Workers are at risk of injury when they operate meat grinders, conveyor belts and moving machinery if their hands, hair or other body parts are drawn into the machines. According to statistics regarding occupational injury compensation, 45.6% of compensated workers are injured because of carelessness while operating machinery; this causes workers to be sandwiched, caught, stabbed, cut or scratched in/by the machinery. The Ministry of Labor calls upon employers to set up guard-shields and/or guard-fences to improve worker safety. Also, workers engaging in the cleaning, oiling, inspection, repair or adjustment of machinery must make sure machines are stopped and then locked or marked clearly to avoid them being activated mistakenly.

The Ministry indicated that in addition to strengthening labor inspections on business units that utilize mechanical products, a management system for the traceability of machinery product safety has been established.  The system clearly specifies the types of manufacturer and importer in terms of the manufacturing or importing of mechanical equipment such as power punching machinery, woodworking circular saws, abrading machines, and so forth.  The equipment must pass the inspections of certification institutions approved by the Ministry and file product safety information on designated informational websites to complete self declaration of product safety. The mechanical equipment will then be labeled with safety labels for identification by purchasers.

In addition, since 2010 the Ministry of Labor has allocated funding to subsidize small and medium enterprises to purchase new approved and certified machinery and to improve safety facilities of existing equipment in its annual budget.  Business entities that require financial assistance may submit applications (commissioned to the Metal Industries Research and Development Center for the year 2016; please contact Ms. Huang, 07-3513121 ext. 2923).