§164 危険源

The term ‘hazard’ is used in the context of risk assessment with a meaning which may be different from everyday usage. In the context of risk assessment, ‘hazard’ refers to a potential source of harm. The presence of a hazard is an inherent feature of the machinery and is independent of whether or not any injury or damage to health is actually likely to occur. For example, the presence in the machinery of parts at a high temperature is a potential source of injuries, such as burns, or of damage to health, such as heat stress-related illness; the presence in the machinery of sharp blades is a potential source of injuries such as cuts or amputation. During the phase of hazard identification, a hazard must be considered to be present, even if the part of the machinery presenting the hazard is inaccessible.

Hazards can be identified by their physical origin (for example, mechanical hazard, electrical hazard) or by the nature of the potential injury or damage to health (for example, cutting hazard, crushing hazard, repetitive strain hazard, or electric shock hazard).

General Principle 1 requires the manufacturer to identify the hazards that are inherent to the machinery or that can be generated by its use, and the associated hazardous situations. A hazardous situation is a circumstance, an event or a sequence of events in which a person is exposed to a hazard. Hazardous situations can range in duration from a sudden event to a circumstance that is permanently present during use of the machinery.