The Factories Act 1961 etc. (Metrication) Regulations 1983

EXPLANATORY NOTE

These Regulations amend the Factories Act 1961 (“the 1961 Act”) by substituting amounts or quantities expressed in metric units for amounts or quantities not so expressed. The substituted amounts preserve the effect of the original provisions except to the extent necessary to obtain amounts expressed in suitable and convenient terms, save that, by Regulation 2, section 19(1) of the Act (which relates to self-acting machines) is amended to improve standards of safety.

Regulation 4 provides that the amendments do not relate to premises or plant in existence or under construction immediately before the coming into operation of these Regulations if those premises or that plant complied with the then existing requirements, except that the amendments to sections 3(2) and 68(4) and (8) of and the First Schedule to the 1961 Act (which relate to the temperature and humidity of certain workrooms) shall apply to those workrooms whether or not in existence or under construction immediately before the coming into operation of these Regulations.

The Abstract of Factories Act Order 1973 which prescribes the abstract of the 1961 Act which must be posted in factories is also amended by substituting metric for non-metric units.