The Factories Act 1961 etc. (Metrication) Regulations 1983

• Citation: S.I. 1983/978
• Sections: 5

Section 1 Citation and commencement

These Regulations may be cited as the Factories Act 1961 etc. (Metrication) Regulations 1983 and shall come into operation on 12th August 1983.

Section 2 Amendment of section 19(1) of the Factories Act 1961 to alter standards of safety

Section 19(1) of the Factories Act 1961 (which relates to self-acting machines) shall be amended by substituting for the measurement “eighteen inches” the measurement “500 millimetres” .

Section 3 Amendments to the Factories Act 1961 to substitute metric measurements for imperial measurements

(1) The provisions of the Factories Act 1961 specified in Schedule 1 to these Regulations in column 1 shall be amended by substituting for the measurements set out opposite thereto in column 3 the measurements set out in the corresponding entry in column 4.

(2) In section 176(1) of the Factories Act 1961 the words ““ degrees ” means degrees Fahrenheit ” shall be omitted.

(3) For the First Schedule to the Factories Act 1961 there shall be substituted Schedule 2 to these Regulations.

Section 4 Application to existing premises and plant or premises and plant under construction

(1) Subject to paragraph (2) of this Regulation, where any premises or plant in existence or under construction immediately before the coming into operation of these Regulations complied with the Factories Act 1961 as then in force, then those premises or that plant shall be deemed to comply with that Act as amended by these Regulations.

(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of this Regulation, sections 3(2), 68(4) and (8) of, and the First Schedule to, the Factories Act 1961 as amended by these Regulations shall apply in all relevant workrooms whether or not in existence or under construction immediately before the coming into operation of these Regulations, but nothing in this paragraph shall prevent the use of thermometers graduated in degrees Fahrenheit in workrooms under construction or in existence immediately before the coming into operation of these Regulations if such thermometers are provided with suitable conversion tables to convert their readings to degrees Celsius.

Section 5 Amendments to the Abstract of Factories Act Order 1973

(1) The provisions of the Abstract of Factories Act Order 1973 specified in Schedule 3 to these Regulations in column 1 shall be amended by substituting for the measurements set out opposite thereto in column 3 the measurements set out in the corresponding entry in column 4.

(2) After paragraph 57 of Schedule 1 to the Abstract of Factories Act Order 1973 there shall be added the following paragraph—

58. Metrication: Where any premises or plant in existence or under construction immediately before the coming into operation of the Factories Act 1961 etc. (Metrication) Regulations 1983 complied with the Factories Act 1961 as then in force, then those premises or that plant shall be deemed to comply with that Act as amended by those Regulations except that section 3(2) of the Factories Act 1961 as likewise amended and which is referred to in paragraph 3 of this Schedule shall apply to all relevant workrooms whether or not in existence or under construction immediately before the coming into operation of these Regulations.