
1 
These Regulations may be cited as the Factories Act 1961 etc. (Metrication) Regulations 1983 and shall come into operation on 12th August 1983.
2 
Section 19(1) of the Factories Act 1961 (which relates to self-acting machines) shall be amended by substituting for the measurement “eighteen inches” the measurement “500 millimetres”.
3 

(1) The provisions of the Factories Act 1961 specified in Schedule 1 to these Regulations in column 1 shall be amended by substituting for the measurements set out opposite thereto in column 3 the measurements set out in the corresponding entry in column 4.
(2) In section 176(1) of the Factories Act 1961 the words ““degrees” means degrees Fahrenheit” shall be omitted.
(3) For the First Schedule to the Factories Act 1961 there shall be substituted Schedule 2 to these Regulations.
4 

(1) Subject to paragraph (2) of this Regulation, where any premises or plant in existence or under construction immediately before the coming into operation of these Regulations complied with the Factories Act 1961 as then in force, then those premises or that plant shall be deemed to comply with that Act as amended by these Regulations.
(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of this Regulation, sections 3(2), 68(4) and (8) of, and the First Schedule to, the Factories Act 1961 as amended by these Regulations shall apply in all relevant workrooms whether or not in existence or under construction immediately before the coming into operation of these Regulations, but nothing in this paragraph shall prevent the use of thermometers graduated in degrees Fahrenheit in workrooms under construction or in existence immediately before the coming into operation of these Regulations if such thermometers are provided with suitable conversion tables to convert their readings to degrees Celsius.
5 

(1) The provisions of the Abstract of Factories Act Order 1973 specified in Schedule 3 to these Regulations in column 1 shall be amended by substituting for the measurements set out opposite thereto in column 3 the measurements set out in the corresponding entry in column 4.
(2) After paragraph 57 of Schedule 1 to the Abstract of Factories Act Order 1973 there shall be added the following paragraph—58. Metrication: Where any premises or plant in existence or under construction immediately before the coming into operation of the Factories Act 1961 etc. (Metrication) Regulations 1983 complied with the Factories Act 1961 as then in force, then those premises or that plant shall be deemed to comply with that Act as amended by those Regulations except that section 3(2) of the Factories Act 1961 as likewise amended and which is referred to in paragraph 3 of this Schedule shall apply to all relevant workrooms whether or not in existence or under construction immediately before the coming into operation of these Regulations.
Signed by order of the Secretary of State.
John Selwyn Gummer
Joint Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
Department of Employment
7th July 1983
SCHEDULE 1
Regulation 3(1)


(1) (2) (3) (4)
Provision to be amended Subject-matter of measurement Present measurement Measurement to be substituted
The Factories Act 1961
Section 2(2) Minimum amount of cubic space per person employed in a workroom Four hundred cubic feet 11 cubic metres
Section 2(5) Maximum height from floor to be taken into account when calculating cubic space Fourteen feet 4.2 metres
Section 3(2) Minimum temperature of workroom after the first hour Sixty degrees 16 degrees Celsius
Section 18(1) Minimum height of edge of fixed vessel, structure, sump or pit containing scalding, corrosive or poisonous liquid which need not be covered or fenced Three feet 920 millimetres
 Minimum height of secure fencing to surround the vessel, structure, sump or pit etc. Three feet 920 millimetres
Section 18(2)(a) Minimum width of ladder, stair or gangway placed above, across or inside any vessel, structure, sump etc. Eighteen inches 460 millimetres
Section 18(2)(b) Minimum height of fencing on either side of ladder, stair or gangway Three feet 920 millimetres
Section 18(3) Passage between adjoining vessels etc to be barred unless there is
 (a) minimum space between vessels or Eighteen inches 460 millimetres
 (b) minimum height of secure fencing Three feet 920 millimetres
Section 19(1) Minimum distance between traversing carriage of any self-acting spinning mule and any part of the head stock of another such machine Twelve inches 310 millimetres
Section 26(1)(f) Maximum thickness of chains or slings to be annealed every six months Half-inch 13 millimetres
Section 27(7) Minimum distance between over-head travelling crane and person working on or near its wheel track Twenty feet 6 metres
Section 29(2) Distance which person will be liable to fall Six feet six inches 2 metres
Section 30(2) Minimum length of manhole (if rectangular or oval) in any chamber, tank, vat etc. Eighteen inches 460 millimetres
 Minimum width of manhole (if rectangular or oval) Sixteen inches 410 millimetres
 Minimum diameter of manhole (if circular) Eighteen inches 460 millimetres
 Minimum length of manhole (if rectangular or oval) in any tank wagon and other mobile plant Sixteen inches 410 millimetres
 Minimum width of manhole (if rectangular or oval) Fourteen inches 360 millimetres
 Minimum diameter of manhole (if circular) Sixteen inches 410 millimetres
Section 39(7) Storage capacity of water-sealed gasholder Five thousand cubic feet 140 cubic metres
Section 68(4) Wet bulb temperature reading above which artificial humidification is prohibited Seventy two and a half degrees 22.5 degrees Celsius
 Wet bulb temperature reading above which artificial humidification is prohibited when spinning cotton or spinning merino or cashmere by the French or dry process or spinning or combing wool by that process Eighty degrees 26.5 degrees Celsius
Section 68(6) Temperature of water absorbing oxygen from permanganate of potash solution Sixty degrees 16 degrees Celsius
 Ratio of water to oxygen absorbed Half a grain per gallon of water 7 milligrams per litre of water
Section 68(8) Minimum difference in readings of the wet and dry bulb thermometers Four degrees 2 degrees Celsius
Section 175(2)(n) Storage capacity of gasholder Five thousand cubic feet 140 cubic metres
SCHEDULE 2
Regulation 3(3)


FIRST SCHEDULE
Section 68


I II
Dry Bulb Temperature Wet Bulb Temperature
Degrees Celsius Degrees Celsius
10 9
11 10
12 11
13 12
14 13
15 14
16 15
17 16
18 17
19 18
20 19
21 20
22 20.5
23 21
24 22
25 22.5
26 23.5
27 24
28 25
29 26
30 26.5

SCHEDULE 3
Regulation 5(1)


(1) (2) (3) (4)
Provision to be amended Subject-matter of measurement Present measurement Measurement to be substituted
The Abstract of Factories Act Order 1973
Schedule 1
Paragraph 2 Minimum amount of cubic space per person employed in a workroom Four hundred cubic feet 11 cubic metres
 Maximum height from floor to be taken into account when calculating cubic space Fourteen feet 4.2 metres
Paragraph 3 Minimum temperature of workroom after the first hour 60°F 16 degrees Celsius
Paragraph 17 Minimum height of edge of fixed vessel, structure, sump or pit containing scalding, corrosive or poisonous liquid which need not be covered or fenced Three feet 920 millimetres
 Minimum width of ladder, stair or gangway placed above, across or inside any vessel, structure, sump etc. 18 inches 460 millimetres
 Minimum height of secure fencing to ladder, stair or gangwayPassage between vessels etc to be barred unless there is Three feet 920 millimetres
 (a) minimum space between vessels or 18 inches 460 millimetres
 (b) minimum height of secure fencing Three feet 920 millimetres
Paragraph 26 Minimum distance between over-head travelling crane and person working near its wheel track 20 feet 6 metres
Paragraph 28 Distance which person will be liable to fall Six feet six inches 2 metres
Schedule 2
Paragraph 13 Minimum distance between over-head travelling crane and person working near its wheel track 20 feet 6 metres