§ 4.50 p.m.
§ Mr. LloydI beg to move, in page 9, line 34, to leave out "makes it impos- 406 sible to expose," and to insert "prevents the exposure of."
This is an Amendment of some importance to what we regard as an important Sub-section of an important Clause. The Sub-section gives the Home Secretary power to issue regulations making compulsory the use of certain safety devices on a certain class of machine when the safety devices fulfil certain conditions. What it really means is that when there is a really good safety device it is to be used. On Second Reading I gave the House the instance of the hydro-extractor and the terrible accidents there have been with some of those machines. The hon. Member for Rochdale (Mr. Kelly) will be interested in the cotton carding machines, which have terrible teeth exposed on the revolving drums when they are opened for the purpose of cleaning. There is a device, as the hon. Member knows, because I saw one first in his constituency, which prevents the opening of the machine until the revolving drum with the teeth on it has come to rest. That is the class of case in which my right hon. Friend has the power to make the use of the safety device compulsory. On considering the matter we came to the conclusion that the words "makes it impossible to expose" were rather extreme in view of the Home Secretary having to satisfy himself on the point, and we thought it would be desirable to be able to spread our net a little wider by inserting a less extreme provision such as "prevents the exposure of." The purpose of the Amendment is merely to give the Home Secretary powers over a slightly wider category of machines.
§ Amendment agreed to.
§ Mr. LloydI beg to move, in page To, line 6, to leave out from the beginning, to "shall," in line 7, and to insert:
Any part of a stock-bar which projects beyond the head-stock of a lathe.This Amendment is very closely related to a new Clause which was added in Committee, and it arises out of the discussions which followed when the Government brought forward a proposal to fence not merely the machine but, in certain cases, the material in the machine. I will not go over all the arguments again. Our proposal was subjected to perfectly reason, able criticism in Standing Committee, and we promised to readjust it. We have 407 done so, and have produced a new and rather more elaborate scheme in which we have dealt specifically with the question of stock bars, the bad accidents in connection with which first drew attention to this matter. In face of the rather vague proviso which, I think rightly, excited criticism as likely to lead to disputes in the application of the law, we have reverted to the device with which the Standing Committee became very familiar, of leaving it to the Home Secretary to make regulations to deal with particular circumstances.
§ Mr. Ellis SmithI hope that when the Home Office are issuing regulations they will bear in mind rolling mills. I have seen one or two terrible accidents there. I am sure that this Amendment will bring about a great improvement.
§ Amendment agreed to.
§
Further Amendment made: In page 10, leave out lines 11 to 13, and insert:
The Secretary of State may, as respects any machine or any process in which a machine is used, make regulations requiring the fencing of materials or articles which are dangerous while in motion in the machine."—[Mr. Lloyd.]