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 VI Prevention of Dangers in Excavating Work, etc.
Section 2 Construction Work of Tunnels, etc
Subsection 1-4 Evacuation, etc.
Article 389-7 (Evacuation)
- (1) The employer shall, in the case of construction work of tunnels, etc., and when there is an urgent danger of an industrial accident being caused by cave-in, inundation, etc., suspend work immediately and evacuate the workers to a safety zone.
Article 389-8
- (1) The employer shall, in the case of construction work of tunnels, etc., and when having found that the concentration of the flammable gas reaches 30 % of the lower explosion limit or more, immediately evacuate the workers to a safety zone, stop using fire or other ignitable articles and take measures for ventilation, etc.
- (2) The employer shall, in the case prescribed in the preceding paragraph, prohibit workers other than those concerned from entering the inside of the tunnels, etc., and display a notice to that effect at a readily visible location until it is ascertained that the concentration of the flammable gas has declined below 30 % of the lower explosion limit.
Article 389-9 (Alarm Devices, etc.)
- (1) The employer shall, when carrying out the construction work of tunnels, etc., install the devices listed in the following each item, corresponding to the classifications listed in the said each item, in order to give immediate warning to the workers concerned in the case of cave-in, inundation, gas explosion, fire or other emergencies, and make the places of the said devices known to the workers concerned:
- (i) When the distance from the entrance of the tunnels, etc., to the facing (hereinafter referred to as “distance to the facing” in this Subsection) reaches 100 m (excluding the case listed in the next item): Alarm devices such as sirens and emergency bells(hereinafter referred to as “alarm devices” in this Article).
- (ii) When the distance to the facing reaches 500 m: Alarm devices, and telephones, etc., or other communicating equipment (limited to those enabling communication between the inside and the outside of the tunnel, etc., hereinafter referred to as “communicating equipment” in this Article).
- (2) The employer shall maintain the alarm devices and communicating equipment set forth in the preceding paragraph properly functioning at all times.
- (3) The employer shall install a reserve power source, which can be used immediately when any abnormalities arise in the power source for the alarm devices and communicating equipment set forth in paragraph (1).
Article 389-10 (Apparatuses for Evacuation)
- (1) The employer shall, when carrying out the construction work of tunnels, etc., provide the apparatuses listed in the following each item corresponding to the classifications listed in the said each item at suitable locations, in order to facilitate the evacuation of the workers concerned in the case of cave-in, inundation, gas explosion, fire or other emergencies, and make the locations of the said apparatuses and how to use them known to the workers concerned:
- (i) For the tunnels, etc., other than those where flammable gas exists and is liable to cause explosion or fire (excluding the case listed in item (iii)), and when the distance to the facing reaches 100 m: Flashlight or other portable lighting apparatuses (hereinafter called “portable illumination apparatuses” in this Article) and other apparatuses necessary for evacuation.
- (ii) For the tunnels, etc., where flammable gas exists and is liable to cause explosion or fire (excluding the case listed in the next item), and when the distance to the facing reaches 100 m: Survival equipment against carbon monoxide or other respiration apparatuses (hereinafter referred to as “respiration apparatuses” in this Article), portable illumination apparatuses and other apparatuses necessary for evacuation.
- (iii) When the distance to the facing reaches 500 m: Respiratory protective equipment, portable illumination apparatuses and other apparatuses necessary for evacuation.
- (2) The employer shall, as regards the respiratory protective equipment set forth in the preceding paragraph, provide as many or more than the number of workers at work at any given time (excluding a person engaging in the work near the entrance, the same shall apply in the next paragraph), and maintain them properly functioning and clean at all times.
- (3) The employer shall, as regards the portable illumination apparatuses set forth in paragraph (1), provide as many or more than the number of workers at work at any given time, and maintain them properly functioning at all times. However, this shall not apply in the case set froth in item (i) of the same paragraph, and when measures have been taken to secure illumination to facilitate the evacuation of workers at work at any given time as a group.
Article 389-11 (Evacuation Drill, etc.)
- (1) The employer shall, when carrying out the construction work of a tunnel, etc., where the distance to the facing is expected to reach 100 m (500 m for a tunnel, etc., other than those where flammable gas exists and is liable to cause explosion or fire) or more, conduct an evacuation drill and fire fighting training (hereinafter referred to as “evacuation drill, etc.”) for the workers concerned once within the period during which the distance to the facing reaches 100 m and once every period within six months thereafter in order to prepare for cave-in, inundation, gas explosion, fire, etc.
- (2) The employer shall, when having conducted the evacuation drill, etc., record the following matters and preserve the records for three years:
- (i) The date of the training conducted.
- (ii) The full name of the person who has undergone the training.
- (iii) The details of the training.
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