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Sale or Disposal

Equipment and machinery supplied or sold to others must comply with health and safety, consumer and environmental legislation and must be safe and without risks to health.

  • Equipment or machinery whether new or second hand that is sold or supplied to others for use at work, which includes any teaching or research purposes, is covered by the Health and Safety at Work Act;
  • Sale or supply of equipment or machinery to members of the public including staff or students is subject to consumer protection legislation;

‘Supply’ is defined (under the Consumer Protection Act) as the ‘selling, hiring out or lending of goods’.

Equipment or machinery that could have been contaminated such as with hazardous substances or by ionising radiation must be decontaminated. This includes hidden risks such as the PCB content of oils in transforming equipment or contaminated oils in vacuum pumps used in chemical processes. A 'Decontamination Certificate' should be provided to the recipient of the equipment.

Knowledge of the history and the availability of maintenance and servicing records of the equipment or machinery can help in simplifying the assessment process.

Equipment that is considered to be in full working order must be checked by relevant specialist engineers as suitable for sale/supply. Portable electrical appliances should undergo portable appliance testing prior to sale/supply.

Guidance is provided for Equipment not in safe working order and also for Equipment that is being supplied for refurbishement or spare parts.

The condition of lost property items should be checked to confirm that they are suitable for sale.

• Items must not pose a significant hazard when used for the purpose for which they were designed

• Equipment that requires specialist knowledge / training to operate safely should not be sold

• Mains powered electrical items must undergo portable appliance testing to establish electrical integrity before being sold. A record should be kept to confirm that the item passed the test, however no test sticker should be placed on the equipment.