So, you’ve got some shiny new equipment that’s just landed at your site. It looks the part, but how do you know for sure that it is safe to use straight out of the box (or off the pallet?).
The truth is, you don’t. The true risks are unlikely to be uncovered without a detailed inspection, for example, a PUWER assessment.
To do this properly, you’re going to need PUWER training.
What Is PUWER?
PUWER stands for the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (1998). These set out mandatory requirements for work equipment provided by employers to ensure that they are safe to use and all foreseeable risk is identified and mitigated.
By law, all work equipment should be assessed. So, that’s everything from a microwave, to a hand drill, an air compressor, or a fork lift truck- whether it’s brand new, new-to-you, or has been on site and in use for a while.
Topics covered within a PUWER assessment include general suitability for the task required, sufficient instruction and guidance, suitability of guarding, e-stops and other safety devices, sufficient warning and labelling, and competency and training of those who must operate and maintain the equipment.
An additional aspect of PUWER assessment, particularly with older or existing machinery rather than brand new, is assessing compliance with current legislation and design standards, which can vary depending on the type of machine.
No wonder then, that properly and reliably carrying out these assessments requires suitable PUWER training.
Free Tool
Simple but Powerful PUWER Assessment App
A simple, easy-to-use app for checking PUWER compliance — usable on Apple, Android, and desktop browser. No intensive auditing or complicated report writing.
Current Training
As you may imagine, there are lots of providers out there offering PUWER training. In our experience, the standard of training course varies a great deal. It’s likely that you’ll encounter:
- Slow pace of training
- Long-winded training duration
- Vague, ad-hoc guidance
- Standard, off-the-shelf training content
- Deliberately vague training resources
It’s entirely possible that you’ll leave one of these courses more scared than you were before (as no doubt you’ll have been informed of the legalities of dangerous equipment and poor PUWER assessment) yet no more confident to carry out the assessment.
So, what do you do?
Fumble on, give it your best shot and hope for the best?
Or is there a better solution out there?
Of course there is.
PUWER Training with Knox Thomas
We’re proud to announce and inform you that we’ve recently developed a new PUWER training package.
This is the training you book when you need a quick, efficient overview of what PUWER exactly is, and how to measure compliance.
After attending countless existing training courses ourselves, we know what it’s like to sit in a dreary training room, learning very little and feeling no more empowered after leaving than we did at the start.
We’ve deciphered what a good training course looks like, and have crafted our training course to perform even better.
Our PUWER training course has been custom designed from the ground up, with a focus on delivering to-the-point, actionable training that not only informs, but enables you to confidently identify the risks associated with your workplace machinery, assign suitable control measures, and of course- be compliant with PUWER.
What To Expect
We know it can be nerve-racking to attend a training course. For some people it’s simply travelling to and finding the venue; for others it’s having to interact with other candidates; and of course there’s the pressure of remembering everything you’ve learned.
To alleviate this, we tailor our PUWER training around your needs, leaving you to focus on learning everything you need to know about PUWER and what it means to comply.
Q&A is encouraged throughout, while remaining focused and on-target.
Topics covered include:
- PUWER legalities
- Machinery safety 101
- How to do a risk assessment
- How to audit like a Pro
- Mythbusting and clarifying the Regs
- Hazard and risk spotting
- Practice PUWER assessment
Learning with Knox Thomas
Of course, there are lots of PUWER training providers out there. So what makes Knox Thomas different?
- Small cohort size- feel confident to ask questions
- Fast-track, one day course to get you audit-ready ASAP
- FREE, functional resources- no guesswork or home research- start auditing straightaway
- Flexible location- we come to you, or meet at a preferred UK-wide location.
- Real-world PUWER exercise- assess your own machine
Register Interest today
If you’re ready to take PUWER assessment in-house, and start making your workplace safer- you need to book your PUWER Training.
Plus, for a limited time, we’re offering all candidates FREE access to our Online Training platform*, so you can top up your PUWER training, or enrol on a different course.
Availability and spaces are limited. Give us a call or drop us a line to save your PUWER training slot.
*T&C’s apply
