Driven Machinery Regulations, 1988
9. Shears, Guillotines, Presses

 

 

1.    Where the opening at the point of operation of shears, a guillotine or a press is greater than 10 mm, the user shall cause such machine to be provided with-

a.    a fixed guard which prevents hands or fingers reaching through, over, under or around the guard into the point of operation; or

b.    a self-adjusting guard which automatically adjusts itself to the thickness of the material being worked and which prevents hands or fingers reaching through, over, under or around the guard into the point of operation; or

c.    a manually or automatically operated moving guard which completely encloses the point of operation of such machine and which is so arranged that the working stroke cannot be commenced unless the guard is closed and which cannot be opened unless the ram or blade is stationary; or

d.    an automatic sweep-away or push-away which pushes any part of the operator's body out of the danger zone when the working stroke commences; or

e.    an electronic presence-sensing device which prevents or arrests a working stroke if it senses that any part of a person's body or any other foreign object is in the danger zone:
Provided that the guarding provided in terms of this subregulation shall not in itself create any threat to the safety of persons.

2.    The user may use or permit the use of shears, a guillotine or a press without the guarding contemplated in subregulation (1) if the operating controls to set it in motion require the simultaneous engagement of both hands of all the operators involved in the operation of the machine, and such operating controls-

a.    are situated at such distance from the point of operation that none of the operators has enough time to reach the danger zone with any part of his body before the working stroke is completed; or

b.    are so designed that the working stroke will be arrested if any one of the operators removes one of his hands from the controls:

Provided that the operating controls shall be so arranged that they cannot be bypassed.

3.    The user shall cause any full-revolution clutch shear, guillotine or press which is fed by hand to be provided with an anti-repeat device.