Section 3: Use and maintenance of work equipment

Work equipment must be assembled and dismantled safely, in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. The return to service of work equipment after a maintenance operation requiring the removal of protective devices is preceded by a test to check that these devices are in place and functioning correctly.

When transmissions, mechanisms and work equipment with moving parts likely to present a risk are in operation, workers may not be allowed to check, inspect, clean, deburr, lubricate, adjust, repair or carry out any other maintenance operation. Before such work is carried out at a standstill, all measures shall be taken to prevent the unexpected restarting of the transmissions, mechanisms and work equipment in question. Where it is technically impossible…

Where, for technical reasons, the moving parts of work equipment cannot be made inaccessible, it is forbidden to allow workers, when wearing loose-fitting or flowing clothing, to use this equipment, to carry out work on it or to move around near it.

Where the measures taken in application of articles R. 4321-1 and R. 4321-2 cannot be sufficient to protect the health and safety of workers, the employer shall take the necessary measures to ensure that: 1° Only workers designated for this purpose use the work equipment; 2° The maintenance and modification of this work equipment is carried out only by workers assigned to this type of task.

Machines with manual feed of workpieces or manual movement of tools are fitted with the appropriate tools and accessories to prevent any rejection or entrainment phenomena that may occur creating a risk for workers. Woodworking machines intended for planing, thicknessing or shaping where the workpiece is manually brought into contact with rotating tools are equipped with anti-rejection devices such as circular section tools with machining pitch limitation or appropriate anti-rejection…

Orders issued by the ministers responsible for labour or agriculture determine the work equipment and categories of work equipment for which a maintenance log must be drawn up and kept up to date by the employer in order to ensure that the maintenance operations required for the operation of the work equipment are carried out under conditions that protect the health and safety of workers. These decrees specify the type…

The maintenance logbook is made available to the Labour Inspectorate, to agents of the prevention departments of the social security bodies, to the Organisme professionnel de prévention du bâtiment et des travaux publics, where applicable, and to the Social and Economic Committee.

The maintenance log may be kept on any medium under the conditions set out in Article L. 8113-6.