(MTPS Oridnance No. 505, of April 29, 2016)
1. General principles
1.1 This Technical Regulation defines fundamental principles and protective measures to preserve the health and physical integrity of workers and establishes minimum requirements for the prevention of accidents and occupational diseases in the trade and industry of processing, handling, and storage of ornamental stone slabs, without prejudice to compliance with the provisions of other Regulatory Standards (NR) approved by Ordinance No. 3214, of June 8, 1978, current technical standards, and, in their absence or omission, applicable international standards.
1.2 Equipment must be designed and constructed to offer necessary guarantees of strength and safety, and maintained in perfect working conditions.
1.2.1 Each piece of equipment must have its identification, maximum allowable working load, manufacturer’s name, and technical manager’s CNPJ displayed in a visible place.
1.2.1.1 The information specified in subitem 1.2.1 and other relevant details must be recorded in a specific book.
1.2.1.2 Block carriers and bunkers can be identified only with their own number and maximum allowable working load.
1.2.2 The equipment manufacturer must provide an instruction manual, meeting the requirements established in NR-12, for proper operation and maintenance, in addition to supporting operator training.
1.3 The company must keep records, in physical or electronic form, of periodic inspection and maintenance of equipment and supporting elements used in the moving, storage, and handling of ornamental stone slabs.
1.3.1 After inspecting the equipment or supporting element, an “Inspection Report” must be issued annually, prepared by a legally qualified professional with a Technical Responsibility Annotation (ART) collected, which becomes part of the equipment documentation.
1.3.2 Routine inspections and maintenance must be carried out by a trained or qualified professional.
1.3.3 The company must keep the purchase invoice of the acquired equipment or, in the case of self-manufactured equipment, the projects, reports, calculations, and technical specifications on the premises.
1.4 The areas for moving slabs must provide conditions for safe work performance.
1.4.1 The circulation of people in the slab movement areas must be interrupted during this activity.
2. Technical Requirements for Equipment Used for Moving, Storage, and Handling of Ornamental Stone Slabs
2.1 Bunkers or “L”
2.1.1 The side guards (“L” or Bunkers) must have a locking system that prevents accidental disengagement from the block carrier slots.
2.1.1.1 The side guards (“L” or Bunkers) must have a locking system that prevents accidental disengagement from the block carrier slots.
2.1.2 The side guard (“L” or Bunker) must be installed on the block carrier before removing the support system from the block fraction lifting equipment.
2.1.2.1 The removal of side guards (“L” or Bunkers) can only be carried out within the saw housing.
2.1.3 Sawn blocks, still on the block carrier and inside the saw housing, must have or receive at least three side guards (“L” or Bunkers) on each side to prevent slab falls.
2.1.4 The side guards (“L” or Bunkers) must be maintained until all slabs are removed.
2.2 Block Carrier and Transport Cart
2.2.1 The block carrier and the transport cart must have protection for parts that pose risks, with particular attention to steel cables, hooks, pulleys, cart wheels, pulleys, belts, gears, couplings, and electrical parts.
2.2.2 No work can be carried out with people between the slabs.
2.2.3 It is prohibited to remove slabs from only one side of the block carrier to maintain stability.
2.2.4 The operation of the transport cart and the block carrier must be carried out by at least two trained persons, as specified in item 5 of this Annex.
2.3 Storage Yard
2.3.1 In areas of the yard where slab handling and storage are carried out, the following criteria must be observed:
a) the floor must be paved, non-slip, without protrusions, level, and sufficiently resistant to support usual loads; (see application deadline in art. 2 of MTPS Ordinance No. 505, April 29, 2016)
b) the slab storage area must be protected against weather conditions.
2.4 Racks
2.4.1 The racks must be installed on bases made of resistant and impermeable material to ensure perfect stability and positioning conditions, observing the following requirements:
a) the racks must provide adequate support for the slabs and have a minimum height of one and a half meters (1.5m);
b) vertical racks must be composed of sections with a maximum width of twenty-five centimeters (0.25m);
c) the sticks of vertical racks must be thick enough to withstand usual load stresses and adjusted or welded at their base, ensuring stability;
d) each vertical rack must be a maximum of six meters in length, with the end pieces having greater strength;
e) a space, duly marked, with a minimum of eighty centimeters between the ends and sides of the racks must be ensured;
f) the distance between racks and the walls of the storage area must be at least fifty centimeters (0.5m);
g) the main pedestrian circulation area must be marked and have a minimum width of one meter and twenty centimeters (1.20m);
h) the racks must be kept in perfect working condition: painted, without corrosion, and without structural damage;
i) it is forbidden to use extenders to increase the storage capacity of triangular racks;
j) the activities of removing and placing slabs on racks must be carried out with at least one worker at each end of the slab;
k) each pair of racks must have a locking or tying system to ensure equipment stability.
2.5 Moving Slabs with Suction Cups
2.5.1 When moving slabs with suction cups, the following minimum requirements must be observed:
a) the suction cup directional valve must be easily accessible and located for the operator, respecting the operator’s posture and safety;
b) the suction cups must have an auxiliary device that ensures hose containment, preventing it from recoiling in case of accidental detachment;
c) the hoses must be protected, firmly attached to the inlet and outlet tubes, and kept away from circulation paths;
d) the rubber of the suction cups must be periodically maintained and immediately replaced in case of wear, defects, or detachment;
e) safety procedures must be adopted to ensure the safe movement of slabs in the event of a power outage.
2.5.2 Suction cups with vacuum generated by electrical equipment must have an audible and visual alarm indicating pressure outside the established safety limits.
2.6 Moving Slabs with Steel Cables, Suspension Beams, Straps, Chains, Clamps, Container Handlers, and Other Equipment
2.6.1 When moving slabs using suspension beams, clamps, container handlers, and other lifting equipment, the load-bearing capacity of these lifting means and the load capacity of the lifting equipment must be observed, adhering to the manufacturer’s technical specifications and recommendations.
2.6.1.1 Steel cables, straps, chains, and other accessories must be properly sized according to the characteristics of the loads to be moved.
2.6.2 The employer must keep the purchase invoices for steel cables, chains, straps, and other accessories, along with their respective certificates, available for inspection.
2.6.3 Moving slabs with clamps can only be done by picking up one slab at a time.
2.6.4 Slabs moved with a transfer cart must be tied with straps or equivalent resistant material.
3. Environmental Conditions and Equipment for Handling Fractured Ornamental Stone Slabs in Marble Shops
3.1 The floors of workplaces where fractured ornamental stone slabs are handled must be designed and constructed according to technical parameters to support usual loads and ensure safe handling.
3.1.1 Floors must have a regular, firm, stable, and non-slip surface under any condition to avoid vibration in equipment handling fractured slabs.
3.1.1.1 The longitudinal slope of the floor must be no more than 5% (five percent).
3.1.1.1.1 Slopes greater than 5% (five percent) are considered ramps and must be calculated according to the following equation:
i = h x 100 / c
where:
i = slope, in percentage;
h = height of the elevation;
c = length of the horizontal projection.
3.1.1.1.1.1 Regardless of ramp length and without prejudice to the content of item 3.1.1.1.1, the maximum allowable slope is 12.50% (twelve point fifty percent).
3.2 The width of pathways where fractured ornamental stone slabs are handled must be at least one meter and twenty centimeters (1.2m).
3.3 Equipment for handling fractured ornamental stone slabs must have at least three wheels, resistance, stability, ease of mobility, identification of maximum load capacity, and be compatible with the loads.
3.3.1 Fractured slab loads must be securely tied to the equipment structure.
4. Loading and Unloading of Ornamental Stone Slabs
4.1 The company must allocate a specific area for loading and unloading slabs, with horizontal and vertical signs.
4.1.1 The space allocated for loading and unloading materials and access to the load vehicle must provide conditions for safe operation.
4.1.1.1 Load movements must follow instructions defined in specific procedures for each type of load to ensure operational safety for people and materials.
4.2 The operation area where a portable pneumatic gun is used must be delimited and signposted, prohibiting the presence of people not involved in the activity in this area.
4.3 The activity of packing slabs must be carried out using racks that provide good posture and safety for workers.
4.4 The interior of containers must have natural or artificial lighting, as defined in FUNDACENTRO’s Occupational Hygiene Standards.
4.5 Work inside containers must be carried out with safe and appropriate equipment and access means for the nature of the activities.
4.6 Workers are prohibited from remaining inside containers during load entry.
4.7 Removing the load tie in the container can only be done after the load is stabilized and initially fixed.
5. Training for Moving, Storage, and Handling of Ornamental Stone Slabs
5.1 Moving, storage, and handling of ornamental stone slabs can only be carried out by trained workers authorized by the employer.
