Regulation works

UK regulations arising from European Union directives have helped improve health and safety, according to a report published by the HSE. The report evaluates the implementation of two directives, known in UK law as the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER 98) and the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER). Employers told researchers that the regulations have led to safety improvements and generally agreed that the costs of compliance have not caused concern.

Evaluation of the implementation of the use of work equipment directive and the amending directive to the use of work equipment directive in the UK series, RR 125 is available free from: www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrhtm/index.htm