1. Machines, equipment, and implements must have permanently fixed and safe access to all their points of operation, refueling, insertion of raw materials and removal of processed products, preparation, maintenance, and constant intervention.
2. Access means include elevators, ramps, walkways, platforms, or step ladders.
2.1 In the technical impossibility of adopting the means provided for in item 2, a fixed ladder type may be used.
2.2 Regarding the means of access, machines, equipment, and implements that comply with the provisions of official or current international technical standards are exempt from the requirements contained in this Appendix.
3. Workplaces or workstations above ground level where workers have access for control or any other usual interventions on machines, equipment, and implements, such as operation, refueling, maintenance, preparation, and inspection, must have stable and safe work platforms.
3.1 In the technical impossibility of applying the provisions of item 3, the use of mobile or lifting platforms is permitted.
3.1.1 Mobile platforms must be stable so as not to allow movement or tipping during work.
4. Access means must be provided if the height from the ground or floor to the machine’s operating station is greater than 0.55 m (fifty-five centimeters).
4.1 In self-propelled machines in the construction industry with agroforestry application, access means must be provided if the height from the ground to the operating station is greater than 0.60 m (sixty centimeters).
4.2 In rice harvesters, harvesters equipped with tracks, and other harvesters equipped with self-leveling systems, access means must be provided if the height from the ground to the operating station is greater than 0.70 m (seventy centimeters).
4.3 The connection between the first and second steps can be articulated.
5. In machines, equipment, and implements, permanent access means must be located and installed to prevent accident risks and facilitate their use by workers.
6. The access means for machines, equipment, and implements, except for fixed ladders and elevators, must have a fall protection system with the following characteristics:
a) be dimensioned, constructed, and fixed safely and securely to withstand the required forces;
b) be made of weather-resistant and corrosion-resistant material;
c) have a top rail 1.10 m (one meter and ten centimeters) to 1.20 m (one meter and twenty centimeters) high relative to the floor along the entire length, on both sides;
d) the top rail must not have a flat surface to avoid placing objects on it;
e) have a toe board of at least 0.20 m (twenty centimeters) high and an intermediate rail at 0.70 m (seventy centimeters) high relative to the floor, located between the toe board and the top rail.
6.1 Access means installed before the publication of MTE Ordinance No. 2,546, of December 14, 2011, are exempt from complying with the dimension indicated in subparagraph “c” of item 6, provided that the top rail has a minimum height of 1.00 m (one meter).
6.2 If there is a risk of falling objects and materials, the gap between the toe board and the top rail must have a fixed, integral, and resistant protection.
6.2.1 The protection mentioned in item 6.2 can be made of resistant mesh, as long as its weave does not allow the passage of any object or material that can cause injuries to workers.
7. For fall protection systems on platforms used in refueling operations or that accumulate dirt, the dimensions in Figure 5 of Appendix II of this Standard are allowed.
8. The fall protection system for platforms other than the operation platforms in harvesters is exempt from meeting the requirements of Figure 5 of Appendix II of this Standard, provided it has a top rail, installed on one side, with a height of 1 m (one meter) to 1.10 m (one meter and ten centimeters) relative to the floor, and an intermediate rail, installed 0.40 m (forty centimeters) to 0.60 m (sixty centimeters) below the top rail.
8.1 The platforms indicated in item 8 can only be accessed when the machine is stopped.
9. The use of access means for stationary machines must consider the angle of inclination, according to Figure 1 of Appendix II of this Standard.
10. Walkways, platforms, ramps, and step ladders must provide safe conditions for work, circulation, movement, and handling of materials and be kept unobstructed.
11. Ramps with an inclination between 10° (ten degrees) and 20° (twenty degrees) relative to the horizontal plane must have securely fixed horizontal transverse pieces to prevent slipping, spaced 0.40 m (forty centimeters) apart along their entire length.
