Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health
Ministry of Labour Ordinance No. 32 of September 30, 1972
Latest Amendments:
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Ordinance No. 47 of March 30, 2007
In Japanese
掲載日：2008.03.28
Part II Safety Standards
Chapter IV Prevention of Explosion, Fire, etc
Section 3 Chemical Facilities, etc.
Article 268 (Buildings in Which Chemical Facilities Are Installed)
- (1) The employer shall, as regards a building in which chemical facilities (excluding piping) are installed, use non-combustible materials to construct the walls, pillars, floors, girders, roofs, stairs, etc. (limited to those portions adjacent to such chemical facilities).
Article 269 (Prevention of Corrosion)
- (1) The employer shall, as regards portions that contact dangerous substances or substances with a flash point of 65 oC or higher (hereinafter referred to as “dangerous substances, etc”) among chemical facilities (excluding valves or cocks), take measures such as constructing the said portions with corrosion-resistant materials and providing linings, corresponding to type, temperature or concentration, etc., of the said dangerous substances, etc., in order to prevent explosions or fires due to significant corrosion of the said portions by the said dangerous substances, etc.
Article 270 (Joining Portions of Cover Plates, etc.)
- (1) The employer shall, as regards the joining portions of a cover plate, a flange, a valve, a cock, etc., of chemical facilities, take measures such as using gaskets to make joint surfaces attach tightly in order to prevent explosions or fires due to leakage of dangerous substances, etc., from the said joining portions.
Article 271 (Indicating, etc., the Opening and Closing Direction of Valves, etc.)
- (1) The employer shall, as regards the valves or cocks of chemical facilities or switches, push buttons, etc., for operating the said valves or cocks, take the following measures in order to prevent explosions or fires due to an operational error of the said valves, cocks, etc.:
- (i) To indicate the direction of opening and closing;
- (ii) To make distinctions by color, shape, etc.
- (2) The measure in item (ii) of the preceding paragraph shall not be distinction by color only.
Article 272 (Materials of Valves, etc.)
- (1) The employer shall conform the valves or cocks of chemical facilities to the following provisions:
- (i) To construct such valves or cocks with durable materials corresponding to the frequency of opening and closing of the said valves or cocks, or the type, temperature, concentration, etc., of the dangerous substances, etc., pertaining to producing or handling.
- (ii) To equip valves or cocks doubly between the strainers, etc. that are opened or removed often during the use of chemical facilities, and the nearest chemical facilities (excluding piping; hereinafter the same shall apply in this item). However, this shall not apply to the case where devices enabling ensure the closing of valves or cocks are equipped between the said strainers, etc., and the said chemical facilities.
Article 273 (Indication of Types of Raw Materials Supplied)
- (1) The employer shall display at a readily visible location the type of raw materials, the facilities in which the raw materials are supplied and other necessary matters in order to prevent explosions or fires due to any error in supplying raw materials by workers who supply raw materials in chemical facilities (excluding piping).
Article 273-2 (Provision of Measuring Instruments)
- (1) The employer shall, as regards special chemical facilities, provide thermometers, flow meters, pressure gauges and other measuring instruments necessary to discover abnormal conditions in the said facilities at an early stage.
Article 273-3 (Installation, etc., of Automatic Warning Device)
- (1) The employer shall, as regards special chemical facilities (excluding those facilities which manufacture or handle dangerous substances, etc., in a quantity less than the standard provided by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare), install automatic warning device necessary to discover abnormal conditions inside the said facilities at an early stage.
- (2) The employer shall, when it is difficult to take the measures prescribed by the preceding paragraph, take measures such as placing a watcher and having the person watch the said special chemical facilities during operation.
Article 273-4 (Installation, etc., of Emergency Stop Device)
- (1) The employer shall, as regards special chemical facilities, in order to prevent explosions or fires due to abnormal condition, install device for cutting off feeding of raw materials or discharging products, etc., devices for feeding inert gas, cooling water, etc., or other devices to cope with the said abnormal condition.
- (2) Valves or cocks equipped in the devices set forth in the preceding paragraph shall conform to the following provisions:
- (i) To have the function to reliably work.
- (ii) To be maintained in a condition enabling smooth operation at all times.
- (iii) To enable to safety and accurately operate.
Article 273-5 (Reserved Power Sources, etc.)
- (1) The employer shall conform power sources used for special chemical facilities, their piping or their attached facilities, to the following provisions:
- (i) To provide reserved power sources for immediate use to prevent explosions or fires due to abnormalities of regular power sources.
- (ii) To provide locking, color divisions, classification of configurations, etc., on valves, cocks, switches, etc., in order to prevent operational error.
- (2) The measure in item (ii) of the preceding paragraph shall not be distinction by color only.
Article 274 (Work Rules)
- (1) The employer shall, when carrying out the work using chemical facilities or attached facilities, establish the rules for the said facilities as regards the following matters to prevent explosions or fires, and have workers carry out work by the established rules:
- (i) Operation of valves, cocks, etc. (limited to those used to supply raw materials to or to take products out from chemical facilities [excluding piping]).
- (ii) Operation of cooling devices, heating devices, stirring devices and compressors.
- (iii) Monitoring and adjustment of measuring instruments and a control device.
- (iv) Adjustment of safety devices such as safety valves and emergency stop device and automatic warning device.
- (v) Inspection for joining portions of covers plates, flanges, valves, cocks, etc., on leakage of dangerous substances, etc.
