PUWER 1998 · Work equipment

Roller Press Inspection and Testing

Independent inspection of your roller press as work equipment, against the PUWER duties, by a competent engineer surveyor.

A roller press has no stroke and no dwell, just an in running nip that never stops asking. We inspect and test roller presses, bending rolls, laminators and calenders under PUWER, prove the trip devices live, and issue the written record of inspection.

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  • Independent and impartial
  • Competent engineer surveyors
  • Reports issued promptly
The nipAn in running nip draws in whatever touches it; guarding and trips are the defence
Risk basedInspection at intervals set by a competent person under Reg 6
Written recordThe output is a record of inspection, not a certificate
Not Part IVContinuous rolls are not power presses; the general duties govern them
Work equipment we inspect

Why your roller press needs PUWER inspection

Roller presses run material continuously between powered rolls: plate bending rolls curve steel in fabrication shops, laminating and coating rolls bond webs in converting plants, and calenders finish rubber, paper and textiles. Unlike a press, there is no cycle to interrupt; the hazard is the in running nip, a rotating pinch that grips anything it touches and pulls it through at roll speed, gloves, sleeves and hands included.

The law's answer is layered: fixed and adjustable nip guards to keep hands out, and trip devices, bars, wires and sensitive edges, to stop the rolls when someone gets where they should not be. A roller press is not a power press in law, there is no flywheel and clutch press definition to meet, so the general PUWER duties govern it, and the inspection's job is proving the layers actually work at the speed the rolls actually run.

Plate bending rolls
Pinch and pyramid rolls
Laminating rollers
Coating and calender rolls
Nip guards and fingers
Trip bars and wires
Emergency stops
Drive and gear guards
How it works

How we inspect your roller press

The inspection measures the nip guard gaps against the material actually run, tests every trip bar and wire for reach and stopping distance with the rolls turning, times the stop and any braked run down, checks roll surfaces for damage that snags, inspects feed tables and finger guards, and confirms the drive and gear ends are enclosed, finishing with the stops proven from each working position.

  • 1

    Prove the trips at speed

    Trip bars and wires are tested with the rolls running, because the only number that matters is how much roll turns after the trip fires.

  • 2

    Gauge the nip guards

    Guard gaps are measured against the material range, since a gap sized for plate passes fingers when the machine runs sheet.

  • 3

    Record and schedule

    The written record carries the stopping performance, defects and interval, filed in your SEIS portal the same day.

Why businesses choose SEIS

  • Stopping distances measured with the rolls turning, not quoted from manuals
  • Bending, laminating and calendering machines all covered
  • Frank findings on guards that operators have learnt to defeat
  • Records and reminders through the SEIS client portal
What we check

Roller press: what a thorough inspection covers

Trip bar reach and stop

A trip the operator cannot reach mid draw in is furniture. Reach from every working position and the stopping distance are both tested live.

Nip guard gaps

Guards set for the thickest material leave a finger sized invitation on the thinnest. Gaps are gauged across the roll face against the real material range.

Roll surface damage

Scores and weld spatter on a roll snag gloves and drag hands to the nip. Surfaces are inspected across the face, ends included.

Emergency stop rundown

Stopping a heavy roll takes energy. We time the run down after a stop, and rolls that coast get a braking recommendation in the record.

Feed table fingers

Finger guards at the infeed are the last barrier before the nip. Condition, gap and security are checked, because bent fingers guard nothing.

Drive end enclosure

Gear trains and couplings at the roll ends bite as hard as the nip. End guards, covers and their fixings are part of every inspection.

Intervals and your record

How often, and what you receive

Every roller press inspection closes with a written record of inspection under PUWER: the machine, the measured guard gaps, the tested trip performance and stopping distances, defects with timescales, and the interval set by our competent person. The record, rather than a certificate, is the evidence the regulations require, and it is filed in your SEIS client portal ready for auditors, insurers and inspectors.

No fixed intervalFrequency set by risk and how the equipment is used
After assemblyRe-inspected where safe use depends on correct assembly or relocation
A written recordA dated inspection record, not a statutory certificate
Where it liftsAny powered lifting function is examined under LOLER

Anyone selling a PUWER certificate is using a marketing word, not a legal one. We issue a clear, dated inspection record you can hand to an HSE inspector or your insurer.

Full statutory cover

Part of our full PUWER inspection service

Roller press is one of the many kinds of equipment we cover. We inspect the full range, across every sector, as an independent provider, one item or a whole site, anywhere in the UK.

See our full PUWER inspection service
Other services

Other statutory inspections we carry out

Many sites run more than one regime. We can examine all of it, under one independent provider.

LOLER inspectionThorough examination and certification of lifting equipment and accessories. PSSR examinationWritten Schemes and certified examination of pressure systems. LEV testingLEV thorough examination and test of your extraction systems.
PUWER FAQs

Roller press inspection: common questions

Is a roller press a power press under PUWER?
No. The power press regime applies to presses and press brakes with a flywheel and clutch working metal by tools, and continuous rolls sit outside it. Machines that do meet that definition belong with our power press inspection service.
What inspection does a roller press legally need?
Risk based inspection under Regulation 6 at intervals a competent person sets, with the Regulation 11 guarding duties applying in full to the nip, and a written record of each inspection kept.
How often should the rolls be inspected?
By duty: a converting line running three shifts warrants a much shorter interval than bending rolls used weekly in a fab shop. The record states the interval and its reasoning.
What do you actually test on the trip devices?
Reach from the working positions and stopping distance with the rolls turning. A trip that stops the drive but lets the rolls coast a quarter turn has failed, whatever the panel light says.
Our operators say the nip guards slow the work, can they be adjusted?
Guards can often be improved rather than removed: better adjustment ranges, tunnel guards matched to the material, and trip devices that make the safe method the fast method. The record will recommend specifics.
Is a certificate issued?
No. PUWER produces a written record of inspection, not a certificate, and the record with its measured stopping performance is considerably more useful in an investigation than a certificate would be.
Where are these duties written down?
In PUWER 1998, Regulations 6 and 11 principally. HSE guidance on PUWER sets out the duties on work equipment, and our PUWER regulations guide explains records, intervals and defect handling.
How do I book a roller press inspection?
Call 0330 043 8191 or use the contact form with the machine list. Rolling plant often sits beside thread rolling machines, and one visit can cover both.

Is your roller press due a PUWER inspection?

Talk to an engineer surveyor, get a quote and book your inspection anywhere in the UK.

0330 043 8191 Request a quote