5.2 Training must occur after the worker’s admission, during normal working hours, and be fully funded by the employer.
5.2.1 Instructions for worker information and training must be prepared in comprehensible language using methodologies, techniques, and materials that facilitate learning.
5.3 Besides training, information, and instructions, the worker must receive on-the-job guidance, consisting of a period during which they must perform their activities under the direct guidance and supervision of another trained and experienced worker, lasting a minimum of thirty days.
5.4 Training for moving, storage, and handling of ornamental stone slabs must meet the program content and hourly load as per item 5.7.
5.4.1 Theoretical classes must be limited to forty participants per class.
5.4.2 Practical classes must be limited to eight participants per instructor.
5.4.2.1 The certificate will only be granted to participants who complete the total hourly load of the modules and demonstrate skill in operating the equipment.
5.4.3 The certificate must contain the worker’s name, program content, daily and total hourly load, date, location, name, and professional qualifications of the instructor(s), and the name and signature of the technical manager or the person responsible for the technical organization of the course.
5.4.3.1 The certificate must be provided to the worker, upon receipt, with a copy filed in the company.
5.4.4 Training participants must receive printed teaching materials.
5.5 New training must be conducted every three years, with a minimum hourly load of sixteen hours, eight hours of which cover Module I content and eight hours of Module III, referred to in item 5.7 of this Annex.
5.6 New training must be conducted, with an hourly load and program content meeting the needs that motivated it, in the following situations:
a) job change;
b) change of methods and work organization;
c) return from work absence or inactivity for more than six months;
d) significant changes in installations, machine operation, equipment, or processes different from those the worker is accustomed to operating.
5.7 Training Programs
Module I – HEALTH, SAFETY, AND HYGIENE AT WORK
Course Load: 16 hours
Objective: Preserve the health and physical integrity of the worker, inform about environmental risks, and develop a preventive culture.
Minimum Program Content:
1. Concept of work accidents: preventive, legal;
2. Types of accidents;
3. Accident Communication (CAT);
4. Causes of work accidents: man, machine, environment, etc;
5. Consequences of work accidents;
6. Accidents with moving, storage, and handling of ornamental stone slabs: cause analysis and preventive measures;
7. Environmental risks: physical, chemical, biological, and ergonomic;
8. Accident risks;
9. Risk analysis methodologies: concepts and practical exercises;
10. Collective protective equipment;
11. Technical and administrative measures;
12. Personal protective equipment; 13. Safety inspection.
Module II – STUDY OF THE CONTENT OF ANNEX I OF NR-11
Course Load: 4 hours
Objective: Provide basic knowledge to the participant to assimilate the content of the safety legislation of the ornamental stone sector.
Minimum Program Content:
1. Block Carrier;
2. Bunkers or “L”;
3. Transport Cart;
4. Triangular Rack;
5. Vertical Rack or Stick;
6. Suction Cup: operation and safety procedures;
7. Strap;
8. Suspension Beam;
9. Clamp (Pincer);
10. Steel cable;
11. Chains;
12. Container Handler;
13. Equipment for moving fractured slabs;
14. Inspection of equipment and accessories;
15. Safety inspection records of equipment and accessories.
Module III – SAFETY IN THE OPERATION OF OVERHEAD CRANE
Course Load: 16 hours
Objective: In theoretical and practical classes, participants should acquire knowledge and develop skills in controlling the movement of ornamental stone slab loads, aiming for this activity to be carried out safely.
Theoretical Classes: 8 hours
Minimum Program Content:
1. Safety principles in the use of equipment;
2. Description of risks related to equipment;
3. Center of gravity of loads;
4. Load tying;
5. Selection of steel cable types (slings);
6. Load capacity of steel cables, straps, and chains;
7. Discard criteria for steel cables, straps, and chains;
8. Accessories to ensure good tying;
9. Use of edge breakers;
10. Shackles, straps, pears, hooks – gauges and capacities;
11. Inspection of equipment, accessories, and safety inspection records;
12. Signaling for hoisting and moving;
13. Container Handler;
14. Equipment for moving fractured slabs;
15. Safety devices according to NR-12 and applicable technical standards.
Practical Classess: 8 hours
Minimum Program Content:
1. Loading and unloading of slabs and blocks on vehicles;
2. Loading and unloading of the block carrier;
3. Transport Cart;
4. Suction Cup;
5. Suspension Beam;
6. Clamp (Pincer);
7. Placement and removal of slabs on a bench;
8. Moving ornamental stone blocks using a gantry crane;
9. Container Handler;
10. Equipment for moving fractured slabs.
6. General Provisions
6.1 During the preparation and removal of cut slabs from the saw, measures must be taken to prevent the lower frame of the saw blade holder from falling on workers.
