Safety and health in the use of machinery

Part I of the code sets out the scope, objectives, hierarchy of controls and definitions, as well as the general obligations, responsibilities and duties of the competent authority, designers and manufacturers, suppliers and employers, workers and their organizations.

Part II deals with technical requirements and specific measures that should be taken in order to protect workers’ safety and health. The relevant sections of this part should be used by manufacturers and suppliers to ensure that machinery is designed and constructed in such a way that it is safe for use and fits the purpose for which it is intended. The relevant sections should be used by employers to assess whether machinery they select and use or modify is fit for purpose and suitable for the specific working environment and conditions. Part II includes chapters on general statements, control systems, machinery guarding and protection against mechanical and other hazards, information, including marking and supplementary measures relating to specific machinery types.

The appendices provide more specific information for manufacturers, suppliers and employers to supplement Parts I and II. They include information on types of different guarding for machinery and detailed supplementary technical information for certain specific machinery types. The information in the appendices is intended to be informative and provide more detailed guidance to assist designers and manufacturers and employers.

Because the state of the art may change over time, enabling more effective measures to be provided, designers and manufacturers and employers should always refer to current specific guidance, starting with the references indicated in the bibliography of this code, for example.

The application of the code at the national and enterprise levels should be pursued as part of comprehensive occupational safety and health programmes and systems, seeking further guidance from relevant ILO instruments.