11.1 It is prohibited to construct ramps with an inclination greater than 20° (twenty degrees) relative to the floor.
12. Walkways, platforms, and ramps for stationary machines must have the following characteristics: a) minimum usable width of 0.60 m (sixty centimeters); and b) drainage means, if necessary.
12.1 Walkways, platforms, and ramps for self-propelled machines and implements must comply with the minimum width determined in Appendix XI of NR-12.
12.2 The minimum usable width of walkways, platforms, and ramps for stationary machines can be reduced to 0.50 m (fifty centimeters) in the following cases:
a) when their length is less than 2.00 m (two meters); or
b) when the space at floor level is restricted by pipelines, electrical cabling, or the machine’s construction reasons.
12.3 Walkways, platforms, and ramps for stationary machines installed before the publication of MTE Ordinance No. 2,546, of December 14, 2011, are exempt from complying with subparagraph “a” of item 12 of this Appendix, provided a minimum usable width of 0.50 m (fifty centimeters) is ensured.
13. In stationary machines, step ladders with risers must have:
a) a minimum width of 0.60 m (sixty centimeters);
b) steps with a minimum depth of 0.20 m (twenty centimeters);
c) uniform, level steps and flights without protrusions;
d) a height between steps of 0.20 m (twenty centimeters) to 0.25 m (twenty-five centimeters); and
e) a rest platform of 0.60 m (sixty centimeters) to 0.80 m (eighty centimeters) wide and long, at intervals of no more than 3.00 m (three meters) in height.
13.1 For single-flight ladders with a height of less than 1.50 m (one meter and fifty centimeters), the minimum usable width can be reduced to 0.50 m (fifty centimeters).
13.2 Step ladders with risers in stationary machines and equipment installed before the publication of MTE Ordinance No. 2,546, of December 14, 2011, are exempt from complying with subparagraphs “a,” “b,” “d,” and “e” of item 13 of this Appendix, except for the interval of up to three meters, provided a minimum usable width of 0.50 m (fifty centimeters) is ensured.
14. In stationary machines, step ladders without risers must have:
a) a minimum width of 0.60 m (sixty centimeters);
b) steps with a minimum depth of 0.15 m (fifteen centimeters);
c) uniform, level steps and flights without protrusions;
d) a maximum height between steps of 0.25 m (twenty-five centimeters);
e) a rest platform of 0.60 m (sixty centimeters) to 0.80 m (eighty centimeters) wide and long, at intervals of no more than 3.00 m (three meters) in height;
f) a minimum projection of 0.01 m (ten millimeters) of one step over the other; and
g) steps with a depth that meets the formula: 600≤ g + 2h ≤ 660 (dimensions in millimeters), according to Figure 2 of Appendix II of this Standard.
14.1 For single-flight ladders with a height of less than 1.50 m (one meter and fifty centimeters), the minimum usable width can be reduced to 0.50 m (fifty centimeters).
14.2 Step ladders without risers in stationary machines and equipment installed before the publication of MTE Ordinance No. 2,546, of December 14, 2011, are exempt from complying with subparagraphs “a” and “e” of item 14 of this Appendix, except for the interval of up to three meters, provided a minimum usable width of 0.50 m (fifty centimeters) is ensured.