6.2 Storing and placing slabs on walls, columns, metal structures, or other locations that are not specified racks in this Annex are prohibited.
6.3 The diamond wire cutting machine, single wire, and multi-wire must have their respective cutting areas and the path of the diamond wire isolated and signposted.
6.4 Workbenches on which slabs are placed, whether whole or fractured, must have the strength and stability to support the handled loads.
Glossary
Storage: Consists of a set of functions such as receiving, unloading, loading, arranging, conservation, etc., carried out in a space designated for the flow and storage of ornamental stone slabs, with the aim of controlling and protecting materials.
Beneficiation: Consists of the block processing until the final product, which may include the following stages: sawing, slab separation, first polishing, drying, resin application, polishing, and cutting.
Suspension Cables: Steel cable intended for lifting (hoisting) materials and equipment.
Block Carrier: Equipment used to transport and support blocks and slabs in rock cutting operations in the saws.
Transport Cart: Equipment used to move the block carrier.
Triangular Rack: Triangular-shaped metal structure with a support base, used for storing ornamental stone slabs.
Vertical Rack: Metal structure with vertically arranged dividers (sticks) fixed on metal bases, used for storing ornamental stone slabs.
Ornamental Stone Slabs: Product resulting from the sawing or separation of rocks, with variable dimensions.
Fractured Slabs: Ornamental stone slabs with varying dimensions and a maximum height of one meter.
Strap: Accessory used for tying and moving loads, as defined in the ABNT NBR 15637 standard.
Slab Packaging: Activity of packing (wooden casing and/or plastic wrapping) a set of ornamental stone slabs.
Slab: Fraction of ornamental stone block, suitable for sawing, usually accommodated in space existing in the block carrier, alongside the main block to be sawn.
Load Lifting Equipment: Any equipment that performs the work of lifting, moving, and lowering loads, including its accessories (intended to fix the load to be transported, connecting it to the equipment).
Container Handling Equipment: Equipment supported by an overhead crane, used for loading and unloading packages of ornamental stone slabs into containers. It has a C shape, with the upper part attached to the overhead crane, and the lower part, which enters the container, supporting the package to be loaded.
Equipment for Moving Fractured Ornamental Stone Slabs: Equipment intended for moving loads, consisting of a structure with at least three wheels.
Bunker: L or I-shaped metal piece, fixed or inserted into the block carrier, intended to ensure the stability of slabs.
Ornamental Stone Processing and Trade Industry: Companies whose economic activities fall under CNAE 2391-5/01, 2391-5/02, 2391-5/03, 4679-6/02.
Diamond Wire Cutting Machine: Ornamental stone cutting machine that uses a diamond wire. The cutting process occurs through the abrasive action of diamond-coated rings or beads along the wire.
Single Wire: Ornamental stone cutting machine that uses a diamond wire. The cutting process occurs through the abrasive action of diamond-coated rings or beads along the wire.
Multi-Wire: Ornamental stone cutting machine that uses multiple diamond wires, enabling the block to be cut into slabs. The cutting process occurs through the abrasive action of diamond-coated rings or beads along the wires.
Sticks: Metal rods used in vertical racks to support and hold ornamental stone slabs.
Resistant Floor: Floor capable of resisting deformation or rupture under the applied stresses.
Procedure: Sequence of operations to be developed to perform a specific task, including material and human resources, safety measures, and circumstances that enable its execution.
Trained Professional: Worker who received training under the guidance and responsibility of a qualified professional.
Qualified Professional: Professional with legal qualifications for the activity to be performed and who assumes technical responsibility, having registration with the professional class council.
Certified Professional: Individual who proves completion of a specific course in the area, recognized by the official education system.
Sign: Standardized procedure intended to guide, alert, inform, and warn.
Saw: Equipment consisting of four columns that support the blade holder frame. The cutting process occurs through the friction action of the set of blades with abrasive elements, making a back-and-forth motion, sawing the rock from top to bottom.
Suction Cup (Pneumatic Transporter): Vacuum equipment used in the movement of ornamental stone slabs.