Mitre and Chop saws are widely used on construction sites. There have been numerous accidents whereby user’s hands/fingers have come into contact with the blade. PUWER specifies fixed enclosing guards; other guards or protection devices such as interlocked guards and pressure mats; protection appliances such as jigs, holders and push-sticks etc.; the provision of information, instruction, training and supervision. The Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 Supply of machinery: general obligations and prohibition 7.—(1) No responsible person shall place machinery on the market or put it into service unless it is safe. General duties of manufacturers etc. as regards articles and substances for use at work. It shall be the duty of any person who designs, manufactures, imports or supplies any article for use at work or any article of fairground equipment—. (a)to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the article is so designed and constructed that it will be safe and without risks to health at all times when it is being set, used, cleaned or maintained by a person at work;. (b) to carry out or arrange for the carrying out of such testing and examination as may be necessary for the performance of the duty imposed on him by the preceding paragraph;. Some hire companies are refusing to supply clamping devices as the feel it is not a legal requirement. Your thoughts please. Brian Larkin

I agree with what you are saying, however when specifying the purpose of the saw being wood cutting and the clamps (hold down devices) are available for wood, but only at extra cost, I would have thought the hire company were not being reasonably practicable. Brian

So the complaint is not that the hire company is refusing to supply clamping devices, it's that they are refusing to supply clamping devices for free (or, refusing to redefine a pricing structure that includes appropriate clamping devices as a separate cost item). That seems reasonable to me - if I don't want the clamping devices on offer I don't pay for them, and if I do want those clamping devices I do pay for them. If you want a hire company that provides a package price for saw plus hold-down clamps suitable for the timber you propose to cut, don't you simply need to find one that prices it like that? Since you refer to 'some' companies not doing that, it rather implies that you know of some others who do do it like that, so take your business to them, if that's how you like it.