1.1.1.

Workplaces must be so organized as to provide adequate protection against hazards. They must be kept in good order, with any hazardous substances or deposits removed or controlled in order not to endanger the health and safety of workers.

1.1.2.

Workstations must be designed and constructed according to ergonomic principles taking into account the need for workers to be able to follow operations taking place at their workstations.

1.1.3.

Where workstations are occupied by lone workers, adequate supervision or means of communication must be provided.

4.1.1.

Measures must be taken for assessing the presence of harmful and/or potentially explosive substances in the atmosphere and for measuring the concentration of such substances.

Where required by the safety and health document, monitoring devices measuring gas concentrations at specified places automatically and continuously, automatic alarms and devices to cut off power automatically from electrical installations and internal combustion engines must be provided.

Where automatic measurements are provided for, the values measured must be recorded and kept as stipulated in the safety and health document.

4.1.2.

Smoking is forbidden in areas subject to particular fire or explosion hazards.

The use of any open flame and the execution of any work that may give rise to an ignition hazard is prohibited unless adequate safety precautions are taken to prevent the occurrence of fires or explosions.

4.2.1.

All necessary measures must be taken to combat the formation and accumulation of explosive atmospheres.

4.2.2.

In areas where there are risks of explosion, all necessary measures must be taken to prevent the ignition of explosive atmospheres.

4.2.3.

An explosion prevention plan detailing the equipment and measures required must be prepared.

4.3.1.

Where harmful substances accumulate or may accumulate in the atmosphere, appropriate measures must be taken to ensure:

in such a way that workers are not at risk.

The system must be capable of dispersing these harmful substances in such a way that workers are not at risk.

4.3.2.

Without prejudice to Directive 89/656/EEC (3), appropriate and sufficient breathing and resuscitation equipment must be available in areas where workers may be exposed to atmospheres which are harmful to health.

In such cases, a sufficient number of workers trained to use such equipment must be present at the workplace.

The equipment must be suitably stored and maintained.

4.3.3.

Where toxic gases are, or may be, present in the atmosphere, a protection plan detailing the protective equipment available and the preventive measures taken must be available.

4.4.1.

Wherever workplaces are designed, constructed, equipped, commissioned, operated or maintained, adequate measures must be taken to prevent fires from starting and spreading from the sources identified in the safety and health document.

Provision must be made for fast and effective fire-fighting.

4.4.2.

Workplaces must be equipped with appropriate fire-fighting equipment and, as necessary, with fire detectors and alarm systems.

4.4.3.

Non-automatic fire-fighting equipment must be easily accessible and simple to use and, where necessary, protected from damage.

4.4.4.

A fire protection plan detailing the precautions to be taken, in accordance with Articles 3, 4, 5 and 6 of this Directive, to protect against, detect and combat the outbreak and spread of fires must be kept on site.

4.4.5.

The fire-fighting equipment must be indicated by signs in accordance with the national regulations transposing Directive 92/58/EEC (4) into law.

Such signs must be placed at appropriate points and be made to last.

6.1.

It must be possible to reach workplaces without danger and leave them quickly and safely in an emergency.

6.2.

Traffic routes, including stairs, fixed ladders and loading bays and ramps, must be calculated, dimensioned and located to ensure easy, safe and appropriate access for pedestrians or vehicles in such a way as not to endanger workers employed in the vicinity of these traffic routes.

6.3.

Routes used for pedestrian traffic and/or goods traffic must be dimensioned in accordance with the number of potential users and the type of undertaking.

If means of transport are used on traffic routes, a sufficient safety clearance must be provided for pedestrians.

6.4.

Sufficient clearance must be allowed between vehicle traffic routes and doors, gates, passages for pedestrians, corridors and staircases.

6.5.

Traffic and access routes must be clearly identified for the protection of workers.

6.6.

Where vehicles or machines enter workplaces, traffic regulations must be established as necessary.

7.1.

Workstations, traffic routes and other areas or installations outdoors which are occupied or used by the workers in the course of their activity must be organized in such a way that pedestrians and vehicles can circulate safely.

7.2.

Workplaces outdoors must be adequately lit by artificial lighting if daylight is not adequate.

7.3.

When workers are employed at workstations outdoors, such workstations must as far as possible be arranged so that workers:

8.1.

Danger areas must be clearly indicated.

8.2.

If the workplaces contain danger areas in which, owing to the nature of the work, there are risks including that of the worker or objects falling, the places must be equipped, as far as possible, with devices preventing unauthorized workers from entering those areas.

8.3.

Appropriate measures must be taken to protect workers authorized to enter danger areas.

9.1.

