1981 No. 1414
HEALTH AND SAFETY
The Agriculture (Metrication) Regulations 1981
Made 1st October 1981
Laid before Parliament 13th October 1981
Coming into Operation 13th November 1981

The Secretary of State, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by sections 49(1), (2) and (4) and 82(3)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (“the 1974 Act”) and of all other powers enabling him in that behalf and for the purpose of giving effect without modifications to proposals submitted to him by the Health and Safety Commission under section 11(2)(d) of the 1974 Act after the carrying out by the said Commission of consultations in accordance with section 50(3) of that Act, hereby makes the following Regulations:—
section 49 was amended by the Employment Protection Act 1975 (c. 71), section 116 and Schedule 15, paragraph 15.

1 Citation, commencement and interpretation
1 These Regulations may be cited as the Agriculture (Metrication) Regulations 1981 and shall come into operation on 13th November 1981.
2 In these Regulations, “the principal Regulations” mean —
the Agriculture (First Aid) Regulations 1957,
the Agriculture (Ladders) Regulations 1957,
the Agriculture (Power Take-Off) Regulations 1957,
the Agriculture (Circular Saws) Regulations 1959,
the Agriculture (Safeguarding of Workplaces) Regulations 1959,
the Agriculture (Stationary Machinery) Regulations 1959,
the Agriculture (Threshers and Balers) Regulations 1960,
the Agriculture (Field Machinery) Regulations 1962,
the Agriculture (Tractor Cabs) Regulations 1974.
, to which there are amendments not relevant to these regulations.

2 Amendments to Regulations to substitute metric measurements for imperial measurements
1 The provisions of the Regulations specified in the Schedule 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 Where under this Regulation a measurement is required to be substituted in any provision for a measurement which occurs more than once in that provision the substitution shall be made in each place where it occurs.

3 Application to existing premises, plant and articles or premises and plant under construction
Where any premises, plant or articles in existence or premises or plant under construction immediately before the coming into operation of these Regulations complied with the requirements of the principal Regulations as then in force, then those premises or that plant or article shall be deemed to comply with the principal Regulations as amended by these Regulations.
Signed by order of the Secretary of State.
David Waddington Joint Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Department of Employment 1st October 1981