15. In stationary machines, fixed ladders must have:
a) safe and resistant dimensioning, construction, and fixation to withstand the required efforts;
b) construction of weather-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials or coatings if exposed to outdoor or corrosive environments;
c) protection cages if they are higher than 3.50 m (three meters and fifty centimeters), installed from 2.00 m (two meters) above the floor, extending beyond the rest platform or the upper floor by at least 1.10 m (one meter and ten centimeters) to 1.20 m (one meter and twenty centimeters);
d) handrails or the continuation of the ladder uprights extending beyond the rest platform or the upper floor by 1.10 m (one meter and ten centimeters) to 1.20 m (one meter and twenty centimeters);
e) a width of 0.40 m (forty centimeters) to 0.60 m (sixty centimeters), according to Figure 3 of Appendix II of this Standard;
f) a maximum total height of 10.00 m (ten meters) for a single flight;
g) a maximum height of 6.00 m (six meters) between two rest platforms for multiple flights, constructed in consecutive flights with parallel axes, spaced at least 0.70 m (seventy centimeters) apart, according to Figure 3 of Appendix II of this Standard;
h) spacing between bars of 0.25 m (twenty-five centimeters) to 0.30 m (thirty centimeters), according to Figure 3 of Appendix II of this Standard;
i) a spacing between the machine’s or building’s floor and the first bar of no more than 0.55 m (fifty-five centimeters), according to Figure 3 of Appendix II of this Standard;
j) a distance from the structure to which it is fixed of at least 0.15 m (fifteen centimeters), according to Figure 4C of Appendix II of this Standard;
k) horizontal bars with a diameter or thickness of 0.025 m (twenty-five millimeters) to 0.038 m (thirty-eight millimeters); and
l) horizontal bars with surfaces, shapes, or grooves to prevent slipping.
15.1 Protection cages must have a diameter of 0.65 m (sixty-five centimeters) to 0.80 m (eighty centimeters), according to Figure 4C of Appendix II of this Standard, and:
a) have vertical bars with a maximum spacing of 0.30 m (thirty centimeters) between them and a maximum distance of 1.50 m (one meter and fifty centimeters) between arches, according to Figures 4A and 4B of Appendix II of this Standard; or
b) have gaps between arches of no more than 0.30 m (thirty centimeters), according to Figure 3 of Appendix II of this Standard, and be equipped with a vertical bar supporting the arches.
16 The steering wheel cannot be considered a support handle.
17. Tires, hubs, wheels, and fenders are not considered steps for accessing workstations.
17.1 Fenders can be considered steps for access, provided they are designed for this purpose.
17.2 In track machines, the shoes and support surface of the tracks can be used as access steps, provided they are designed for this purpose and ensure the operator’s support in three points of contact at all times during access.
18. Self-propelled machines and implements must have handrails or handgrips on one or both sides of the access means that pose a risk of falling or provide access to danger areas, ensuring:
a) a design that allows the operator to maintain three points of contact at all times during access;
b) a cross-sectional width between 0.025 m (twenty-five millimeters) and 0.038 m (thirty-eight millimeters);
c) the lower end of at least one handrail or handgrip located no more than 1600 mm (one thousand six hundred millimeters) from the ground surface;
d) a minimum free space of 0.050 m (fifty millimeters) between the handrail or handgrip and adjacent parts for hand access, except at attachment points;
e) a handgrip installed from the top step of the access means at a height of 0.85 m (eighty-five centimeters) to 1.10 m (one meter and ten centimeters); and
f) a handgrip with a minimum length of 0.15 m (fifteen centimeters).
18.1 Hand support points must be at least 0.30 m (thirty centimeters) from any articulation element.
18.2 Platforms on self-propelled machines and implements that pose a risk of worker falls must be accessed by steps and have a fall protection system, according to the dimensions in Figure 5 of Appendix II of this Standard.
19. Stationary machines, self-propelled machines, and implements manufactured before the effective date of this Standard and equipped with a work platform must have an access ladder and fall protection, considered regular, provided they are dimensioned according to the standards in force at the time of manufacture.
19.1 For fuel and other material refueling operations, in self-propelled machines with a refueling port located more than 1.5 m (one meter and fifty centimeters) above the operator’s support point, a step with handgrips ensuring three points of contact during the entire task must be installed.
19.2 For fuel and other material refueling operations, in self-propelled machines with a tank located at the rear or side, an external platform or ladder may be used to provide support for the safe execution of the task.
19.3 For self-propelled machines and implements manufactured before the effective date of this Standard, an external platform or ladder may be used to provide support for the safe execution of the task.