1. Definition.- The term shears, slitters and guillotine means a machine, whether driven by power or otherwise, equipped with a straight beveledged blade operating vertically against a resisting edge and used for shearing metals or non-metallic substances.
2. A barrier metal guard of adequate strength shall be provided at the front of the knife, fastened to the machine frame and shall be so fixed as would prevent any part of the operator’s body to reach the descending blade from above, below or through the barrier guard or from the sides:
Provided that in case of machines used in the paper printing and allied industries, where a fixed barrier metal guard is not suitable on account of the height and volume of the material being fed, there shall be provided suitable starting devices which require simultaneous action of both the hands of the operator or automatic device which will remove both the hands of the operator from the danger zone at every descent of the blade.
3. At the back end of such machines, an inclined guard shall be provided over which the slit pieces would slide and be collected at a safe distance in a manner as would prevent a person at the back from reaching the descending blade.
4. Slitting Machines:- ‘Slitter’ or ‘Slitting Machine’ means a machine ordinarily equipped with circular disc-type knives, and used for trimming or cutting into metal or not-metalic substances or for slitting them into narrow strips; for the purpose of this Schedule, this term includes bread or other food slicers equipped with rotary knives or cutting discs.
1. Slitting Machines:- Circular disc-type knives on machines for cutting metal, leather, paper, rubber, textiles or other non-metalic substances shall, if within reach of operators standing on the floor or working level, be provided with guards enclosing the knife edges at all times as near as practicable to the surface of the material and which may either-
(a) automatically adjust themselves to the thickness of the material; or
(b) be fixed or manually ajusted so that the space between the bottom of the guard and the material will not exceed 6 mm (1/4 inch) at any time.
(2) Portions of blades underneath the tables or benches of slitting machines shall be covered by guards.
5. Index Cutters and Vertical Paper Slotters:- Index cutters and other machines for cutting strips from the ends of books, and for similar operations, shall be provided with fixed guards, so arranged that the fingers of the operators cannot come between the blades and the tables.
1. Corner Cutters:- Corners cutters, used in the manufacture of paper boxes, shall be equipped with-
(a) suitable guard, fastened to the machines in front of the knives and provided with slots or perforations to afford visibility of the operations; or
(b) other guards equally efficient for the protection of the fingers of the workers.
2. Band Knives:- Band wheels on band knives, and all portions of the blades except the working side between the sliding guide and the table on vertical machines, or between the wheel guards on horizontal guards machines, shall be completely enclosed with hinged guards of sheet metal not less than 1 mm. (0.04”) in thickness or of other material of equal strength.]