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PHW · Manufacturing and engineering

Whoever is free takes the forklift. Could you show who is trained?

For the owner or works manager of a factory, fabricator or machine shop. A load on the overhead crane, a guard tied back, nothing written down. Then HSE or a customer's auditor asks who is trained, and you need the answer on the day.

Watch, about 1 minute 40 seconds

A worker was fatally trapped in unguarded machinery in Langley Mill

The firm was fined £277,500. The film shows what HSE or a customer's auditor will ask a manufacturer, and how PHW assesses your own people on your own site so you have the answer.

Sound on. Captions are built in. The words of the film are on its own page.

Answer it on your own shop floor

Up to four of your people assessed for competence in one day, on your own site and machines, with minimum downtime. Plus a written safe-system pack for each topic.

The risks on a manufacturing shop floor

Forklifts moving stock

Counterbalance and reach forklifts move stock between goods-in, production and despatch, often with people on foot alongside. In a small works, whoever is free takes the forklift.

Machinery guarding

A guard tied back or left off leaves moving parts open to anyone who reaches in. The firm in the film was prosecuted after a worker was trapped in unguarded machinery.

Overhead cranes and slinging

A load on the overhead crane needs a planned lift, and someone trained to sling and signal it.

Abrasive wheels and Stihl saws

Grinders and Stihl saws used with the wrong wheel, or a wheel mounted wrongly, are a recognised cause of serious injury. Each has its own assessed practical standard.

Process chemicals and substances

Solvents, coolants and cleaning agents used in production fall under COSHH, with exposure controlled and, where needed, monitored.

Manual handling, vibration and electrical work

Stock and components moved by hand, hand tools used for long periods, and electrical work on production machinery each carry their own, separate duty.

The law that applies

The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER), regulation 9, requires the employer to make sure everyone who uses work equipment has received adequate training, and the same for the people who supervise them. For forklifts, the Approved Code of Practice and guidance L117, published by HSE, sets out the training model.

PUWER regulation 11 requires measures that prevent access to the dangerous parts of machinery, with fixed guards where practicable.

The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998, regulation 8, requires every lifting operation to be planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised and carried out in a safe manner.

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 cover solvents, coolants and cleaning agents used in production.

The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 and the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 cover handling and hand tool use respectively. The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 apply to electrical work on production machinery.

Your decision

The employer decides who is authorised to operate each machine, and writes it down. PHW's certificates, records and packs are the evidence behind that decision.

What PHW does for you

PHW has certificated thousands of candidates nationwide, for multinationals and small firms alike. These are the machines, packs and records that fit a shop floor.

Machines

Counterbalance forklift

Your drivers assessed on your own truck.

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Machines

Reach truck

Refresher course for experienced operators.

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Machines

Slinger and signaller

Slingers and signallers assessed on your own lifting equipment, on site.

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Machines

Abrasive wheels

Grinders and Stihl saws: use and mounting.

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Records

Training matrix

Who is trained on what, and when it is due, for every person.

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Records

Written procedures

Forklift authorisation, lifting operations plan, abrasive wheels and Stihl saw procedure, written for your site.

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Safety pack

COSHH

Single-topic compliance pack.

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Safety pack

Manual handling

Single-topic compliance pack.

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Safety pack

Hand-arm vibration

Single-topic compliance pack.

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Safety pack

Electricity on site

Single-topic compliance pack.

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What you end up holding

The evidence trail HSE, a customer's auditor or an insurer can check.

  1. Certificates and records for every person trained or assessed
  2. Site evidence statements for site management
  3. A live verification page per operator or pack, checkable at any time
  4. A QR code on the certificate, resolving straight to that record

How verification works → · Take the one-minute manufacturing check →

Get a quote

Tell PHW your machines and how many people, and you get a quote and dates back.

Get a quote

Real cases

HSE prosecutions in this line of work.

Manufacturing and engineering · Melton Mowbray

Samworth Brothers Ltd fined £594,000 after workers were scalded by hot water while repairing steam pipework

£594,000 + £5,834 costs · 2026-09-04

Two workers suffered burns when hot water sprayed from steam pipework during a gasket repair at a food factory.

Read the case →
Manufacturing and engineering · Shepshed

Winbro Group Technologies Ltd fined £170,000 after a fitter's hand was trapped under a dropped machine

£170,000 + £7,999 costs · 2026-05-12

A fitter's hand was trapped under a three-tonne machine when forklift forks unexpectedly dropped, resulting in two amputated fingers.

Read the case →
Manufacturing and engineering · Immingham Dock, Immingham

Drury Engineering Services Ltd fined £44,000 after seven workers developed vibration-related illness after vibration exposure went unassessed and uncontrolled

£44,000 + £8,062 costs · 2026-02-26

Seven workers developed vibration-related illness including finger blanching and nerve damage after risks went unassessed and uncontrolled.

Read the case →

See all real cases →