Machinery guides
Plain-English guides to choosing and using machinery safely. Facts come from HSE, the NHS, GOV.UK and the makers’ own pages, listed under each guide with the date we checked them.
- Machinery safety at home and at work: PUWER in plain EnglishThe same machine can be a DIY tool at the weekend and work equipment on Monday. What the PUWER rules ask of businesses, what applies when you buy a machine, an…
- Generators and carbon monoxide: why they only ever run outdoorsCarbon monoxide has no colour or smell, and portable generators are one of the sources the NHS lists. Honda’s safety rules for generators, the symptoms to know…
- How to size a generator: rated watts, starting loads and invertersGenerators carry two power figures, and some tools need much more to start than to run. How to read the numbers using makers’ own spec sheets, and what inverte…
- Air compressors: CFM, free air delivery and tank size explainedWhy a compressor’s biggest air figure isn’t the one to compare, how tank size and pressure fit in, and what direct drive, belt drive and oil-free mean — using…
- Choosing a log splitter: tonnes, log sizes and safety featuresWhat the tonnage on a log splitter means in practice, why the maker’s stated log size matters more, and the guards, controls and noise figures to look for — co…
- Storing petrol at home: the 30 litre rule and the right containersHow much petrol you can keep at home without telling anyone, which containers are allowed, where it can be kept and what changes above 30 and 275 litres — from…
- Noise and hearing protection for machinery usersHow loud the machines in this guide are according to their makers, the 80 and 85 dB(A) levels in the Noise at Work Regulations, HSE’s warning signs, and how to…
- Eye, face and breathing protection: reading EN 166 and FFP ratingsWhat the markings on safety glasses, face shields and dust masks mean, when HSE says PPE is needed, and why welding fume and fine dust need more than a paper m…
- Wood dust and dust extraction for a home workshopWhy HSE treats wood dust as a serious hazard, the exposure limits for hardwood and softwood, and how extractors, chip collectors and workshop vacuums differ —…
- Pressure washer specs explained: bar, flow and area performanceWhat bar, litres per hour and square metres per hour mean on a pressure washer, why individual models differ from the class figures, and what to look for in mo…