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Machine Guarding and Safeguarding Workplace Equipment

Machine Guarding in Brief

  • Identify dangerous parts of machinery and the access required for normal use and maintenance
  • Select fixed, interlocked or adjustable guards to suit the access
  • Maintain guards and never bypass them

Safeguarding and Machine Guarding

Machine guarding is the use of physical barriers and protective devices to prevent contact with dangerous parts of machinery during operation. PUWER 1998 Regulation 11 specifically requires that, where machinery has parts that could cause injury through contact, those parts must be guarded by fixed guards where practicable, or by other protective devices where fixed guarding is not practicable.

The requirement applies to all work equipment with dangerous moving parts - which in practice covers a wide range of machinery from basic power tools through to complex manufacturing plant. This article is primarily relevant to organisations that use machinery with exposed moving parts, cutting edges, nip points, rotating shafts or other mechanisms that present a contact hazard.

Types of Machine Guard and Protective Device

Fixed guards - a physical enclosure that prevents access to dangerous parts. Fixed guards are the preferred option under PUWER where they are practicable - they require no action from the operator and cannot be accidentally left in the wrong position. They should only be removable with a tool, to prevent casual removal.

Interlocked guards - guards connected to the machine's power supply so that the machine stops or cannot start when the guard is open. Used where access to the guarded area is required during normal operation - for example, to load material or clear a jam.

Adjustable and self-adjusting guards - guards that can be set or that move with the workpiece, used where fixed guarding would prevent the work being done. Common on woodworking machinery and circular saws.

Two-hand controls and hold-to-run devices - require the operator to keep both hands on controls during the hazardous part of a machine cycle, preventing the hands from being in the danger zone. Used where physical guarding is not practicable.

Light curtains and presence-sensing devices - detect when a person enters the hazard zone and stop or prevent machine operation. Used on larger automated machinery where physical guarding would impede the process.

Warning signs and markings - not a substitute for physical guarding but an important supplementary measure, particularly where residual risks remain after guarding is in place.

Key Requirements for Machine Guarding

Guards must be suitable for the purpose - robust enough to withstand the environment, not create additional hazards of their own, and not be easily bypassed or removed. A guard that is routinely bypassed by operators because it makes the job difficult is not effective and indicates that the guarding solution needs to be reviewed.

Guards should be checked regularly to confirm they are in place, undamaged and functioning correctly. Where interlocked guards are in use, the interlocking mechanism itself requires periodic testing. Any defects should be reported and the machine taken out of service until the guard is repaired or replaced.

Under Section 8 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, no person shall intentionally or recklessly interfere with or misuse anything provided in the interests of health and safety. This means that removing or bypassing a machine guard is not only a disciplinary matter - it is potentially a criminal offence.

One of the most common findings in workplaces that use machinery is guards that have been removed and not replaced, or interlocks that have been defeated to speed up production. The machine is faster without the guard - operators know this and under production pressure the temptation is real. The answer is not more signs telling people not to remove guards. It is a guarding solution that does not impede the process, combined with clear management expectations and a culture where people are not pressured to take shortcuts. A guard that gets removed every shift is not a guard.

We carry out a visual check of all guards on production machinery at the start of each shift and log it. It takes a few minutes and it means we can demonstrate that guards are being checked regularly. We also include machine guarding in our risk assessment reviews - if a guard is repeatedly being found moved or damaged it tells us something about either the guarding design or the working practices around that machine, and we address it.

Practical Compliance Guidance

Managing machine guarding effectively means identifying which machinery requires guarding, confirming appropriate guards are in place, checking them regularly and keeping records. For organisations subject to ISO 45001, machine guarding sits within the hazard identification and operational control requirements. The documents below support a compliant approach.

The alphaZ document suite includes a machine guarding policy procedure and a working at height risk assessment that can be adapted for machinery hazards.

alphaZ document How to use it
ISO 9001/14001/45001 Management System Toolkit The complete toolkit for implementing an ISO-compliant integrated management system. Includes the IMS1 manual, all policies, procedures, registers and audit checklists.
PP-7-10 Machine Guarding Policy Procedure Documents the organisation's arrangements for machine guarding - covering requirements, responsibilities, inspection and reporting of defects.
RA-HS18 Using Work Equipment Risk Assessment Example risk assessment for work equipment use. Adapt to assess the specific machinery hazards in your organisation including guarding requirements.
F-Q34 Equipment Visual Inspection Record Use to record guard checks and equipment inspections. Provides a documented record that checks have been carried out and any issues found and resolved.
ER4 Equipment Register Use to maintain a central record of all machinery including guarding requirements, inspection dates and maintenance history.

Note - all the above files can be downloaded with an alphaZ subscription.

Frequently Asked Questions

PUWER 1998 Regulation 11 requires guarding where machinery has parts that present a contact hazard during normal operation. Not every piece of equipment will have such parts. The requirement is to identify the hazards, assess the risks, and apply appropriate controls - which will include guarding where dangerous parts are present. A risk assessment for each item of machinery is the appropriate starting point.
Guards may be removed for maintenance, repair or cleaning where necessary, but only under controlled conditions. The machine must be isolated from its power supply before any guard is removed - using a lockout/tagout procedure where one is in place. Maintenance work on live machinery with guards removed requires specific risk assessment and should only be carried out by competent people with appropriate controls in place. Guards must be replaced and confirmed functional before the machine is returned to production use.
The machine should be taken out of service immediately and clearly marked as not for use. The defect should be reported and the guard repaired or replaced before the machine is returned to operation. Running a machine with a damaged or missing guard exposes operators to risk and the organisation to enforcement action. A simple defect reporting process and a clear instruction that machines with missing guards are not to be used is the baseline - backed up by management that supports that position even when production is under pressure.

UK Legislation

The following UK legislation is directly relevant to machine guarding and safeguarding of machinery. Organisations outside the UK should identify the equivalent legislation applicable in their jurisdiction.

Further Resources

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