A machine guarding inspection is one of the most important recurring checks in any factory, and one of the easiest to fudge. A defeated interlock, a missing fixed guard, an emergency stop that no longer latches: these are the findings that matter, and they are also the ones a paper checklist typed up hours later tends to smooth over. So the real question about a machine safety inspection is not just what is on the checklist. It is whether the record gets written honestly, at the machine, with a photo.
Guide · Manufacturing
Machine safety inspection checklist (PUWER).
What a machinery and machine-guarding safety inspection covers under PUWER 1998, how to record it at the machine, and how to run it over WhatsApp instead of a clipboard your team leaders never fill in.
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The point
A checklist does not guard the machine.
The fixed and interlocked guards and the safe system of work do. A checklist makes the inspection easier to complete at the machine, harder to skip an interlock, and faster to hand back. A good tool means nobody signs off a guarding check from memory in the office at the end of the shift.
What PUWER asks
The core of a guarding inspection.
Guarding
Fixed and interlocked guards
Guards in place, secure and following the PUWER hierarchy, from fixed enclosing guards to interlocked and adjustable ones where access is needed.
ControlsStops and emergency stops
Start and stop controls, emergency stops and trip devices tested and working, and controls positioned where the operator needs them.
AccessTraps, access and markings
Trapping and shearing points guarded, safe access for cleaning and setting, and clear markings, warnings and isolation points.
The friction
The clipboard gets typed up later, or not at all.
A team leader mid-shift is not walking a press with a laptop. They tick a paper sheet, or nothing, and write it up that afternoon from memory. The guarding inspection you complete at the machine, with a photo of the defeated interlock, beats the one you reconstruct in the office.
Run PUWER checks on WhatsApp
No app install. No training.
Staff use the phone they already have. Text, voice note or photo of the guard. The report generates itself. Setup to first live workflow usually takes under a week.
The short version
- Machine safety inspection duties come from PUWER 1998, under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
- The guarding hierarchy runs from fixed enclosing guards, to interlocked guards, to other protection devices, to protection appliances and information: use the highest practicable measure first.
- A guarding inspection covers guards, interlocks, stop and emergency-stop controls, trapping points, safe access, and markings and isolation.
- New machinery placed on the market carries CE or UKCA marking under the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations; the employer's ongoing duty to keep it safe in use is PUWER.
- Recording the inspection at the machine, with a photo, beats a checklist reconstructed later. The checklist does not guard the machine, the guards and safe system of work do.
The law
PUWER, the Act and the guarding hierarchy
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) require employers to make sure work equipment is suitable, maintained and safe to use, under the general duties of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. Regulation 11 sets out the approach to dangerous parts of machinery as a hierarchy: use fixed enclosing guards where practicable; then other guards or protection devices such as interlocked guards; then protection appliances such as jigs and push-sticks; then information, instruction, training and supervision.
An inspection checks that the right measure from that hierarchy is in place and working. Quickler runs the check as a conversation, so the inspector answers each item at the machine and attaches a photo of the guard or the defeated interlock. It does not replace a competent PUWER inspection or thorough examination by a qualified person where one is required; it records what that person found.
The checklist
What a guarding inspection covers
A typical machine safety inspection covers: fixed guards in place and secure; interlocked guards that stop the machine when opened, and that cannot be easily defeated; emergency stops that latch and cut power; start and stop controls tested and correctly positioned; trapping, shearing and entanglement points guarded; safe access for cleaning, setting and maintenance; isolation points identified for lockout; and clear markings, warning signs and operator information.
The exact list depends on the machine and its own risk assessment, so treat any generic checklist as a starting point, not the whole duty. Quickler builds the check from the firm's own workflow, so a press, a CNC and a conveyor each get the items that actually apply.
New machinery
CE, UKCA and the supply regulations
New machinery placed on the market in Great Britain must meet the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 and carry UKCA marking, or CE marking where that is still accepted, with a Declaration of Conformity. That is a supply-side duty on the manufacturer or importer. It is separate from, and does not remove, the employer's ongoing PUWER duty to keep the machine safe in use, which is what a guarding inspection checks.
Quickler can record the CE or UKCA marking and conformity details as part of the machine's record, alongside each inspection. Check the current regulations, as marking rules have shifted with the UK's regime, and treat this as general information, not legal advice.
Pricing
Per report, not per seat
Most inspection apps charge per seat. For a factory that is the wrong shape: the safety manager who reads reports pays the same as the team leader who files a guarding check on every machine, every shift, and every contractor or temp you add costs more.
Quickler charges per report, with unlimited users on every bundle. Bundles run from Quickler 50 at 50 pounds a month for 50 reports, up to Quickler 500 at 500 pounds a month for 500 reports. Add as many operators, team leaders and engineers as you like; you pay for the inspections you file, not the people who could file them. Pricing is approximate and shifts, so check the current pricing page before you commit.
Questions, answered
What is a PUWER machine safety inspection?
It is a check that a machine is safe to use under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. It covers guarding, interlocks, emergency stops, controls, trapping points, safe access and isolation, and it confirms the right measure from the PUWER guarding hierarchy is in place and working. The employer must make sure work equipment is suitable, maintained and inspected as needed.
What is the PUWER guarding hierarchy?
Regulation 11 of PUWER sets a hierarchy for guarding dangerous parts of machinery: fixed enclosing guards first, then other guards or protection devices such as interlocked guards, then protection appliances such as jigs and push-sticks, and finally information, instruction, training and supervision. You use the highest practicable measure, not the easiest one.
Does a machine safety inspection have to follow a set checklist?
There is no single statutory checklist. PUWER sets the duties, and the specific items depend on the machine and its own risk assessment. A generic checklist is a useful starting point, but the inspection must cover the guarding, isolation and control items that actually apply to that machine. Check the current regulations and your risk assessments. This is not legal advice.
Can I run a machine guarding inspection over WhatsApp?
Yes. Quickler's PUWER inspection workflow runs over the WhatsApp Business API. The inspector receives each item in their existing WhatsApp chat, replies with text, a voice note or a photo of the guard, and the completed report generates automatically. No separate app or login is required, and Quickler manages the WhatsApp Business API account on the firm's behalf.