PUWER compliance software for UK employers
Keep a work-equipment register, log suitability checks, inspections and maintenance, track operator training, and keep it audit-ready under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.
What PUWER requires
Under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, work equipment must be suitable for the job, safe and maintained in efficient working order, inspected where safety depends on how it is installed or the conditions it faces, and used only by people with adequate information, instruction and training — with dangerous parts guarded. Complys keeps the register, the inspection and maintenance records and the operator training in one place.
Legal duty — Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) · HSE guidance, "Provision and Use of Work Equipment" (L22)
Work-equipment register
List every machine and tool with its location, use and risk, so you know what PUWER applies to.
Suitability & guarding
Record that equipment is suitable for the work and that dangerous parts are guarded, against each item.
Inspections & maintenance
Log inspections (where safety depends on installation or conditions) and maintenance with dates and outcomes.
Operator training
Track who is trained and authorised to use each machine, with expiry alerts.
Reminders
Every recurring check carries a due date and reminder, so nothing is quietly overdue.
Audit-ready record
A timestamped register and history for a client, an auditor or the HSE.
Equipment safety, in one place
PUWER sits next to LOLER compliance for lifting equipment, the fixed and portable electrical records in PAT testing software, and the wider risk assessment and construction compliance picture. Complys keeps the records and schedules; the inspections and maintenance are carried out by your competent people.
PUWER compliance software — FAQs
What does PUWER require?
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 require work equipment to be suitable for its use, safe, maintained in efficient working order, inspected where safety depends on installation or conditions, and used only by people who have had adequate information, instruction and training. It also covers guarding and dangerous parts. Complys is where the register, the inspections and the training records live.
Is PUWER the same as LOLER?
They overlap but are different. PUWER covers work equipment generally; LOLER (the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998) adds specific duties for lifting equipment, including thorough examination at set intervals. Equipment that lifts loads is usually subject to both. Complys handles PUWER here and lifting-specific duties in LOLER compliance software.
Does Complys inspect the equipment?
No. Complys is a records and scheduling platform — it does not carry out inspections or maintenance. You (or your competent person) do the checks; Complys holds the equipment register, logs the suitability checks, inspections and maintenance with dates, tracks operator training, and reminds you when the next check is due.
Explore: LOLER compliance software, PAT testing software, risk assessment software, and construction compliance.