Machine Guarding
Most machine guarding problems aren't a design problem — they're a sequencing problem.
A guard that's technically correct but takes a week to install, or that an operator defeats within a month because it slows the changeover, hasn't actually solved anything.
We design, model, fabricate, fit and interlock guarding around how the machine is actually run, not just what the regulations require on paper.
What We Design and Install
- Fixed guarding - Perimeter and point-of-operation guards for CNC machine tools, presses, conveyors and packaging lines
- Interlocked movable guards - Access doors and panels with safety-rated interlocking, tied into the machine's control system
- Electro-sensitive protective equipment - Light curtains and safety laser scanners for high-frequency access points
- Robot cell and automation guarding - Perimeter fencing, muting zones and interlocking for robotic and automated lines
- Retrofit guarding - Upgrading older or imported machinery to a current standard without triggering a full re-certification
Standards We Work To
Every guarding solution is designed and verified against the standards that actually govern it, not just referenced in passing:
- EN ISO 12100 - Hazard identification and risk assessment, used to determine what level of guarding a hazard actually requires
- EN ISO 13849-1 & -2 - Design, verification and validation of the safety-related parts of the control system (interlocks, safety relays, e-stops) tied to the guarding
- EN ISO 14120 - General requirements for the design and construction of fixed and movable guards
- EN ISO 14119 - Interlocking devices associated with guards, including correct coding and defeat-resistance
- EN ISO 13857 - Safety distances to prevent danger zones being reached by the upper and lower limbs
- BS EN 60204-1 - Electrical safety of machinery, relevant to any guarding tied into the control panel
- PUWER Regulation 11 - The legal requirement to prevent access to dangerous parts, which guarding against these standards is designed to satisfy
Common interlock and e-stop configurations arising from guarding work are also available as pre-engineered Plug & Play Safety panels — standardised, EN ISO 13849-verified modules that cut design and installation time where a bespoke build isn't needed.
Designed Around Your Production, Not Against It
Guarding work is usually planned around a maintenance window, not the other way round. Wherever possible, we model guarding in 3D and fabricate off-site before anything is fitted on your machine, so the on-site work is installation and commissioning — not design-on-the-fly. Interlocking and control-system changes are planned and pre-wired in advance, and phased installation across multiple assets means a line doesn't need to stop all at once. The result is guarding that's correct to EN ISO 13849 on day one, fitted in the time your production schedule can actually absorb.
Process
1. Risk Assessment
Hazard identification against EN ISO 12100, mapped to PUWER Regulation 11 where dangerous parts are involved.
2. Concept & Design
Guarding concept and interlocking strategy, modelled in 3D against the real machine footprint.
3. Verification
Safety-related control system design verified to EN ISO 13849-1.
4. Fabrication
Guarding fabricated off-site wherever possible to minimise on-site time.
5. Install & Interlock
Fitted and wired in a planned window, phased across multiple machines where needed.
6. Sign-off
Functional testing and documented verification before handover.
For more information or if you would like to speak with one of our team please contact us: