Retrofitting Brakes to Woodworking Machinery

For new woodworking machinery, the provision of an automatic brake that stops the tool in a sufficiently short time (10 seconds or less) is an essential safety requirement of the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 1992.

Although this requirement does not apply to existing machinery, Regulation 15 of PUWER 98 (Provision and the use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998) requires work equipment to be provided with controls which bring the work equipment to a safe condition in a safe manner. To achieve this, the ACOP (Approved Code of Practice) calls for employers to carry out a risk assessment to determine whether the retrofitting of braking to their machines is necessary.

The machines listed in the ACOP are primarily and more specifically the hand-fed machines which are in common use. It is expected that the risk assessment will show braking to be necessary, if there is a risk of contact with the tool while it runs down.

Users are recommended to contact the manufacturer of the machine or, if this is not possible, specialist engineering advice should be obtained, for example from reputable suppliers of second-hand woodworking machinery.  The ACOP lays down a timetable for certain specified classes of machine.

For circular saw benches, dimension saws, powered and hand-fed cross-cut saws, single and double end tenoning machines and combined machines incorporating a circular saw and or a tenoning attachment, the work had to be completed no later than 5th December, 2003, i.e. 5 years after PUWER 98 came into force. mhl will have captured specific client requirements during our inspections but would urge all appropriate clients to monitor and check compliance with specific regard to the above.

For narrow bandsaws, re-saws, vertical spindle moulding machines (unless fitted with a manual or foot-operated brake) hand-fed routing machines, thicknessing machines, planning/thicknessing machines and surface planning machines, the work must be completed no later than 5th December, 2005, i.e. 7 years after PUWER 98 came into force.