Thailand renews safety standard for machine, crane and boiler

Ministry of Labor of Thailand announced “Ministerial Regulation on administration and management standards and the process of occupational safety, health, and environment at workplace in relation to the machine, crane, and boiler B.E.2564 (2021)” in the Royal Gazette on 6 August 2021 by virtue of Occupational Safety, Health, and Environment Act B.E. 2554 (A.D. 2011). The regulation standardizes operations with machines, cranes, and boilers in order to improve the safety of employees. The regulation, which repeals the previous regulation established in 2009, will be effective 90 days after the announcement in the Royal Gazette.

Structure of the Ministerial Regulation

The ministerial regulation consists of the following chapters:

• Chapter 1: Machines
  • Part 1: General Provision
  • Part 2: Press Machine
  • Part 3: Electric Welding Machine and Gas Welding Machine
  • Part 4: Forklift
  • Part 5: Lift
  • Part 6: Machine for Lifting Peron to Work at Height
  • Part 7: Pulleys
• Chapter 2: Crane
  • Part 1: General Provision
  • Part 2: Overhead Crane
  • Part 3: Tower Crane
  • Part 4: Mobile Crane
  • Part 5: Devices Related to Crane
• Chapter 3: Boiler, Thermal Fluid Heater, Pressure Vessel, and Compressed Gas Cylinder
  • Part 1: General Provision
  • Part 2: Boiler
  • Part 3: Thermal Fluid Heater
  • Part 4: Pressure Vessel
  • Part 5: Compressed Gas Cylinder
• Chapter 4: Personal Safety Protection

“Compressed gas cylinder” is defined as a seamless pressure vessel with capacity ranging from 0.5 liters to 150 liters and a non-seamless pressure vessel with capacity ranging from 0.5 liters to 150 liters, excluding a vessel for liquefied petroleum gas, compressed natural gas, and liquefied natural gas.

Requirements for the employer

The employer shall manage the environment at the workplace of the place of business not to be harmful against the health and safety of employees. The employer is responsible for ensuring that a machine-operating employee follows the following guidelines:

• Wear neat and fitted clothes.
• Wear no jewelry that could catch on anything.
• Gather excessively long hair or do something else with it to keep it safe.

The employer also shall:

• prepare operating instructions in writing;
• ensure that the machine-operating employee checks whether the machine is in good condition and safe before use;
• provide a hazard assessment of any machine that may pose a danger from use to dismemberment, such as crushing machines, milling machines, ice cutting machines, band saws, circular saws, chainsaws, or other machines as prescribed by the Director-General;
• operate press machines, electric welding machines, gas welding machines, or other machines, the employer must hire individuals who have been trained by the experienced trainers; and
• provide, maintain and repair the protective device or personal protective equipment in a good functioning condition.

Download the original text of the Ministerial Regulation at
http://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2564/A/052/T_0003.PDF