Ordinance on Prevention of Lead Poisoning

(Special Ordinance of September 30, 1972)
(Ministry of Labour Ordinance No. 37)

Chapter III. Structure, Performance and the like of Ventilation Systems

(Hood)

Article 24.             The employer shall have hoods of the local exhaust ventilation system or the exhaust duct (meaning those to be installed conforming to the provision of the preceding chapter, and hereinafter the same for this chapter (exclusive of the case provided for by provision of Article 32 and Article 34 meet the following requirements:

(1)   Install the hood at each emitting source of vapour or dust of lead, etc., or sintered ore, etc.

(2)   Select the type and capacity of the hood being best for collecting the vapor or dust of lead, etc., or sintered ore, etc., depending on work methods and the condition in which such vapor or dust is emitted.

(3)   Install the hood as close to the source of the vapor or dust of the lead, etc., or sintered ore, etc., as possible when the outside type or receiver type is used.

(4)   Install the surrounding type hood where the local ventilation system is installed conforming to the provisions of items (2) and (3) of Article 5, items (2) and (3) of Article 6, items (2) and (3) of Article 7, items (2) and (3) of Article 10 and item (3) of Article 15, except the case where using such type of hood is extremely difficult due to the work method to be carried out.

(Duct)

Article 25.             The employer shall satisfy the following requirements for the ducts of a local exhaust ventilation system (exclusive of a portable one):

(1)   The length shall be as short as possible and the number of bends shall be as few as possible. 

(2)   Inside surface of joints shall be free from any protruding matters.

(3)   The structure shall be easy to clean with appropriate location of cleaning openings.

(DustExclusion Device)

Article 26.             The employer shall install a dust exclusion device with filter or the equivalent to each of the equipment units listed in the right column of the following table to be used for the work listed in the left column of the same table.

2.             The dust collector provided for in the preceding paragraph shall be equipped with a preliminary dust collector for filtering larger granular dust.

3.             The employer shall effectively operate the dust collectors installed in compliance with the preceding two paragraphs.

(Exemption for Installing Dust Exclusion Devices)

Article 27.             The employer may not install dust exclusion devices when the work comes under any of the following items, regardless of the provisions of the preceding Article:

(1)   When the employer has workers engage in work to melt or cast lead or lead alloys in a workshop where the total volume of crucibles, melting pots or the like for the lead work does not exceed 50 liters.

(2)   When the concentration of lead exhausted in the equipment stated in the right column of paragraph 1 of the preceding Article does not exceed 0.15 mg per m3.

(Fans)

Article 28.             The employer shall install the fans of a local exhaust ventilation system with a dust exclusion device at the locations where dust-filteredair is supplied.

2.  As for a general ventilation system (meaning those to be installed in compliance with the provision of Article 16, and hereinafter the same for this Chapter and the following Chapter), the employer shall install fans (and duct openings for a general ventilation system with ducts) at locations as close to the emitting source of vapour or dust of lead and the like as possible.

(ExhaustOutlets)

Article 29.             The employer shall install the outlets of a local exhaust ventilation system, general ventilation system or exhaust duct at the outside of a building.

(Performance of the Local Exhaust Ventilation System)

Article 30.             The employer shall use a local exhaust ventilation system or exhaust duct with a capacity that can maintain the lead concentration outside of the hood at 0.15 mg per liter or less.

(Performance of the General Ventilation System)

Article 31.             The employer shall use a general ventilation system which has the capacity to ventilate the air at the hourly rate of 100 m3 or more per worker who is engaged in lead work provided for in i) of item (5) of Article 1 in an indoor workshop where the said general ventilation system is installed.

(Operation of the Ventilation System)

Article 32.             Where the local exhaust ventilation system (meaning the local exhaust ventilation system provided for by Article 2 and the local exhaust ventilation system to be installed conforming to the provision of the preceding chapter here and in the next paragraph), general ventilation system or ventilating duct (meaning the ventilating duct provided for by Article 2 and the exhaust duct to be installed conforming to the provision of the preceding chapter here and in the next paragraph) is installed, the employer shall keep operating such ventilation system while the workers are engaging in the lead work.

2.  In operating the local exhaust ventilation system, general ventilation system or ventilating duct, the employer shall take the measures necessary for the efficient operation of the system such as providing a baffle to prevent the occurrence of an air flow that disturbs smooth ventilation.