PUWER 1998 · Work equipment

Packaging Machinery Inspection and Testing

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

Packaging lines hurt people at the jam, when the guard door opens, the interlock has been taught to lie, and a hand goes in after the stuck carton. We inspect and test packaging machinery under PUWER, from wrappers to palletisers, and issue the written record of inspection.

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  • Independent and impartial
  • Competent engineer surveyors
  • Reports issued promptly
Risk basedInspection at intervals set by a competent person under Reg 6
Written recordThe output is a record of inspection, not a certificate
Jam clearingInterlocks and isolation for jam access are the heart of the inspection
Whole linesFillers, sealers, wrappers, erectors and palletisers covered together
Work equipment we inspect

Why your packaging machinery needs PUWER inspection

Packaging machinery is a production line's busiest neighbourhood: form fill seal machines, case erectors and tapers, shrink and stretch wrappers, labellers and, at the end, palletisers stacking at reach and speed. Every machine in the run combines movement, heat or film tension with operators working close, clearing jams, feeding film and swapping formats through the shift.

That jam clearing rhythm is where PUWER compliance is won or lost. Interlocked guard doors are only protective while the interlocks are honest, heat tunnels burn long after the belt stops, film nips draw fingers exactly as steel ones do, and a palletiser cell is a robot cell whatever the sales brochure called it. The inspection tests those layers as they are used at two in the morning, not as they were commissioned.

Form fill seal machines
Case erectors and tapers
Shrink wrappers and heat tunnels
Stretch wrappers
Labellers and coders
Palletisers and cells
Guard doors and interlocks
Film and web nips
How it works

How we inspect your packaging machinery

Our engineer tests every guard door interlock for function and evidence of defeat, checks heat tunnel guarding and burn risk at the openings, inspects film and web nips and their guards, walks palletiser cells for fencing, gates and stop performance, verifies stored energy isolation for jam clearing including pneumatic dump valves, and proves emergency stops along the line, all with the machinery running product where possible.

  • 1

    Follow the jam

    We inspect the machine at the points operators actually open it, because that is where interlocks get defeated and hands meet moving parts.

  • 2

    Prove the interlocks are honest

    Every guard switch is operated and its stop proven, and the magnets, tape and cable ties we find are recorded without diplomacy.

  • 3

    Record the line, not just the boxes

    The written record covers each machine and the line's isolation practice, with defects, timescales and the interval stated.

Why businesses choose SEIS

  • Whole lines inspected end to end in one visit
  • Interlock defeat found and recorded, not politely overlooked
  • Stored energy and jam clearing isolation checked machine by machine
  • Records and reminders through the SEIS client portal
What we check

Packaging machinery: what a thorough inspection covers

Defeated interlocks

Spare actuators taped to switches keep lines running and inspectors busy. Every door is opened with the line live and the stop proven, or the defeat recorded.

Heat tunnel openings

A shrink tunnel's mouth burns at production temperature long after a stop. Guarding, distances and warning at both openings are inspected hot.

Film nips

Stretch and shrink film runs through powered nips that grip like rollers anywhere else. Nip guards, gaps and thread up practice are all checked.

Palletiser cells

Layer palletisers and robot palletisers need full height protection, honest gate interlocks and stops that beat the machine. The cell is tested as a robot cell.

Stored energy at jams

Pneumatics hold energy after isolation and release it into hands clearing jams. Dump valves, isolation points and the procedure are verified together.

Emergency stop coverage

A line is only as safe as the nearest working stop. Every station's stop is fired, and dead or unreachable stops are defects with dates.

Intervals and your record

How often, and what you receive

Every packaging machinery inspection produces a written record of inspection under PUWER for the machines and the line: interlock test results, guarding condition, stored energy and isolation findings, defects with timescales, and the intervals set by our competent person. The record, not a certificate, is the statutory evidence, and it is filed in your SEIS client portal where night shift questions and audit day answers come from the same page.

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

Packaging machinery 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

Packaging machinery inspection: common questions

Does packaging machinery need statutory inspection?
Yes. Every machine on the line is work equipment under PUWER, and the moving parts, heat and film tension make Regulation 6 inspection at suitable intervals a clear duty, with a written record kept.
How often should a packaging line be inspected?
At intervals a competent person sets from the line's duty. High speed lines running around the clock, with frequent format changes, sit on shorter cycles than a single shift operation.
What is the most common defect on packaging lines?
Defeated guard interlocks, almost always in the name of jam clearing speed. Second is stored pneumatic energy that survives the isolation everyone believed in.
Do you inspect the palletiser as part of the line?
Yes, and as the robot cell it really is: fencing, gates, scanners and stops proven live. Dedicated robot installations are covered in depth on our robot arm inspection page.
Can you inspect without stopping production?
Largely, yes. Much of the inspection reads the line running, and the interlock and stop tests are batched into short windows agreed with your shift plan.
Is a certificate issued for each machine?
No. PUWER requires a written record of inspection rather than a certificate, and the record carries the tested results, defects and intervals for each machine on the line.
Where are the legal duties set out?
In PUWER 1998, Regulations 6 and 11 chiefly. HSE guidance on PUWER sets out the duties, and our PUWER regulations guide explains the record keeping, intervals and defect process.
How do I book a packaging line inspection?
Call 0330 043 8191 or use the contact form with the line layout. Our industrial machinery inspection service can sweep the workshop machines behind the line on the same visit.

Is your packaging machinery 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