VI. Industrial Equipment and Products
1. Security of worker's safety (Industrial Equipment)


Q6-1

What kinds of regulations are there for workers' safety with regards to industrial machinery such as mobile cranes, small-sized boilers and explosion-proof electric machines and other machinery?  

Answer

In order to ensure safety inspection, individual examination and type examination are required depending on the dangerous characteristics of each type of industrial machines.

(Industrial Safety and Health Law)

1. The Industrial Safety and Health Law, which is enacted for the purpose of preventing industrial accidents, bans the transfer and the leasing of mobile cranes, small-sized boilers, and other machines involving hazardous operations unless they meet safety requirements set by the Minister of Health,Labour and Welfare.

These machines must be inspected or examined in accordance with the safety requirements to ensure safety. For example, an inspection by the Prefectural Labour Office for mobile cranes, an individual examination by the registered individual examination bodies for small-sized boilers, and a type examination by the registered type examination bodies for explosion-proof electric machines are required. On the application for these inspection and examinations, it is possible to attach inspection data established by the foreign inspection bodies designated by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan as a reference.

[Individual Examination]
Machines required to Individual Examination Registered Individual Examination Bodies (as of March 31, 2004)
Breakoff device (electronic brake type) of mixing mill for rubber, rubber compounds and synthetic resins Technology Institution of Industrial Safety
Type II pressure vessels Japan Boiler Association(JBA)
small-sized boilers
small-sized pressure vessels		 Boiler & Crane Safety Association

[Type Examination]
Machines required to Type Examination Registered Type
Examination Bodies (as of March 31, 2004)
Safety device for press machine or shirr
Breakoff device (except electronic brake type) of mixing mill for rubber, rubber compounds and synthetic resins
Explosion-proof electric machines
Contact preventive device (moving type) in circular saw blade for wood work
Automatic voltage reducing device for AC arc welder
Protective equipment for inslating
Protective guard for inslating
Protective cap
Power-driven press machine (with a mechanism in ban of danger caused by slide)
Antidust mask
Gas mask
 Technology Institution of Industrial Safety
(12) Overload protector for cranes or mobile cranes Japan Crane Association
(J.C.A)

2. An application for inspection can be made directly by a foreign manufacturer. Further, inspection data prepared by the foreign inspection agencies designated by the Minister of Health,Labour and Welfare in Japan can be taken into consideration by the Japanese authority.