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EDWartens UK

Free course · Machinery safety

PUWER and UKCA: Machinery Safety for UK Engineers

Free UK machinery safety course: PUWER 1998, Supply of Machinery Regulations, UKCA and CE, risk assessment, guarding, ISO 13849 and lock off. Certificate optional and paid.

See the modules

Free to learn. Verifiable certificate £19 when you pass the final exam (optional, VAT included).

Level
Beginner
Modules
8
Video
Self-paced
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Explain who PUWER and the Supply of Machinery Regulations apply to, describe the UKCA and CE position for Great Britain and Northern Ireland, work through a basic ISO 12100 risk assessment, choose between guards and interlocks, explain PL and categories at a basic level, and carry out a documented machine isolation.

  • Say who PUWER and the Supply of Machinery Regulations apply to
  • Use the Regulation 11 hierarchy to choose a guard
  • Describe the UKCA and CE marking position in Great Britain and Northern Ireland
  • Run a simple ISO 12100 risk assessment and apply the three-step method
  • Explain PL a to e and categories B to 4 at awareness level
  • Check e-stop, isolator and wiring colours against BS EN 60204-1
  • Write a lock off procedure that covers stored energy

Software

None required. SISTEMA (free from the IFA) is mentioned for later practice.

Hardware

None required.

Syllabus

8 modules

Each module has video lessons, notes and a short quiz. The final exam closes the course.

  1. 1PUWER 1998: Duties for Work Equipment2 lessons
  2. 2Supply of Machinery Regulations, UKCA and CE Marking3 lessons
  3. 3Machinery Risk Assessment with BS EN ISO 121003 lessons
  4. 4Guarding, Interlocks and Safeguards3 lessonsLab
  5. 5Safety Functions and BS EN ISO 13849-13 lessons
  6. 6Emergency Stop and BS EN 60204-1 Essentials3 lessonsLab
  7. 7Isolation, Stored Energy and Lock Off3 lessonsLab
  8. 8Final Assessment1 lesson

How it works

How this course works

  1. Watch the video lessonsOne module at a time, at your own pace.
  2. Take the module quizA short quiz at the end of each module shows what stuck.
  3. Keep your notesWrite in My notes beside each module and ask the trainer if you are stuck.
  4. Practise in the labOptionalTry a task from the module in the EDWartens Lab, in your browser.
  5. Sit the final examPass it once you have been through the modules.
  6. Certificate, if you want oneOptionalPaid, and only after you pass. Anyone can check it online.

EDWartens Lab

Practise this in the EDWartens Lab

Add an emergency stop and an interlocked guard to a motor starter in the Lab's motor control simulator.

Works alongside PUWER and UKCA: Machinery Safety for UK Engineers. The Lab is substation and mcc practice in your browser: no install, no hardware, free to use. Sign in as a learner and it opens with your account.

Substation and MCC: Work a real switchroom.

Levels to try with this course

Optional. Skip it whenever you like: it never blocks your progress or your certificate.

Why practise in a lab

Technical work is judged on what you can do: wiring, commissioning, finding a fault. Doing a task yourself teaches more than watching it a second time, and a lab lets you try it safely before you meet real equipment. It does not replace working on real hardware.

  • Practise safely, so a mistake costs nothing.
  • The lab checks your work like a site test, so you know when it is right.
  • Free, in your browser, with nothing to install.

Certificate

An optional certificate when you pass

Learning is free. Pass the final exam and you can have a certificate for £19, including VAT, with a number employers can check online. It records that you completed a free online course; it is not a regulated qualification or a CPD certificate.

  • Your name, the course, its study time and your final exam score
  • A unique certificate number and a QR code to its verification page
  • Issued by Wartens Ltd; add it to your LinkedIn profile in one click
  • Pay now or after you pass: it is issued the moment you pass the final

How the certificate works

Sample certificate for PUWER and UKCA: Machinery Safety for UK Engineers

Credits

Who made the lessons

The video lessons belong to their creators. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, quizzes and the final exam.

Questions

About this course

Is CE marking still accepted in Great Britain?
At the time of writing the UK government accepts CE marking on most goods, including machinery, in Great Britain alongside UKCA. Rules can change, so check the gov.uk guidance on UKCA marking before you buy or sell machinery. Northern Ireland follows EU rules under the Windsor Framework.
Does PUWER apply to old machines with no CE mark?
Yes. PUWER applies to all work equipment used at work, regardless of age or marking. An old machine must still be safe for use, guarded and maintained.
Does this course make me a machinery safety expert?
No. It gives awareness of the main laws and standards used in UK engineering. Specialist roles, such as CE assessment or safety function design, need formal training and experience.
Do I need to buy standards?
No. The course explains the principles in plain language. If you work on safety functions at work, you should use the full, current standards through your employer or the BSI.
Who made the video lessons?
Independent trainers, standards bodies and safety product companies on their own YouTube channels, credited on the page. EDWartens did not make them and the creators are not affiliated with EDWartens.

The Professional Module is five live days of Siemens PLC, HMI and SCADA with an instructor, then a resume session and a CPD certificate.

See the Professional Module