In the event of danger, it must be possible for workers to evacuate all workstations quickly and as safely as possible.

9.2.

Emergency routes and exits must remain clear and lead by the most direct means to the open air or to a safe area, a safe assembly point or a safe evacuation point.

9.3.

The number, distribution and dimensions of the emergency routes and exits depend on the use, equipment and dimensions of the workplaces and the maximum number of persons that may be present.

9.4.

Emergency doors must open outwards.

Emergency doors should not be so locked or fastened that they cannot be easily and immediately opened by any person who may require to use them in an emergency.

9.5.

Emergency doors must not be locked.

The emergency routes and exits, and the traffic routes and doors giving access to them, must be free from obstruction so that they can be used at any time without hindrance.

9.6.

Emergency routes and exits requiring illumination must be provided with emergency lighting of adequate intensity in case the lighting fails.

9.7.

Specific emergency routes and exits must be indicated by signs in accordance with the national regulations transposing Directive 92/58/EEC into law.

10.1.

Workers must be trained in the appropriate actions to be taken in emergencies.

10.2.

Rescue equipment must be provided at readily accessible and appropriately sited places and kept ready for use and must be indicated by signs in accordance with the national regulations transposing Directive 92/58/EEC into law.

12.1.

First-aid equipment must be available in all places where working conditions require it and must be appropriate to the operation.

This equipment must be indicated by suitable signs and easily accessible.

12.2.

One or more first aid rooms must be provided where the size of the premises, type of activity being carried out and frequency of accidents so dictate.

Clearly visible first-aid instruction in the event of accidents must be displayed in these rooms.

12.3.

First-aid rooms must be fitted with essential first-aid installations and equipment and be easily accessible to stretchers.

They must be signposted in accordance with the national regulations transposing Directive 92/58/EEC into law.

12.4.

In addition, first-aid equipment must be available in all places where working conditions require it.

This equipment must be suitably marked and easily accessible.

12.5.

A sufficient number of workers must be trained in the use of the first-aid equipment provided.

13.1.

Every workplace must be provided throughout with lighting capable of supplying illumination sufficient to ensure the health and safety of persons therein.

13.2.

Workplaces must as far as possible receive sufficient natural light and, bearing in mind the climatic conditions, be equipped with artificial lighting for the protection of workers' safety and health.

13.3.

Lighting installations in rooms containing workplaces and in passageways must be placed in such a way that the type of lighting does not present a risk of accident to workers.

13.4.

Workplaces in which workers are exposed to risks in the event of failure of artificial lighting must be provided with emergency lighting of adequate intensity.

Where that is impossible, workers must be provided with personal lamps.

14.1.1.

Appropriate changing rooms must be provided for workers if they have to wear special work clothes and where, for reasons of health or propriety, they cannot be expected to change in another room.

Changing rooms must be easily accessible, be of sufficient capacity and be provided with seating.

14.1.2.

Changing rooms must be sufficiently large and have facilities to enable each worker to lock away his/her clothes during working hours.

If circumstances so require (e.g. dangerous substances, humidity, dirt), lockers for work clothes must be separate from those for ordinary clothes.

Provision must be made to enable wet work clothes to be dried.

14.1.3.

Provision must be made for separate changing rooms or separate use of changing rooms for men and women.

14.1.4.

If changing rooms are not required under 14.1.1, each worker must be provided with a place to store his/her clothes.

14.2.1.

Adequate and suitable showers must be provided for workers if required by the nature of the work or for health reasons.

Provision must be made for separate shower rooms or separate use of shower rooms for men and women.

14.2.2.

The shower rooms must be sufficiently large to permit each worker to wash without hindrance in conditions of an appropriate standard of hygiene.

The showers must be equipped with hot and cold water.

14.2.3.

Where showers are not required under the first subparagraph of 14.2.1, adequate and suitable washbasins with hot and cold water must be provided in the vicinity of the workstations and the changing rooms.

Such washbasins must be separate for, or used separately by, men and women when so required for reasons of propriety.

16.2.1.

The floors of workplaces must have no dangerous bumps, holes or slopes and must be fixed, stable and not slippery.

Workplaces containing workstations must be adequately insulated against heat, bearing in mind the type of undertaking involved and the physical activity of the workers.

16.2.2.

The surfaces of floors, walls and ceilings in rooms must be such that they can be cleaned or refurbished to an appropriate standard of hygiene.

16.2.3.

Transparent or translucent walls, in particular all-glass partitions, in rooms or in the vicinity of workplaces and traffic routes must be clearly indicated and made of safety material or be shielded from such places or traffic routes to prevent workers from coming into contact with walls or being injured should the walls shatter.