- (vi) Sample collection
- (vii) For specified chemical facilities, work methods during the suspension of operation and at the time of the resumption of operation in the case of operations are temporarily or partially suspended.
- (viii) Emergency measures in an abnormal situation.
- (ix) In addition to what is listed in the preceding each item, measures necessary to prevent explosions or fires.
Article 274-2 (Evacuation, etc.)
- (1) The employer shall, in the case that there is imminent danger of an industrial accident due to explosion, fire, etc., owing to a large quantity of leakage of dangerous substances, etc., from chemical facilities, suspend operation immediately and evacuate workers to a safe place.
- (2) The employer shall, in the case set forth in the preceding paragraph, prohibit persons other than those concerned from entering the said workshop, etc., and display a notice to that effect at a readily visible location, until having confirmed that it is unlikely to cause an industrial accident to workers due to dangerous substances, etc.
Article 275 (Modification, Repair, etc.)
- (1) The employer shall, in the case where modifying, repairing or cleaning the chemical facilities or their attached facilities, conform to the requirements prescribed below when disassembling the said facilities or conducting work inside such facilities:
- (i) To decide in advance the method and procedure of the said work, and make them known to the workers concerned.
- (ii) To designate a leader of the said work, and have the said leader direct the said work.
- (iii) Installing double valves or cocks or applying baffles to the valves or cocks in order to prevent dangerous substances, etc. from leaking or high-temperature steam from being discharged inside the work place.
- (iv) Locking the valves, cocks or baffles described in the preceding item and displaying a sign to the effect that opening such valves, cocks or baffles is prohibited, or placing a watchman.
- (v) In the case that the baffle, etc., set forth in item (iii) is to be removed and when it is liable to cause leaking or discharging of dangerous substances, etc., or high-temperature steam, to take measures such as confirming in advance, existence of the said dangerous substances, etc., or high-temperature steam between the baffle and the nearest valve or cock.
Article 275-2
- (1) The employer shall, when carrying out the work set forth in the preceding Article, have the vapor of inflammable substances or the concentration of combustible gas at the work place and its surrounding measured as needed.
Article 276 (Periodical Self-inspections)
- (1) The employer shall, as regards a chemical facilities (excluding piping; hereinafter the same shall apply in this Article) and their attached facilities, carry out self-inspections for the following matters periodically once every period within two years. However, this shall not apply to the non-use period of a chemical facilities and their attached facilities, which is not used for a period exceeding two years:
- (i) The substances inside such facilities that may cause explosions or fires.
- (ii) Conspicuous damage, deformation and/or corrosion in internal and external surfaces of such facilities.
- (iii) Condition of lid plates, flanges, valves, cocks, etc.
- (iv) The functions of safety devices, such as safety valves and emergency stops, and automatic alarms.
- (v) The functions of cooling devices, heating devices, stirring devices, compressors, measuring instruments and a control device.
- (vi) The functions of reserve power sources.
- (vii) In addition to what is listed in the preceding each item, matters especially necessary to prevent explosions or fires
- (2) The employer shall, as regards the chemical facilities and their attached facilities set forth in the proviso of the preceding paragraph, carry out self-inspection for the matters listed in each item of the same paragraph before resuming the use.
- (3) The employer shall, when having found any abnormalities in the said chemical facilities and their attached facilities as a result of the self-inspections set forth in the preceding two paragraphs, not use facilities unless otherwise having repaired them or taken other necessary measures.
- (4) The employer shall, when having carried out the self-inspections set forth in paragraph (1) and (2), record the following matters and preserve the records for three years:
- (i) The date of the inspection
- (ii) The method of the inspection
- (iii) The parts of a machine inspected
- (iv) The results of the inspection
- (v) The name of the person who has carried out the inspection
- (vi) When measures such as repair have been taken based on the result of the inspection, their contents.
Article 277 (Checkup before Commencing Use)
- (1) The employer shall, when using a chemical facilities (excluding piping; hereinafter the same shall apply in this Article) or their attached facilities for the first time, after having remodeled or repaired, or after one month or longer of a nonuse period, not use the said facilities unless otherwise having confirmed that there is no abnormality by check up the matters listed in each item of paragraph (1) of the preceding Article.
- (2) The employer shall, in addition to the case set forth in the preceding paragraph, when changing the use of chemical facilities or their attached facilities (including changes in type of raw materials used; hereinafter the same shall apply in this paragraph), not use the said facilities unless otherwise having confirmed that there is no abnormality by check up the said facilities as regards the matters listed in item (i), (iv) and (v) of paragraph (1) of the preceding Article and as to any abnormalities at the portion reconstructed for such changes in use.
Article 278 (Safety Device)
- (1) The employer shall, as regards vessels in which the pressure of gas is liable to exceed the atmospheric pressure due to an abnormal chemical reaction or other abnormal conditions, not use them unless those are provided with a safety valve or other alternative safety device. However, this shall not apply to those vessels having a volume of 0.1m3 or less.
- (2) The employer shall, as regards a safety valve or alternative safety device for the vessels set forth in the preceding paragraph, in order to prevent explosions or fires due to dangerous substances (In the case that the vessels set forth in the preceding paragraph are chemical facilities (excluding piping) that manufacture or handle substances having a flash point of 65 oC or higher at a temperature of the flash point or higher, the said substances; hereinafter the same shall apply in this paragraph) discharged by the operation of the said safety valve or alternative safety device, use the said safety valve or alternative safety device having an airtight structure, or the structure that enables discharged dangerous substances to be conveyed to a safe place or disposed safely by burning, absorbing, etc.
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