industrial machinery yellow guarding around a machine

Machinery Guarding Compliance Audit

Machinery guarding is an important part of machinery safety, as it helps to protect workers from potential hazards posed by moving parts of machinery. It includes physical barriers such as guards, enclosures or electro sensitive protection devices such as light curtains and laser scanners that help to prevent workers from coming into contact with dangerous areas of a machine.

Machinery guarding also includes the use of safety interlock switches, which are designed to stop a machine when a worker opens the guard. By combining physical and electrical safety equipment, machinery guarding helps to ensure a safe working environment and reduce the risk of injury or death.

Schedule A Call

Machinery Guarding Compliance – Protecting Operators and Ensuring Legal Safety Standards

Effective machinery guarding is one of the most critical components of workplace safety. Guarding prevents access to dangerous moving parts, protects operators from injury, and ensures your machinery complies with PUWER and HSE machinery safety requirements.

Our machinery guarding compliance services provide professional inspections, assessments, and practical advice to help you meet all current UK regulations — keeping your people safe and your business fully compliant.

What is Machinery Guarding Compliance?

Machinery guarding compliance means ensuring that all protective guards, barriers, and safety devices fitted to equipment meet the required legal and technical standards for safe operation.

During a machine guarding compliance inspection, our specialists:

Assess existing fixed, interlocked, and adjustable guards
Verify compliance with PUWER (Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations)
Check that guards prevent access to dangerous parts while allowing safe maintenance and cleaning
Review safety interlocks, light curtains, and perimeter guarding systems
Provide a detailed compliance report outlining findings, risks, and corrective actions

This process ensures your equipment meets HSE expectations and relevant BS EN safety standards, such as BS EN ISO 14120 (General requirements for guards) and BS EN ISO 14119 (Safety of machinery — Interlocking devices associated with guards).

Who Can Carry Out Machinery Guarding Assessments?

Machinery guarding assessments must be completed by competent safety professionals with a thorough understanding of machine design, operational hazards, and PUWER regulations.

At Cobots and Machinery Safety, our assessors are experienced safety engineers who specialise in machine guarding compliance and risk reduction. We provide independent, practical advice to help you identify non-conformities, improve safety, and avoid enforcement action.

We work across a wide range of sectors — from manufacturing and engineering to food processing, packaging, and automation — ensuring your guarding systems meet both industry best practice and legal requirements.

When Should Machinery Guarding Compliance Be Checked?

Machinery guarding should be assessed:

Before first use of new or refurbished equipment
After modification or relocation of machinery
Following any incident, near miss, or report of unsafe conditions
As part of routine PUWER inspections or annual safety audits

Regular machine guarding inspections help identify wear, damage, or unsafe conditions — keeping your systems reliable and compliant year-round.

Why Machinery Guarding Compliance Matters

Inadequate or missing guarding is one of the most common causes of machinery-related injuries and HSE enforcement action. Ensuring compliance isn’t just about ticking boxes — it’s about protecting lives, avoiding downtime, and maintaining your legal obligations.

Our machinery guarding compliance inspections and risk assessments give you peace of mind that your guards are fit for purpose, effective, and compliant with the latest safety standards.

Book your Machinery Guarding Compliance Inspection today and make sure your equipment is safe, compliant, and ready for use.

Get A Quote

Protect Your Workforce Ensure Compliance Minimise Risk

Comprehensive Machinery Guarding Assessments

Our process begins with a detailed inspection of your machinery and existing guarding systems.

We examine:

Physical guards and barriers
Interlocks and safety switches
Access points and pinch-point hazards
Compliance with PUWER, ISO, and CE/UKCA standards

By identifying gaps, weaknesses, or outdated guarding, we help you implement practical and effective solutions that protect operators and meet regulatory expectations.

Clear, Actionable Reporting

After the assessment, you’ll receive a detailed machinery guarding report that includes:

Identified risks and potential failure points
Recommendations for guard design, installation, or improvement
Compliance verification against relevant standards
Prioritised actions to quickly mitigate hazards

Our reports are practical, clear, and designed to guide immediate improvements while helping you maintain long-term compliance.

Ongoing Support & Safety Partnership

Safety is an ongoing responsibility. We work with you to implement our recommendations, provide advice on future machinery upgrades, and ensure guarding remains effective over time. By partnering with us, you gain a trusted safety consultant who ensures your machinery guarding protects your workforce while keeping your operations compliant and efficient.

Get Expert Advice