16.2.4.

Access to roofs made of materials of insufficient strength must not be permitted unless equipment is provided to ensure that the work can be carried out in a safe manner.

16.3.1.

Workrooms must have sufficient surface area, height and air space to allow workers to perform their work without risk to their safety, health or well-being.

16.3.2.

The dimensions of the unoccupied area at the workstation must allow workers sufficient freedom of movement and enable them to perform their work safely.

16.4.1.

Windows, skylights and ventilation devices which are meant to be opened, adjusted or secured must be designed so that these operations can be carried out safely.

They must not be positioned so as to constitute a hazard to workers when open.

16.4.2.

It must be possible to clean windows and skylights without risk.

16.5.1.

The position, number and dimensions of doors and gates, and the materials used in their construction, are determined by the nature and use of the rooms or areas.

16.5.2.

Transparent doors must be appropriately marked at a conspicuous level.

16.5.3.

Swing doors and gates must be transparent or have see-through panels.

16.5.4.

If transparent or translucent surfaces in doors and gates are not made of safety material and if there is a danger that workers may be injured if a door or gate should shatter, the surfaces must be protected against breakage.

16.5.5.

Sliding doors must be fitted with a safety device to prevent them from being derailed and falling over unexpectedly.

16.5.6.

Doors and gates opening upwards must be fitted with a mechanism to secure them against falling back unexpectedly.

16.5.7.

Doors along escape routes must be appropriately marked.

It must be possible to open them from the inside at any time without special assistance.

It must be possible to open the doors when the workplaces are occupied.

16.5.8.

Doors for pedestrians must be provided in the immediate vicinity of any gates intended essentially for vehicle traffic, unless it is safe for pedestrians to pass through; such doors must be clearly marked and left permanently unobstructed.

16.5.9.

Mechanical doors and gates must function without risk of accident to workers.

They must be fitted with easily identifiable and accessible emergency shut-down devices and, unless they open automatically in the event of a power failure, it must also be possible to open them manually.

16.6.1.

Steps shall be taken to ensure that there is sufficient fresh air in enclosed workplaces, having regard to the working methods used and the physical demands placed on the workers.

If a forced ventilation system is used, it must be maintained in working order.

Any breakdown must be indicated by a control system where this is necessary for workers' health.

16.6.2.

If air-conditioning or mechanical ventilation installations are used, they must operate in such a way that workers are not exposed to draughts which cause discomfort.

Any deposit or dirt likely to create an immediate danger to the health of workers by polluting the atmosphere must be removed without delay.

16.7.1.

During working hours, the temperature in rooms containing workstations must be suitable for human beings, having regard to the working methods being used and the physical demands placed on the workers.

16.7.2.

The temperature in rest areas, rooms for duty staff, sanitary facilities canteens and first aid rooms must be appropriate to the particular purpose of such areas.

16.7.3.

Windows, skylights and glass partitions should allow excessive effects of sunlight in workplaces to be avoided, having regard to the nature of the work and of the workplace.

16.8.1.

Where the safety or health of workers, in particular because of the type of activity carried out or the presence of more than a certain number of employees, so requires, workers must be provided with an easily accessible rest room.

This provision does not apply if the workers are employed in offices or similar workrooms providing equivalent relaxation during breaks.

16.8.2.

Rest rooms must be large enough and equipped with an adequate number of tables and seats with backs for the number of workers.

16.8.3.

In rest rooms appropriate measures must be introduced for the protection of non-smokers against discomfort caused by tobacco smoke.

16.8.4.

If working hours are regularly and frequently interrupted and there is no rest room, other rooms must be provided in which workers can stay during such interruptions, wherever this is required for the safety or health of workers.

Appropriate measures should be taken for the protection of non-smokers against discomfort caused by tobacco smoke.

1.1.

Without prejudice to Article 3 (2), the employer who, in accordance with national legislation and/or practice, is responsible for the workplace covered by this Part B must ensure that the safety and health document shows that all relevant measures have been taken to protect the safety and health of workers in both normal and critical situations.

1.2.

The safety and health document must be brought up to date regularly and be available for inspection at the workplace.

Work must be carried out in accordance with the safety and health document.

2.1.

Work must be planned taking into account the elements of the safety and health document which concern the risks of falls or slips of ground.

Consequently, as a preventive measure, the height and slope of overburden-stripping and extraction faces must be appropriate to the nature and stability of the ground and the methods of working.

2.2.

Benches and haul roads must be stable enough for the plant used.

They must be constructed and maintained in such a way that plant can be moved safely.

2.3.

Before the start or restart of work, stripping and extraction faces above work areas or haul roads must be checked for loose ground or rocks.

