PUWER 1998 · Work equipment

Aircraft staging inspection under PUWER

Independent inspection of your aircraft staging as work equipment, against the PUWER duties, by a competent engineer surveyor.

The platforms, stands and docking your technicians work from are work equipment, and PUWER puts the duty to keep them safe on you. A stand that is moved, reconfigured and knocked about a busy hangar is exactly what the regulation has in mind.

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  • Independent and impartial
  • Competent engineer surveyors
  • Reports issued promptly
Risk basedInterval set by how the staging is used, not a fixed date
At heightAccess equipment your fall protection depends on
A written recordA dated inspection record, not a certificate
Where it liftsAny powered lift function examined under LOLER
Work equipment we inspect

Why your aircraft staging needs PUWER inspection

Aircraft staging is the access equipment maintenance teams build around an aircraft: fixed and mobile platforms, cantilever sections that reach over a wing or tail, height-adjustable decks, engine and tail docking, and the stairs that serve them. It carries people at height, close to a multi-million pound airframe, which is why its condition matters on two counts at once.

Under PUWER it is work equipment, so it must be suitable, in good condition and inspected at sensible intervals. The job is rarely a tick-box exercise. Staging is assembled and broken down, rolled between bays and exposed to the knocks of a working hangar, so wear and misuse gather in exactly the places that keep someone safe at height.

Fixed platforms
Mobile and rolling stands
Cantilever wing sections
Height-adjustable decks
Engine and tail docking
Access stairs and gates
Guardrails and toe boards
Castors and brakes
How it works

How we inspect your aircraft staging

A competent engineer surveyor examines the staging in the configuration you actually use, against the manufacturer's drawings and the loads it carries. We work through the structure, the moving and adjustable parts, the edge protection and the aircraft-protection features, then set out anything that needs attention before it goes back under an aircraft.

  • 1

    Get in touch

    Tell us what staging you run, the aircraft types it serves and where it is based.

  • 2

    On-site inspection

    A competent engineer surveyor inspects each stand and platform in its working configuration, against its design and use.

  • 3

    Your record

    You receive a clear, dated inspection record, with anything that needs attention flagged and the next date to plan around.

Why businesses choose SEIS

  • Independent and impartial: we inspect the staging, we do not sell or hire it
  • Competent engineer surveyors used to access equipment and hangar environments
  • Inspection in the configuration you use, not a generic checklist
  • Clear records issued promptly, with the next due date flagged
What we check

Aircraft staging: what a thorough inspection covers

Structure, welds and connections

The frame, modular pins and cantilever joints, examined for cracks, distortion and corrosion where staging is built up and broken down repeatedly.

Decks, planks and sliding fingers

Anti-slip surfaces, sliding deck sections and the autolock that holds them, checked for secure locking, wear and the gaps that open up at the aircraft edge.

Guardrails, gates and toe boards

Handrails, self-closing gates and infill, so the fall protection is complete and latches as it should at every working height.

Height adjustment and locking

Adjustment mechanisms and pins through their full range, with no creep or drift, so a deck cannot drop under load.

Castors, brakes and stability

Braked and swivel castors that hold, the footprint and levelling, so a loaded stand stays put on a hangar floor or apron.

Aircraft-protection features

Deck bumpers, foam buffers and edge padding that stop the platform marking or damaging the airframe, and the tethering that controls dropped-object risk near engines.

Intervals and your record

How often, and what you receive

PUWER sets no fixed interval for aircraft staging. Under Regulation 6 the frequency follows the risk: after assembly or relocation where safe use depends on how it was put together, at suitable intervals because staging is reconfigured and worked hard, and again after any event that could have affected it, such as a knock from a tug or ground equipment. In practice most operators settle on a regular cycle, often annual, with extra checks after a major reconfiguration or an impact.

No fixed intervalFrequency set by risk and how the equipment is used
After assemblyRe-inspected where safe use depends on correct assembly or relocation
A written recordA dated inspection record, not a statutory certificate
Where it liftsAny powered lifting function is examined under LOLER

Anyone selling a PUWER certificate is using a marketing word, not a legal one. We issue a clear, dated inspection record you can hand to an HSE inspector or your insurer.

Full statutory cover

Part of our full PUWER inspection service

Aircraft staging is one of the many kinds of equipment we cover. We inspect the full range, across every sector, as an independent provider, one item or a whole site, anywhere in the UK.

See our full PUWER inspection service
Other services

Other statutory inspections we carry out

Many sites run more than one regime. We can examine all of it, under one independent provider.

LOLER inspectionThorough examination and certification of lifting equipment and accessories. PSSR examinationWritten Schemes and certified examination of pressure systems. LEV testingLEV thorough examination and test of your extraction systems.
PUWER FAQs

Aircraft staging inspection: common questions

Does aircraft staging need a PUWER inspection?
Yes. Aircraft staging is work equipment, so PUWER applies. The regulation requires it to be suitable, kept in good condition and inspected where it is exposed to conditions that cause deterioration. Access equipment that is moved, reconfigured and worked hard around aircraft sits squarely in that category. You can read the duty in the HSE guidance on PUWER.
Is it a PUWER certificate or a record?
A record. PUWER produces a written inspection record, not a statutory certificate, and that record is kept at least until the next inspection. There is no such thing as a PUWER certificate, whatever a supplier may call it. We issue a clear, dated record you can hand to an HSE inspector or your insurer. Our guide to PUWER explains the difference in full.
How often should aircraft staging be inspected?
PUWER sets no fixed interval. The frequency follows the risk and how the staging is used: heavy, reconfigured, round-the-clock use pulls the date in, while light and stable use lets it out. Most operators settle on a regular cycle, often annual, with extra checks after a reconfiguration or an impact.
Is aircraft staging covered by LOLER or PUWER?
Both can apply. As work equipment, the structure, decks, guardrails and castors are inspected under PUWER. Where a stand has a powered lifting function that raises people or the deck, that lifting part is examined under LOLER. We set out in the report which regime covers which part.
What does the inspection cover?
The structure and its connections, the decks and any sliding sections and their locks, the guardrails, gates and toe boards, the height adjustment and its locking, the castors, brakes and stability, and the aircraft-protection features such as bumpers and edge padding. We inspect it in the configuration you actually use, not a generic checklist.
Who is competent to inspect aircraft staging?
PUWER requires a competent person, someone with the knowledge and experience to know what to look at, what to look for and what to do about anything found. Our engineer surveyors inspect access equipment day in, day out, and are used to working around aircraft in hangar and apron conditions.
Do you re-inspect staging after it has been reconfigured or moved?
Where the safe use of the staging depends on how it has been assembled, PUWER expects a check after assembly or relocation and before it is used again. We can build a sensible regime around your reconfigurations, so a stand is never put back under an aircraft on trust.
Do you inspect aircraft staging across the UK?
Yes. We work nationwide, with engineer surveyors who travel to hangars and maintenance facilities wherever they are, one stand or a whole hangar. Call 0330 043 8191 to arrange a visit around your maintenance schedule.

Is your aircraft staging due a PUWER inspection?

Talk to an engineer surveyor, get a quote and book your inspection anywhere in the UK.

0330 043 8191 Request a quote