School Work Equipment Control Procedure

1. Scope and applicability

Use this procedure where school employees use work equipment, or where the school owns, operates or has control responsibilities for work equipment. It also applies where equipment is owned or supplied by another party but used by school employees.

The person applying this procedure must confirm whether the relevant activity is taking place at [school name] and identify the equipment, users and responsibilities that apply at the school.

2. Identify equipment and responsibilities

Create and maintain a current record of the work equipment within scope. For each item, record its description, location, owner or supplier where known, and whether the school owns, operates or controls it.

Where equipment is supplied or owned by another party, identify the arrangements by which the school controls its use and manages the applicable work-equipment duties. Record the responsible school contact as [responsible person role] and the relevant external owner or supplier as [equipment owner or supplier] where applicable.

3. Determine the applicable equipment arrangements

Confirm whether the equipment is lifting equipment covered by LOLER, other work equipment, or both. Equipment that is outside LOLER may still need to be maintained for safety and may, in some cases, be subject to inspection under PUWER.

For equipment used at work that is outside LOLER, record the decision on whether PUWER inspection is needed and the basis for that decision. Do not treat exclusion from LOLER as removing the need for safety maintenance.

4. Assess suitability and risks

Before equipment is used, consider whether it is suitable for the intended work and whether its condition, use and operating circumstances create risks. Record the assessment for [equipment or activity scope] and identify the controls required for safe use.

For lifting equipment, consider what is being lifted, its weight, its centre of gravity, how it will be attached, who is in control of the lift, the safe limits of the equipment and whether the lift needs to be rehearsed.

5. Maintenance and inspection

Arrange proportionate planned and reactive maintenance so that relevant equipment remains safe to use. The arrangements must reflect the actual equipment, its use and the school's ownership, operation or control responsibilities.

Where inspection under PUWER is needed, define the inspection arrangement for the relevant equipment and retain the inspection decision and findings. Record maintenance, inspection, defects, repairs and corrective actions for [equipment record reference].

For lifting equipment and other work equipment, maintain the equipment properly so that it remains safe to use.

6. Equipment supplied by another party

Before equipment supplied or owned by another party is used by school employees, identify the party's responsibilities and the school's responsibilities. Confirm how the equipment's condition, maintenance, inspection and defects are communicated and controlled.

Do not rely only on ownership to determine responsibility. Where school employees use the equipment, retain the school's record of the arrangements used to manage the applicable duties.

7. Defects, isolation and return to service

Report any suspected defect or unsafe condition to [responsible person role] and record the equipment, defect, date and immediate action taken.

Where equipment may be unsafe, prevent its use and isolate it until the defect has been assessed and the necessary corrective action has been completed. Record any repair or other corrective action.

Return equipment to service only when the available information shows that it is safe to use. Record the return-to-service decision and the person responsible for making it.

8. Records

Retain the current work-equipment inventory or scope record, the school's ownership, operation or control responsibilities, suitability and risk assessments, maintenance and inspection arrangements, inspection findings, defect and isolation records, repair and corrective-action records, and arrangements for equipment supplied by other parties.

Store the records in [work equipment record location] and identify the person responsible for keeping them current as [record owner role].

9. Review

Review this procedure when the school's equipment, activities, ownership, operation or control responsibilities change, or when the arrangements for maintenance, inspection, defects or equipment supplied by another party change.