01PUWER 1998
Work equipment in use
PUWER places duties on those who own, operate or control work equipment. Regulation 11 sets a hierarchy for preventing access to dangerous parts, with fixed guards normally considered first.
Authoritative source ↗Hazard · access · response
Machine guarding compliance is more than fitting a panel.
Effective safeguarding connects the physical guard with safety distance, access frequency, stopping performance, interlocking, reset and the machine-specific risk assessment.
Request an engineering review ↗UK work equipmentPUWER Regulation 11
Take effective measures to prevent access to dangerous machinery parts or stop their movement before a person enters the danger zone.
Read the HSE overview ↗Practical compliance
The machine owner retains an important role.
A guard supplier can design and deliver an agreed safeguarding scope, but compliance depends on the complete machine, its intended use, controls, installation and ongoing management.
Oxford Machine Guarding defines the project boundary, required information, included checks and handover evidence. The responsible dutyholder should ensure the complete equipment remains suitable, maintained, inspected and used by trained people.
Commonly relevant framework
Legislation and machinery-safety standards.
Applicability and the correct edition must be confirmed for the specific machine, project date and scope.
02ISO 14120:2015
Fixed and movable guards
General requirements for the design, construction and selection of guards used to protect people from mechanical hazards.
Authoritative source ↗03ISO 13857:2019
Safety distances
Values for distances intended to prevent hazard zones being reached by upper and lower limbs. Aperture, height and distance must be assessed together.
Authoritative source ↗04ISO 14119:2024
Interlocking devices
Principles for the design and selection of interlocking devices associated with guards, including measures to reduce defeat possibilities.
Authoritative source ↗05ISO 13849-1:2023
Safety-related control systems
General principles for the design and integration of safety-related parts of control systems where the guarding project includes safety functions.
Authoritative source ↗06ISO 12100:2010
Risk assessment & risk reduction
A general machinery-safety methodology for identifying hazards, estimating and evaluating risk, and applying risk-reduction measures.
Authoritative source ↗Guarding decision sequence
Five questions the design must answer.
- 01
What is the hazard?
Identify dangerous movement, trapping, impact, ejection, heat, substances and stored energy.
- 02
Who needs access—and why?
Separate routine operation from setting, cleaning, fault recovery and maintenance tasks.
- 03
Can fixed guarding control the risk?
Use fixed separation where practical; introduce movable access only where the task requires it.
- 04
What must happen when access opens?
Define stopping, guard locking, stored-energy control, reset and restart prevention.
- 05
How will the result be verified?
Agree the design review, functional checks, documentation and future inspection requirements.
Safety distance
A small opening does not automatically make a guard safe.
Aperture size, guard height, floor gap and the distance to the hazard determine whether someone can reach through, over, under or around the protective structure.
Product and conveyor openings need the same scrutiny. Tunnels, restricted apertures, distance, flaps, sensing or controlled transfer arrangements may be required around the flow.
Explore mesh machine guards →From finding to fix
Need to turn a guarding action into an installed upgrade?
Our retrofit pathway connects the machine survey, agreed PUWER guarding scope, detailed design, manufacture and installation.
Important
This page provides general technical information, not legal advice or a machine-specific risk assessment. Standards and legislation may change. The responsible dutyholder should obtain competent, current advice for the actual equipment, use and modification.
Start with the machine and the task
Need a machine-specific guarding and compliance review?
Send photographs, dimensions or a short description of the machine. We will help define the survey, design and installation scope.
What does PUWER require for machine guarding?
PUWER requires effective measures that prevent access to dangerous machinery parts or stop movement before a person can reach the danger. The correct guard, opening size, safety distance, interlock and restart logic depend on the machine-specific risk assessment.
Questions buyers ask before specification
When is a fixed guard normally preferred?
A fixed guard is generally preferred where access is not needed during normal operation and removal can be restricted to an intentional maintenance task.
When may an interlocked guard be needed?
Interlocking may be appropriate where routine access is required and opening the guard must remove or control the hazardous condition before access.
Can older machinery be brought up to a safer standard?
Many machines can be retrofitted, but the assessment must include hazards, access, controls, stopping performance, interfaces and how the machine is actually used.