Mechanical Power Presses
Statutory examination of flywheel and eccentric mechanical presses used in metal-forming operations.
PUWER Regs 32–35 Statutory Examination
Power Press Thorough Examinations in London
Independent statutory examination of power presses under PUWER 1998 Regulations 32 to 35 — a defined, dated inspection regime for guards and safety devices, distinct from the general PUWER risk-assessment duty that applies to other work equipment. The report, with photographs, comes the same day, and we remind you before the next one is due.
26+ Years Hands-On Engineering Experience
Independent of Maintenance Contracts
7 Days a Week, 6am to 6pm
Same-Day Reports, With Photos
Inspection overdue or equipment out of compliance? You're exposed to enforcement action, and your insurance may not respond, until it's resolved.
Written and reviewed by Mark Crowley, Director, Integrity Lift Compliance Ltd — 26+ years of hands-on lifting equipment engineering. NHS estates, commercial property and industrial lifting compliance.
Engineering Approach
What our power press thorough examination programme delivers
Independent, defensible inspection by an engineer with deep hands-on plant experience.
- Twelve-monthly examination with fixed guards only, six-monthly with interlocked guards or other protection devices, as Regulation 32 sets
- Guards, interlocks and protection devices tested as part of the Regulation 32 thorough examination
- Examination after anything that could affect safety, such as a substantial repair or guard modification, on top of the periodic examinations
- Written report identifying any defect that is or could become a danger to persons
- Independent of the press manufacturer and your maintenance contractor
- Mechanical power presses and press brakes with a flywheel and clutch, plus hydraulic presses inspected under PUWER Regulation 6
What a power press examination covers
The examination covers the guards and protection devices that stop hands entering the tool area, and the systems that make them work:
- Fixed guards: condition, fixings and gaps
- Interlocking guards: interlock function and that the press cannot stroke with the guard open
- Photoelectric devices: light curtain function, coverage and safety distance
- Automatic guards: that they move people clear before the tools close
- Two-hand controls: synchronisation and that both hands are needed throughout the stroke
- Brake and clutch: stopping performance and monitoring
- Control system: mode selection, single stroke and emergency stops
- Records: the appointed person's signed certificates for each guard inspection and test
Light curtain safety distances and brake stopping performance are where presses most often fail.
Twelve months, six months, and every working period
PUWER 1998 Regulations 32 to 35 require a thorough examination of a power press and its guards at least every twelve months where only fixed guards are fitted, and every six months where it has interlocked guards or other protection devices. Guards must also be inspected and tested by an appointed person after the tools are set, re-set or adjusted and within the first four hours of each working period, with a signed certificate each time.
What is PUWER?What you get after the inspection
A written inspection report identifying the press, what was checked, any defect with how serious it is and what must be done and by when, and when the next inspection should be. On top of that:
- Same-day report: issued digitally on the day of the inspection, not weeks later
- Photographs: of what was inspected and of any defect, in every report as standard
- Records and reminders: we keep the record on file and remind you before the next one falls due
If anything is not safe to use, you are told in writing before we leave. Because we sell no repairs, a defect on the report is never a quotation in disguise.
Assets We Examine
Asset classes covered under our power press thorough examination programme.
Hydraulic Presses
Hydraulic presses have no flywheel and clutch, so they fall outside the power press regulations and are inspected under PUWER Regulation 6 at intervals set by risk assessment, including ram control and overrun checks.
Guards & Interlocking Devices
Testing of fixed, interlocked and photoelectric guarding fitted to power press installations.
Two-Hand Control Systems
Synchronisation and timing verification of two-hand control devices on power presses.
Trusted by Critical Estates
Independent. Defensible. Genuinely Endorsed.
SAFed-aligned defect classification, and the endorsement below is a genuine NHS Trust quote — not stock marketing copy.
NHS
NHS
Critical estate passenger lift compliance experience
SK
Skanska
Construction & engineering compliance support
A·B·C
SAFed-Aligned Defect Grading
Defects graded A, B or C to the published SAFed severity scale — a grading standard we follow, not a membership we hold
DBS
Enhanced DBS
Director Mark Crowley holds an enhanced DBS check
NHS Trust Endorsement
“Exceptional response times and thorough documentation. Managing compliance across multiple critical medical estates is complex, but their team makes statutory lift auditing seamless.”
Phillip Nai
Critical Healthcare Estates Manager
Barts Health NHS Trust
Areas We Cover
Independent power press thorough examinations across London.
Common Questions
Power Press Inspection FAQs
How often does a power press need a thorough examination?
Under PUWER Regulations 32 to 35, at least every twelve months for a press with only fixed guards, and every six months where it has interlocked guards or other protection devices. Guards must also be inspected and tested by an appointed person after the tools are set, re-set or adjusted, and within the first four hours of each working period.
Who can do the guard checks between examinations?
A person appointed in writing by the employer who is competent to inspect and test that press's guards and protection devices, or who is being trained for it under the immediate supervision of a competent person. Each check is recorded on a certificate the appointed person signs.
Does a guillotine or press brake count as a power press?
A guillotine does not: guillotines are excluded from the power press regulations. A press brake can: a mechanical press brake with a flywheel and clutch is a power press, while a hydraulic press brake is not. Anything outside the power press rules is still work equipment under PUWER, inspected at intervals set by risk assessment.
What happens if a press fails its examination?
Any defect that is or could become a danger is reported to you straight away, and Regulation 34 requires a copy of the report to go to the enforcing authority for any such defect — a wider duty than under LOLER, where only a defect involving an existing or imminent risk of serious injury goes to the authority. If it is a danger now, the press must not be used until it is put right; if it could become one, it must not be used after the date the report gives until it is.
What records must be kept?
The report of each thorough examination, and the certificate the appointed person signs for each inspection and test of the guards. Both should be available to an inspector.
Can a written scheme extend the interval?
No. Unlike LOLER, the power press regulations allow no examination scheme: the interval is twelve months with fixed guards only and six months otherwise, plus an examination after anything that could affect safety. We keep the dates and remind you.
How soon do I get the report?
The same day, with photographs.
Request a Survey
Tell us what needs inspecting and where. We'll reply within one business hour.
Already have an asset list or examination schedule? Email it to info@integrityliftcompliance.co.uk and we'll come back with a survey plan rather than ask you to retype it.
Survey Request Form
Further reading on power press thorough examinations
PUWER 1998 Regulation by Regulation
PUWER is broader than LOLER and much less discussed, because almost nobody sells a PUWER inspection the way they sell a thorough examination. It applies to every piece of work equipment you have, it sets no fixed interval for most of it, and it is where guarding, training and isolation duties actually live.
How Often Are PUWER Inspections Required?
PUWER does not set a fixed interval like LOLER's six or twelve months. It requires an inspection where equipment's safety depends on how it is installed, and at suitable intervals where it is exposed to conditions that could cause dangerous deterioration. The interval is set by risk assessment, the result must be recorded, and power presses are the one exception with fixed statutory intervals.
What Is PUWER?
PUWER is the set of UK laws that keeps people safe when they use machinery and tools at work. It covers everything from a hand tool to a factory machine or a vehicle, and it says equipment must be right for the job, kept in safe working order, checked regularly, and used only by people trained to use it. The formal name is the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.
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