Work equipment comprises all machinery, apparatus, tools, devices and plants destined for use by employees. The Labour Protection Act (ArbeitnehmerInnenschutzgesetz, ASchG) imposes specific requirements with regard to the placement, use, testing and maintenance of work equipment. All details regarding these issues are set forth in the Regulation relating to Work Equipment (Arbeitsmittelverordnung, AM-VO). Employers may make available to their employees only such work equipment as is technically suitable and operationally safe. The definition of the term “work equipment” pursuant to Section 2, para. 5, of the Labour Protection Act is wider than the definition of machinery as set forth in the Regulation relating to Machinery Safety (Maschinen-Sicherheitsverordnung, MSV 2010).
