Page 46 - Safety and health in construction

7. Plant, machinery, equipment and hand tools

7.1. General provisions

7.1.1. Plant, machinery and equipment, including hand tools, both manual and
power-driven, should:

(a) be of good design and construction, taking into account, as far as possible, health
and safety and ergonomic principles;
(b) be maintained in good working order;
(c) be used only for work for which they have been designed unless a use outside the
initial design purpose has been assessed by a competent person who has concluded
that such use is safe;
(d) be operated only by workers who have been authorised and given appropriate
training;
(e) be provided with protective guards, shields, or other devices as required by
national laws or regulations.

7.1.2. Adequate instructions for safe use should be provided where appropriate
by the manufacturer or the employer, in a form understood by the user.

7.1.3. As far as practicable, safe operating procedures should be established and
used for all plant, machinery and equipment.

7.1.4. Operators of plant, machinery and equipment should not be distracted
while work is in progress.

7.1.5. Plant, machinery and equipment should be switched off when not in use
and isolated before any major adjustment, cleaning or maintenance is done.

7.1.6. Where trailing cables or hose pipes are used they should be kept as short
as practicable and not allowed to create a safety hazard.

7.1.7. All dangerous moving parts of machinery and equipment should be
enclosed or adequately guarded in accordance with national laws and regulations.

7.1.8. Every power-driven machine and equipment should be provided with
adequate means, immediately accessible and readily identifiable to the operator, of
stopping it quickly and preventing it from being started again inadvertently.

7.1.9. The machines or equipment should be so designed or fitted with a device
that the maximum safe speed, which should be indicated on it, is not exceeded. If the
speed of the machine is variable, it should only be possible to start it at the lowest speed
appropriate.

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