking does not necessarily mean that the machine/equipment is safe and it will be down to the user to ensure that it is not dangerous prior to it being used for the first time.

When you first take possession of your new equipment it will be important to make sure that you have all the relevant information and instructions on how the machine/equipment works with all the appropriate safety features. If you purchase items of equipment that are “off the shelf” then the instructions should be provided with the unit however if you buy a more intricate machine then suitable training and instruction should be given by the supplier.

When inspecting your new machinery/equipment it will be necessary to allow enough time and employ a little common sense as some safety related issues will be obvious. Consideration should be given to the following factors: -
  • Does the machine/equipment look dangerous i.e. are moving parts exposed or are they suitably guarded?
  • Are all guards in place and secured with mechanical fixings?
  • Are the controls clearly marked and can it be stopped quickly in an emergency?
  • Are there any exposed electrical parts?
  • Are the manufacturers instructions clear?


If you believe that the equipment is not safe then it should not be used and you should contact the supplier for further advice and if necessary the issues should be rectified.

If your organisation decides to purchase second hand machinery it will be down to you to ensure that it is safe for use. Although second hand machinery/equipment may not have a CE marking there is still a duty on the supplier to ensure that it is safe and has the appropriate instructions advising on how it should be used. However you may find that the equipment has been refurbished and the CE marking has been added at this stage.

Therefore it will be equally important to ensure that a suitable and sufficient risk assessment is conducted for the use of your second hand machinery/equipment to guarantee that it is: -
  • Safe for use
  • Suitable for the work that you require it to do
  • Maintained in a safe condition.