General safety measures
The materials, installations, and devices of all kinds made available to
workers by the employer must be appropriate to the work to be carried
out and the risks to which the workers are exposed.
They must offer every guarantee of safety and be maintained in good
working order.
Unapproved protective devices may not be installed where approved
protective devices exist.
In the absence of international standards, the equipment, machinery
and installations made available to workers must comply with the
standards established by the International Labor Organization or other
national or international bodies, scientifically or technically recognized
and designated by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security.
The homologation decrees, issued by the Minister of Labor and Social
Security, establish official recognition of effectiveness, if necessary,
after the opinion of the competent ministerial departments.
Materials, equipment, installations, and devices must, at the time of
their delivery, be accompanied by a card indicating their technical
characteristics, the methods of use and maintenance, as well as the
possible risks to which they are exposed and the safety devices with
which they should be provided.
The use of dangerous equipment, machinery, and other means of work
is subject to the opinion of the National Commission on Occupational
Health and Safety.
Any request for approval must be addressed to the Minister of Labor
and Social Security, accompanied by the following documents
a) a general plan of the machine and the protective devices;
b) detailed drawings of the protective elements;
c) a descriptive and explanatory note on the assembly, adjustment and
operation of the protective device;
d) if necessary, a photograph of the machine or the removable
protective device (format18 x 24).
The equipment, machinery, installations, and devices must be subject to
periodic inspections by the manufacturers’
instructions.
The results of these inspections shall be recorded in special registers
opened for this purpose and bearing the date, the nature of the
control, as well as the name, quality, and signature of the agent
in charge of the control operations.
It is the responsibility of the employer or his representative to ensure
that his inspections have been regularly carried out.