Chapter II. Measures concerning Manufacturing, etc.

(Facilities concerned with Handling of group-1 Substances)

Article 3.   The employer shall install vapour or dust source sealing systems or local exhaust ventilation systems with enclosure-type hoods in workplaces where the work for putting group-1 substances into containers or taking them out of containers or feeding them into reactors (not including similar work in the manufacturing process of group-1 substances) is conducted, excluding the case where the work for putting in and taking out of containers the substances designated in (3) or (8) but relating to that of (3) (hereinafter referred to as "chlorobiphenyl, etc."), in item 1 of Attached Table 3 of the Enforcement Order is conducted and where a local exhaust ventilation system is installed. . 

2.   The employer shall install a system for sealing the source of beryllium dust, etc., or a local exhaust ventilation system in workplaces where processing work for the substance designated in (6) or the substance designated in  (8) but relating to that of (6) (hereinafter referred to as "beryllium, etc."), of item 1 of Attached Table 3 of the Enforcement Order, is conducted (except in the case of workplaces where the work for putting in and taking out the beryllium, etc., from containers or feeding them into reactors, etc., is to be carried out).

(Facilities for Manufacturing, etc., of Group-2 Substances)

Article 4.   The employer shall provide facilities thereby to manufacture specified group-2 substances or auramine, etc. (hereinafter referred to as "the specified group-2 substances, etc."), using the method of hermetical sealing.

2.   When the employer has workers engage in dealing with specified group-2 substances, etc., as products manufactured by him/her, he/she shall provide facilities with which to enable the workers to deal with the substances, etc., in a remote controlling system in separated rooms, provided that this does not apply in respect to dealing with specified group-2 substances, etc., in powder under humid conditions.

3.   Where it is found extremely difficult for the employer to conform to the provisions of the preceding two paragraphs in carrying out such work as weighing, putting into containers or packing the products designated as group-2 substances, such employer shall establish a work procedure to prevent workers from coming into direct contact with group-2 substances and install a local exhaust ventilation system with an enclosure-type hood in the workplace where the said work is to be carried out. 

Article 5.   When the employer engages in indoor work in which dispersion of gases, vapours or dusts of specified group-2 substances takes place (exception is made for workplaces where  gases, vapour or dusts of specified group-2 substances disperse where he/she manufactures specified group-2 substances, where he/she deals with specified group-2 substances in the workshop therein to manufacture the said group-2 substances, where  he/she engages in fumigation therein to deal with the substances listed in (17) or (20) of the item 2 in Attached Table 3 of the Enforcement Order or to deal with the substances described in item (17) or (20) in Attached Table 1 of this Ordinance, (hereinafter called "methyl bromide, etc.") and where he/she deals with  the substances listed in (30) of item 2 in Attached Table 3 of the Enforcement Order or the substances as described in item (30) of Attached Table 1 (hereinafter referred to as "benzene, etc."), as solvents (inclusive of dilutants, same as in the Article 38-12), ), or when the employer has workers engage in indoor work from which dispersion of gases, vapours of dusts resulting from group-2 substances under Supervision, he/she shall provide the workshop concerned with devices thereby to tightly close the sources of gases, vapours or dusts of said specified group-2 substances or said group-2 substances under supervision, or with local exhaust ventilation systems, provided that this does not apply to the case in which it is very difficult to provide the said workshop with the devices thereby to tightly close the sources of gases, vapours, or dusts resulting from said specified group-2 substances or said group-2 substances under supervision or with local exhaust ventilation systems, or to the case where temporary work is done for saidspecified group-2 substances or said group-2 substances under supervision.

2.   When the employer does not provide the said workshop with devices thereby to seal hermetically the sources of dispersion of gases, vapours or dusts of specified group-2 substances or group-2 substances under supervision, or with local exhaust ventilation systems covering the sources, in virtue of the proviso as described in the preceding paragraph, he/she shall provide the said workshop with general ventilation systems or make the specified group-2 substances or group-2 substances under supervision humid or take measures necessary for prevention of health impairment of workers working for the manufacturing or handling of said substances.

Article 6.   The provisions as set forth in the preceding two articles are not applied when acknowledgement is made that there is no fear of the presence of atmospheric levels of gases, vapours or dusts of said group-2 substances at which they become harmful to workers in usual conditions in the workshop by the Chief of the Labour Standards Inspection Office who governs the location of the said workshop (hereinafter referred to as the Chief of the competent Labour Standards Inspection Office).

2.   The employer who wishes to be considered as set forth in the preceding paragraph shall submit to the Chief of the competent Labour Standards Inspection Office the Application for Acknowledgement of Partial Exclusion of the Application of the Ordinance on Prevention of Hazards Due to Specified Chemical Substances, etc. (Form 1), with a sketch of the workshop concerned.

3.   When the Chief of the competent Labour Standards Inspection Office who has received the said application from the employer has made a decision regarding his/her acknowledgement, to approve the application or reject the application, he/she shall inform the applicant without delay of the approval or rejection of the said application.

4.   The employer who has been granted the approval in accordance with paragraph 1 shall inform without delay the Chief of the competent Labour Standards Inspection Office of changes, when made by him/her, in the content of the said application or in the sketch of his/her workshop.

5.   The Chief of the competent Labour Standards Inspection Office shall cancel the former approval granted to the said employer without delay when the Chief comes to understand that the concentration of gases,   vapours, or dusts of group-2 substances in the air of the workshop concerned which has been approved conforming to the provision of paragraph 1 the said employer does not comply with the provision as set forth in the said paragraph. regarding

(Requirements concerning Local Exhaust Ventilation Systems)

Article 7.   When the employer provides the local exhaust ventilation systems in accordance with the provisions of Article 3, paragraph 3 of Article 4, or paragraph 1 of Article 5 (inclusive of the local exhaust ventilation systems described in the proviso of paragraph 1 of Article 3, same as in paragraph 1 of the following Article), the system shall comply with the provisions as provided below.

(1)   The hood shall be installed at each source of gases, vapours or dusts of group-1 or group-2 substances, and an exterior-type hood or a receiving-type hood shall be installed at a location as near as possible to the source of gases, vapour or dusts of the said substances.

(2)   The duct shall be made as short as possible, and also the number of bends as small as possible.In addition, it shall be provided with a cleaning orifice at a proper location so that cleaning can be easily done.

(3)   The fans of the local exhaust ventilation systems to which the dust exclusion devices or exhaust gas-disposing devices are attached shall be installed at a location at which the air passes after the dust exclusion or exhaust gas-disposition, provided that this does not apply to the case in which there is no fear of explosion due to gases, vapoursor dust after they are sucked in, and also there is no fear of the corrosion of the fan.

(4)   The exhaust outlet shall be located outdoors.

(5)   The performance as designated by the Minister of Labour shall be maintained.

(Operation of Local Exhaust Ventilation Systems)

Article 8.   With reference to the local exhaust ventilation systems provided in accordance with the provisions of Article 3, paragraph 3 of Article 4 or paragraph 1 of Article 5, the employer shall operate them during periods of time for which work is being carried out, concerning group-1 or group-2 substances.

2.   The employer shall take measures necessary for effective operation of the said systems by elimination of atmospheric current which disturbs ventilation using baffles, etc.