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17. Regulations Concerning the Prevention of Danger from Machines


As the number of accident victims caught or trapped by rotating or power transmission part of various machines is the second largest next to that in falling accidents in the total accidents, employers are required to take the following measures to prevent these accidents.


1.Installing enclosures or covers, etc.to the following for preventing touch:

(1) Motors, rotating shafts, gears, pulleys, belts, etc., of machines
(2) Take-up rolls or coils of paper, cloth, wire-rope, etc.
(3) Grinding machines (for which structural standards are set), planners o shapers
(4) Rotating workpieces of vertical latches, turret latches
(5) Other parts of the teeth of band saws
(6) Abrasive wheels (for which structural standards are set)and buffing machines
(7) Band wheels and other parts of teeth of woodworking band saws
(8) Pulling blocks of wire-drawers and gauges of wire-stranders
(9) Machines whose workpieces cut or broken are likely to fly to do harm to workers
(10) Blades of electric fans


2.Installing safety devices

(1) Teeth contact preventive devices for circular saws
(2) Teeth contact preventive devices for wood working circular saws (for which the model examination is required)
(3) Anti-kickback devices for wood working circular saws, excluding those automatic feeding devices (for which the model examination is required)
(4) Guards for hand feed planer blades (for which structural standards are set)
(5) Guards for wood shaper cutters 
(6) Safety devices for press machines and shears (for which structural standards are set)
(7) Power-driven press machines (for which structural standards are set)
(8) Safety devices for extruding, molding and blocking machines
(9) Rolls tempering rubber, rubber compound or synthetic resin and their safety stops


3.Periodical voluntary inspections

(1) Power-driven press machines and shears (at least once every year and before commencing work)
Inspections of power-driven press machines conducted at least once every year shall be specified voluntary inspections by qualified inspectors.
(2) Centrifugal machines(at least one every year)

4.Appointment of operations chief

(1) Employers shall appoint operations chiefs when the employers own five or more woodworking machines (circular saws, band saws, planers, wood shapers or rooters) or three or more machines when automatic feeding devices are incorporated in band saws.
(2) Employers shall appoint operations chiefs when the employers own five or more power-driven press machines.

5.Other safety measures

(1) Establishing signals for starting machine operations and designating those who give signals
(2) Wearing working caps and working cloths to avoid hair or cloth of workers being caught in power-driven machines 
(3) Prohibiting the use of gloves to prevent worker fingers from being caught by revolving blades during processing operations
(4) Requiring workers to  use personal protective equipment for avoiding cutting fragments flying from machines



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