Machinery Safety: Guarding Requirements and Best Practice

The Risk from Machinery

Contact with moving machinery is one of the most common causes of serious workplace injuries in the UK. Workers can be struck by moving parts, become entangled in rotating equipment, or be crushed between components. These incidents frequently result in amputations, fractures, and fatalities.

The good news is that most machinery injuries are entirely preventable through proper guarding, safe systems of work, and adequate training.

Legal Requirements

The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) require employers to ensure that work equipment is suitable for its intended use, maintained in safe working order, and used only by people who have received adequate training.

Specifically, PUWER requires that dangerous parts of machinery are guarded or protected to prevent access to danger zones. This applies to all machinery, whether old or new, purchased or hired.

Types of Machinery Guards

Different situations require different guarding solutions:

Fixed guards: Permanently attached barriers that require tools to remove. These provide the highest level of protection where access to the danger zone is not needed during normal operation.

Interlocked guards: Connected to the machine controls so that opening the guard stops the machine, and the machine cannot start until the guard is closed. Essential where regular access is needed.

Adjustable guards: Can be adjusted to accommodate different workpiece sizes while still restricting access to dangerous parts.

Self-adjusting guards: Move automatically to allow material through while returning to the protective position.

Beyond Physical Guards

Where fixed or interlocked guards are not practicable, other protective devices may be appropriate:

Maintenance Considerations

Many serious injuries occur during maintenance, cleaning, and repair work when guards have been removed. You must have safe systems of work for these activities, including isolation procedures (lockout/tagout), permits to work where appropriate, and clear rules about guard removal.

Never allow guards to be permanently removed or defeated. If a guard makes a job difficult, find a better solution rather than removing the protection.

Training Requirements

Everyone who uses or maintains machinery must be trained to:

Regular Inspections

Guards and protective devices should be checked regularly to ensure they remain effective. Look for damage, wear, missing components, and signs of tampering. Any defects should be reported and rectified before the machine is used.

How We Can Help

At Integral Safety, we can help you assess machinery risks, ensure compliance with PUWER, and develop safe systems of work. Our health and safety audits include thorough examination of machinery guarding and maintenance procedures. Contact us to arrange a consultation.