It might sound blindingly obvious but it is much easier to do your job efficiently and effectively if you have tools which are designed for the purpose that they are being used! What you might not realise is that while you are grafting and trying to make the best of what you have at your disposal you could be causing yourself serious damage to your health.

Under the The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 an employer is under a duty to their employees to make sure that equipment provided for use at work does not result in any deterioration of their health or leave them vulnerable to an injury at work.

It is important when working to make sure that employers are supplying you with the correct equipment for the job. If you spend your days using inappropriate equipment for your tasks then you could suffer serious injury.

According to the Health and Safety Executive the regulations require that equipment provided for use at work be:
* Suitable for its intended use
* Safe for use, maintained in a safe condition and inspected to make sure that they continue to be safe
* Used only by people who have had the appropriate training in how to use the equipment
* Accompanied by suitable safety measures e.g protective devices, markings, warnings

Be aware that this doesn’t mean that your employer has to go out and provide you with the top of the range, does the job with bells on, best product ever seen, but at the same time don’t be afraid to speak to your employer about obtaining the correct equipment to make sure that you feel safe in your working practices.

However, if you do feel that you have suffered an injury as a result of unsuitable, unsafe, outdated or unreliable equipment provided by your employers then you may be able to make a claim against them.

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