Scaling must be carried out where necessary.

2.4.

Faces and tips must not be worked in such a way that instability is created.

1.1.

Without prejudice to Article 3 (2), the employer who, in accordance with national legislation and/or practice, is responsible for the workplace covered by this Part C must ensure that the safety and health document shows that all relevant measures have been taken to protect the safety and health of workers in both normal and critical situations.

1.2.

The safety and health document must be brought up to date regularly and be available for inspection at the workplace.

Work must be carried out in accordance with the safety and health document.

2.1.

Plans of underground workings drawn to a scale which provides a clear representation must be prepared.

In addition to roadways and winning areas, they must show the known features which may influence working and safety.

They must be readily accessible and must be kept for as long as is necessary for safety purposes.

2.2.

Plans of underground workings must be brought up to date periodically and held available at the workplace.

5.1.

Transport facilities must be installed, operated and maintained in such a way as to ensure the safety and health of drivers, users and other persons in the vicinity.

5.2.

Mechanical manwinding or manriding facilitites must be properly installed and used in accordance with written instructions.

7.1.

All underground workings to which access is permitted must be ventilated in an appropriate manner.

Continuous ventilation must be provided to maintain, with an adequate safety margin:

7.2.

Where the requirements of 7.1 cannot be met by natural ventilation, the main ventilation must be provided by means of one or more mechanical fans.

Steps must be taken to ensure stable and continuous ventilation.

The depression of the main fans must be monitored continuously, and an automatic alarm must indicate unscheduled stoppages.

7.3.

The ventilation parameters must be measures periodically and recorded.

A ventilation plan containing the pertinent details of the ventilation system must be prepared, brought up to date periodically and held available at the workplace.

8.1.

An underground working is regarded as gassy if firedamp is likely to be released in such a quantity that the risk of formation of an explosive atmosphere cannot be excluded.

8.2.

The main ventilation must be provided by one or more mechanical fans.

8.3.

Working must proceed taking account of firedamp emission.

Steps must be taken to eliminate as far as possible the risks arising from firedamp.

8.4.

Auxiliary ventilation must be limited to development and salvage work and to places with a direct connection to the main ventilation current.

Production workings may be ventilated by auxiliary systems only if appropriate additional measures are taken to ensure the safety and health of workers.

8.5.

The ventilation measurement referred to under 7.3 must be supplemented by firedamp determinations.

Where required by the safety and health document, firedamp levels must also be continuously monitored in return airways from production units using mechanized extraction or underwinning and at the head ends of mechanized blind end workings.

8.6.

Only explosives and initiating devices specifically for gassy mines may be used.

8.7.

The provisions of 4.1.2 of Part A are replaced as follows:

9.1.

Coal mines are considered to be susceptible to flammable dusts except where the safety and health document shows that none of the seams being worked contains dust liable to propagate an explosion.

9.2.

In mines with flammable dusts the provisions of 8.6 and 8.7 of this Part C apply mutatis mutandis.

9.3.

Steps must be taken to reduce flammable dust deposits, and to remove neutralize or bind the same.

9.4.

Propagation of flammable dust and/or firedamp explosions which are liable to trigger further flammable dust explosions must be limited by installing a system of explosion barriers.

The locations of such explosion barriers must be indicated in a document which is brought up to date periodically and held available at the workplace.

10.1.

In zones susceptible to gas outbursts with or without the projection of minerals or rock, rock-bursts or water inrushes, an operating plan must be drawn up and implemented so as to ensure, as far as possible, a safe system of work and the protection of workers.

10.2.

Measures must be taken to identify risk zones, protect workers in workings approaching or traversing these zones, and control the risks.

11.1.

Provision must be made for the prevention and, where appropriate, the early detection of spontaneaous combustion.

11.2.

Flammable materials taken into underground workings must be limited to the quantities which are strictly necessary.

11.3.

Where it is necessary to use hydraulic fluids (fluids for the transmission of hydrostatic and/or hydrokinetic mechanical energy), fluids which are difficult to ignite must, as far as possible, be used in order to avoid the risk of fire and its spread.

The hydraulic fluids must satisfy specifications and test conditions relating to fire resistance and hygiene criteria.

Where hydraulic fluids are used which do not satisfy the specifications, conditions and criteria referred to in the second subparagraph, additional precautions must be taken to avoid the increased risk of fire and its spread.

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Workers must be provided with a suitable personal lamp.

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Workstations must as far as possible be equipped with artifical lighting adequate for the protection of workers' safety and health.

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Lighting installations must be placed in such a way that there is no risk of accident to workers as a result of the type of lighting fitted.