Before any purchase of equipment certain guidelines need to be considered, as machine supply regulations and Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) are paramount. The key points to cover before paying a deposit are whether the supplier will provide:
• relevant documentation, including instruction and parts manuals, electrical, pneumatic or hydraulic drawings;
• information on safety considerations involved in terms of manual handling, COSH etc;
• CE Mark information;
• details of hazards and risk assessment;
• figures on the expected life of control/computer systems;
• training information.
Also make sure that your main criteria for purchasing the equipment is formally recorded so that pre-delivery audits/ inspections can be done subjectively.
When delivery is booked, address project management and get details on weight, size, power, pneumatics, and extraction. Planning ahead is essential, as is putting in writing in a method statement what contractors are to do and when and getting them to confirm.
