Code of Practice on Safety and Health in the Use of Machinery

Worker safety should be addressed at all stages of the lifespan of machinery, from design to decommissioning. This code includes recommendations and requirements regarding the obligations, responsibilities, and rights of competent authorities, designers, manufacturers, suppliers, employers and workers. It also sets out technical requirements and information on the protection of workers against hazards, risk assessments, characteristics of guards and protective devices, as well as safety requirements for different types of machinery.

The objective of this code is to protect workers from the hazards of machinery and to prevent accidents and incidents resulting from the use of machinery at work by providing guidelines for: ensuring that all machinery for use at work is designed and manufactured in accordance with safety requirements; ensuring that employers are provided with a mechanism for obtaining from their suppliers safety information about machinery to enable them to implement effective protective measures for workers; and ensuring that proper workplace safety measures are implemented to minimize risks arising from the use of machinery.

This code applies to any work activity in which machinery is used. This code applies to all stages of the lifespan cycle of the machinery including second-hand, rebuilt or redeployed machinery being used in workplaces.