PUWER inspection checklist: what the law requires and what to check
A practical PUWER regulation 6 inspection checklist, built from the regulation and HSE's L22 guidance. When an inspection is required, who can do it, how often (the law sets no interval), what to check on guards, controls, isolation, stability and markings, and what to record.
By Hovermarks team
Quick answer. PUWER regulation 6 requires an inspection where a machine's safety depends on how it is installed (after installation and after reassembly at a new site), and where it is exposed to deterioration that could cause danger (at suitable intervals and after exceptional circumstances). The inspection is by a competent person and the result is kept until the next one is recorded. The law sets no fixed interval: you set it from the risk, the conditions of use and the manufacturer's instructions.
This checklist is built from the regulation itself and from HSE's Approved Code of Practice and guidance, L22, Safe use of work equipment (fourth edition). Paragraph numbers below refer to L22. For the record-keeping side in more depth, see PUWER Regulation 6 inspection records.
What regulation 6 requires
Regulation 6 has four triggers and a record duty:
| Trigger | Regulation | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| After installation, before first use | 6(1)(a) | Where safety depends on installation conditions: confirm it is installed correctly and safe to operate |
| After assembly at a new site or location | 6(1)(b) | Same, after reassembly |
| At suitable intervals | 6(2)(a) | Where exposed to deterioration liable to cause danger: detect and remedy it in good time |
| After exceptional circumstances | 6(2)(b) | Where something has happened that could jeopardise safety |
| Record the result | 6(3) | Keep it until the next inspection is recorded |
| Evidence when equipment moves between undertakings | 6(4) | Physical evidence that the last inspection was done |
Regulation 2 defines the inspection as "such visual or more rigorous inspection by a competent person as is appropriate", including testing where testing is appropriate.
Regulation 6 does not apply to power presses covered by regulations 32 to 35 and their tool guards, to work equipment for lifting loads including persons (LOLER covers its thorough examination), to mine winding apparatus, to equipment inspected under regulations 22(4) or 23(2) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, or to equipment covered by regulation 12 of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 (regulation 6(5)).
Does this equipment need an inspection?
HSE's test is significant risk. An inspection is needed where incorrect installation, deterioration or exceptional circumstances could lead to an imminent failure that could cause a major injury (paragraphs 82 and 83).
- Likely to need one (paragraph 98): most fairground equipment; machines where people approach the danger zone in normal operation, such as horizontal injection moulding machines, paper-cutting guillotines and die-casting machines; complex automated equipment; integrated production lines.
- Unlikely to need one (paragraph 99): office furniture, hand tools, non-powered machinery, and powered machinery such as a reciprocating fixed-blade metal cutting saw, where failure cannot lead to significant risk or maintenance under regulation 5 keeps it safe.
Who should do it
L22 separates two roles (paragraphs 90 to 94):
- Deciding what the inspection covers. This person needs enough knowledge and experience to decide what to inspect, how, and when, and whether testing is needed. An experienced in-house manager or supervisor may be able to do this.
- Carrying out the inspection. Often an in-house employee who knows the key components, what faults look like, and what to do when they find one: report it, record it, and tell the right person.
For some equipment the competence will not exist in-house, and an outside body is needed. HSE's example is the annual inspection of some fairground rides.
An operator's pre-use check is not a regulation 6 inspection, and does not need to be recorded (paragraph 81).
How often
There is no number in the regulation. HSE says the frequency should reflect how quickly the equipment, or parts of it, are likely to deteriorate and create a significant risk, taking account of the type of equipment, how it is used and the conditions it is exposed to (paragraph 100). The same machine may need inspecting more often on a coastal or construction site than in an indoor warehouse (paragraph 101).
Exceptional circumstances that call for an extra inspection include major modification, refurbishment or repair, known or suspected serious damage, and a substantial change in use, such as returning after a long period out of use (paragraph 102).
Write down the interval you choose and why. That reason is what you will be asked for.
The checklist
Adapt this to the equipment. L22 says an inspection may range from a visual check to a detailed one with dismantling or testing, and should always include the safety-related parts needed for safe operation, such as overload warning devices and limit switches (paragraph 87). The right-hand column shows the PUWER regulation each check relates to.
| Area | Check | Related regulation |
|---|---|---|
| Identification | Asset ID, make, model and location match the record; previous inspection record available | Reg 6(3) |
| Guards | Fixed guards present, secure and undamaged; no gaps giving access to dangerous parts | Reg 11 |
| Protection devices | Interlocks, light curtains, pressure mats and two-hand controls stop the hazard as intended | Reg 11 |
| Start controls | Equipment starts only by deliberate use of a control | Reg 14 |
| Stop controls | Stop control brings the equipment to a safe condition | Reg 15 |
| Emergency stop | Emergency stop present where needed, reachable, and works | Reg 16 |
| Controls | Controls clearly visible, identifiable and marked | Reg 17 |
| Isolation | Means to isolate from all energy sources is present, clearly identifiable and readily accessible | Reg 19 |
| Stability | Fixings, anchors, clamps and base secure; no movement or cracking | Reg 20 |
| Lighting | Lighting at the work area is adequate for the task | Reg 21 |
| Hot or cold parts | Protection against burns from hot or very cold surfaces in place | Reg 13 |
| Markings | Required markings present and legible | Reg 23 |
| Warnings | Warning signs and devices present, legible and working | Reg 24 |
| Condition | Wear, corrosion, cracking, leaks, damaged cables and hoses | Reg 6(2) |
| Safety-related parts | Overload warnings, limit switches and other safety devices tested where appropriate | Reg 6, L22 para 87 |
What to record
There is no prescribed form. Records can be handwritten or electronic. HSE suggests including (paragraph 103):
| Record field | Example |
|---|---|
| Type and model of equipment | Pedestal drill, model PD-16 |
| Identification mark or number | ACM-WE-012 |
| Normal location | Workshop, bay 1 |
| Date of the inspection | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Who carried it out | J. Patel, workshop supervisor |
| Any faults | Chuck guard interlock intermittent |
| Action taken | Taken out of use; interlock switch replaced |
| Who the faults were reported to | Site manager |
| Date repairs were carried out | 21 Oct 2026 |
Add the next-due date and the reason for the interval. Regulation 6(3) keeps a record only "until the next inspection under this regulation is recorded", so a next-due date is how you tell a current record from a superseded one.
For equipment that leaves your site or arrives from someone else's, regulation 6(4) requires physical evidence of the last inspection. For smaller items HSE says a tag, colour code or label can do this, as long as it links back to the record (paragraph 105).
How Hovermarks handles PUWER inspections
Hovermarks includes a PUWER regulation 6 inspection template for work equipment, with fields for the interval and why it is suitable for the equipment, its environment and its use, and a separate template for profile beds. For UK organisations, the PUWER inspection record is produced against the QR-tagged asset with its own next-due date, on every plan. Failed items raise defects and corrective actions, and the asset can be set out of service until the work is done.