Power presses have their own section of PUWER. Part IV of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 sets out thorough examinations, shift inspections and record keeping that go well beyond the general duties that apply to other machinery. If you run presses, or inspect them for customers, this is the part of PUWER that an HSE inspector will test you on.
In short: Under PUWER Regulation 32, every power press, with its guards and protection devices in position, must be thoroughly examined by a competent person at least every 12 months where it has fixed guards only, and at least every 6 months in any other case, plus after installation at a new site and after any exceptional circumstance. Under Regulation 33 the guards and protection devices must be inspected and tested by an appointed person after tools are set or adjusted and within the first four hours of each working period. Reports and records are required under Regulations 34 and 35.
What counts as a power press
PUWER Regulation 2 defines a power press as a press or press brake for working metal by means of tools or for die proving, which is power driven and embodies a flywheel and clutch. Hydraulic presses and most press brakes without a flywheel and clutch are outside Part IV, though they are still work equipment under the rest of PUWER. Regulation 31 lists other exceptions, including presses used only for working hot metal. If you are unsure, the HSE's ACOP L112, Safe use of power presses, has the detail.
Thorough examination: Regulation 32
| When | What is required |
|---|---|
| Before first use after installation, or after assembly at a new site | Thorough examination to confirm the press is installed correctly and would be safe to operate, with any defect remedied first |
| Before a new guard or protection device is used | Thorough examination of it in position on the press |
| Fixed guards only | At least every 12 months |
| Any other guarding, for example interlocked guards or photoelectric devices | At least every 6 months |
| Exceptional circumstances that could affect safety | Before the press is used again |
The examination covers the press itself and the guards and protection devices in position. A defect found must be put right before the press is used again.
Shift inspections: Regulation 33
This is the duty most often missed. A power press must not be used after its tools have been set, re-set or adjusted, unless the guards and protection devices have been inspected and tested in position by an appointed person. The press must also not be used after the first four hours of a working period unless the guards and devices have been inspected and tested within that period.
The appointed person is someone the employer has appointed in writing as competent to do this. In most press shops it is a trained setter. A written record of each inspection is required, signed by the person who did it, and the HSE's ACOP sets out what the record should contain.
Reports and records: Regulations 34 and 35
The competent person carrying out a thorough examination must report any defect that is or could become a danger, and give a written report containing the information in Schedule 3 of PUWER. The employer must keep:
- The report of each thorough examination, available for inspection
- The written records of the shift inspections under Regulation 33
The HSE expects to see both when it visits. A press shop that has its 6 monthly reports in a folder but cannot show the shift records for last Tuesday is not compliant.
Where it goes wrong
- Presses on a 12 month cycle that actually have interlocked guards, so should be on 6 months
- A new tool fitted, and the press used before the appointed person has inspected the guards
- Shift records kept on a clipboard that nobody checks or files
- A press moved to a new bay and used without the installation examination
- The press examined, but not the guards in position, because the examiner looked at the machine on its own
One record per press
Each press needs its own record showing its guarding type, its interval, its last thorough examination, the next due date and the shift inspections. LolerFlow holds the press as an asset with its own interval, records each thorough examination against it with the report attached, and lets the appointed person record the shift inspection on a phone so there is a time-stamped record of who checked which press and when.
Sources
- The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (SI 1998/2306), Part IV, Regulations 31 to 35 and Schedule 3, legislation.gov.uk
- HSE L112: Safe use of power presses, Approved Code of Practice and guidance
- HSE L22: Safe use of work equipment, Approved Code of Practice, fourth edition
Frequently asked questions
How often does a power press need a thorough examination?
At least every 12 months where the press has fixed guards only, and at least every 6 months in any other case, for example where it has interlocked guards or photoelectric protection. Also after installation at a new site and after any exceptional circumstance.
Who can inspect the guards each shift?
An appointed person, appointed in writing by the employer as competent to inspect and test the guards and protection devices. In most press shops this is a trained setter.
When must the guards be inspected?
After the tools have been set, re-set or adjusted, before the press is used, and within the first four hours of each working period.
Does a hydraulic press come under Part IV of PUWER?
Generally no. Part IV applies to power driven presses with a flywheel and clutch for working metal. Hydraulic presses are still work equipment under the general PUWER duties, including maintenance and inspection.
What records must we keep?
The report of each thorough examination, containing the Schedule 3 information, and the written record of each shift inspection of the guards and protection devices.