SCHEDULE AMENDMENTS TO REGULATIONS
Regulation 2(1)
1	2	3	4
Provisions to be amended	Subject matter of measurement	Present measurement	Substituted measurement
The Agriculture (First Aid) Regulations 1957
Schedule
Part I, Paragraph 2 and Part II, Paragraph 2	(a) minimum length of base of triangular bandage	(a) 51 inches	(a) 1.3 metres
	(b) minimum length of sides of triangular bandage	(b) 36 inches	(b) 920 millimetres
Part I, Paragraph 3 and Part II, Paragraph 3	(a) and (b) measurements of waterproof adhesive dressings	(a) 1½ inches × 2 inches	(a) 38 millimetres × 50 millimetres
		(b) 2 inches × 3 inches	(b) 50 millimetres × 75 millimetres
Part I, Paragraph 4 and Part II, Paragraph 4	weight of cotton wool packets	half-ounce	15 grams
The Agriculture (Ladders) Regulations 1957
Regulation 3(2)(c)	(a) maximum distances of tie rod from each end of certain ladders	2 feet	610 millimetres
	(b) maximum distance between tie rods	8 feet	2.44 metres
Regulation 3(2)(e)	maximum distance between adjacent rungs of non-trestle ladders	12 inches	305 millimetres
The Agriculture (Power Take-Off) Regulations 1957
Regulation 3(2)	minimum weight which the shield and cover for take-off is capable of supporting	250 pounds	120 kilograms
Regulation 4(1)(b)	maximum height from the ground of a power take-off shaft which may be fitted with a `U' guard	two feet	600 millimetres
Regulation 4(2)	minimum depth of guard of power take-off shaft below lowest point of circumference	two inches	50 millimetres
The Agriculture (Circular Saw) Regulations 1959
Regulation 2(1)	interpretation of “circular saw”	twelve inches	300 millimetres
First Schedule Part I
Paragraph 4(a)	maximum distance of riving knife from saw blade	half an inch	12 millimetres
Paragraph 5(1)(a)	minimum width of top guard	one inch	25 millimetres
Paragraph 6(2)	(a) maximum distance between bottom guards	(a) six inches	(a) 150 millimetres
	(b) minimum extension of bottom guard from edge of saw blade	(b) two inches	(b) 50 millimetres
Paragraph 7(2)(a)	minimum width of top guard	one inch	25 millimetres
Paragraph 7(5)	(a) maximum distance between bottom guards	(a) six inches	(a) 150 millimetres
	(b) minimum extension of bottom guards from edge of saw blade	(b) two inches	(b) 50 millimetres
The Agriculture (Safeguarding of Workplaces) Regulations 1959
Schedule Part II
Paragraph 3(4)(a)	maximum height of stairway not requiring handrail	3 feet	920 millimetres
Paragraph 4(2)	minimum height above highest point of getting on or off steep stairway that hand-hold should extend	3 feet	920 millimetres
Paragraph 5(1)	maximum depth below aperture in floor before guard rails are required	5 feet	1.5 metres
Paragraph 5(1)(b)	minimum height of fence for aperture in floor	3 feet	920 millimetres
Paragraph 5(1)(c)	(a) minimum height of guard rail for aperture in floor	(a) 3 feet	(a) 920 millimetres
	(b) maximum height of guard rail for aperture in floor	(b) 3 feet 6 inches	(b) 1.05 metres
Paragraph 5(2)	maximum fall before guard rails are required on edge of floor	5 feet	1.5 metres
Paragraph 5(2)(a)	minimum height of door or fence for edge of floor	3 feet	920 millimetres
Paragraph 5(2)(b)	(a) minimum height of guard rail for edge of floor	(a) 3 feet	(a) 920 millimetres
	(b) maximum height of guard rail for edge of floor	(b) 3 feet 6 inches	(b) 1.05 metres
Paragraph 5(3)	maximum fall from aperture in wall before guard rails are required	5 feet	1.5 metres
Paragraph 5(3)(a)	minimum height of door or fence for aperture in wall	3 feet	920 millimetres
Paragraph 5(3)(b)	(a) minimum height of guard rail for aperture in wall	(a) 3 feet	(a) 920 millimetres
	(b) maximum height of guard rail for aperture in wall	(b) 3 feet 6 inches	(b) 1.05 metres
Paragraph 5(3)(b)(i)	maximum height of aperture in wall which may be unguarded	4 feet	1.2 metres
Paragraph 5(3)(b)(ii)	minimum distance above floor of aperture in wall which may be unguarded	2 feet	600 millimetres
Paragraph 5(5)	(a) maximum distance of guard rail outside line plumb with the edge of the aperture or floor	(a) 10 inches	(a) 250 millimetres
	(b) minimum distance of intermediate rail above floor level	(b) 1 foot 6 inches	(b) 460 millimetres
	(c) maximum distance of intermediate rail above floor level	(c) 1 foot 9 inches	(c) 530 millimetres
Paragraph 6(1)	maximum fall before guard rails are required on grain pits, stokeholds and furnace pits	5 feet	1.5 metres
Paragraph 6(1)(b)	minimum height of fence for grain pits, stokeholds and furnace pits	3 feet	920 millimetres
Paragraph 6(1)(c)	(a) minimum height of guard rail for grain pits, stokeholds and furnace pits	(a) 3 feet	(a) 920 millimetres
	(b) maximum height of guard rail for grain pits, stokeholds and furnace pits	(b) 3 feet 6 inches	(b) 1.05 metres
The Agriculture (Stationary Machinery) Regulations 1957
Schedule Part II
Paragraph 2(2)	minimum distance from workplace of unguarded component	6 feet 6 inches	2 metres
Paragraph 2(4)	maximum speed of unguarded moving chain or belt	30 feet per minute	0.15 metres per second
Paragraph 3(2)	minimum distance from workplace of run-on points	6 feet 6 inches	2 metres
Paragraph 5(2)(a)	minimum distance from workplace of prime mover not provided with stopping device on or near it	6 feet 6 inches	2 metres
The Agriculture (Threshers and Balers) Regulations 1960
Schedule Part II
Paragraph 4(1)	maximum fall before guards required on decks	5 feet	1.5 metres
Paragraph 4(1)(b)	maximum width of access gap in guard	2 feet	600 millimetres
Paragraph 4(2)(b)	(a) minimum height above deck for guard	(a) 3 feet	(a) 920 millimetres
	(b) maximum height above deck for guard	(b) 4 feet	(b) 1.2 metres
Paragraph 4(2)(c)	maximum distance between upright supports of guard	8 feet	2.4 metres
Paragraph 8(2)	minimum distance from workplace of unguarded component	6 feet 6 inches	2 metres
The Agriculture (Field Machinery) Regulations 1962
Schedule I Part II
Paragraph 3(4)	minimum distance from periphery of guard for rotating parts	1 foot	300 millimetres
Paragraph 4(1)	(a) minimum horizontal distance of reel from guard for potato spinner	(a) 1 foot	(a) 300 millimetres
	(b) minimum distance from ground of guard for potato spinner	(b) 2 feet	(b) 600 millimetres
	(c) maximum distance from ground of guard for potato spinner	(c) 3 feet	(c) 920 millimetres
Paragraph 4(2)	minimum length of chain saw guard	9 inches	230 millimetres
Paragraph 4(5)(b)	(a) minimum distance from ground of guard rail for pick-up	(a) 18 inches	(a) 460 millimetres
	(b) maximum distance from ground of guard rail for pick-up	(b) 3 feet 6 inches	(b) 1.05 metres
Paragraph 4(5)(c)	minimum distance of guard rail from front of pick-up	12 inches	300 millimetres
Paragraph 5(1)	minimum distance by which reel of cutter bar extends in front of fingers	1 foot	300 millimetres
Paragraph 9(4)(a)	minimum unladen weight of two-wheel trailer requiring a drawbar jack	10 hundredweight	500 kilograms
Paragraph 9(4)(b)	minimum downward force exerted by drawbar of unladen two-wheel field machine requiring a drawbar jack	56 pounds	250 newtons
Paragraph 9(5)	distance from ground of drawbar for calculation of downward force exerted	16 inches	410 millimetres
Paragraph 11(2)(a)	(a) maximum distance outside platform of toeboards	(a) 2 inches	(a) 50 millimetres
	(b) minimum distance above platform of toeboards	(b) 3 inches	(b) 75 millimetres
Paragraph 11(2)(b)	(a) minimum distance above platform of guard rail	(a) 3 feet	(a) 920 millimetres
	(b) maximum distance above platform of guard rail	(b) 3 feet 6 inches	(b) 1.05 metres
Paragraph 11(2)(b)(i)(c)	maximum distance from ground of platform which may be left unguarded if worker could fall clear	2 feet	600 millimetres
Paragraph 11(4)(a)	minimum height of toeboard at the leading edge of trailer	4 inches	100 millimetres
Paragraph 13(2)	minimum distance from ground of working position requiring mounting device	21 inches	550 millimetres
Paragraph 13(3)	maximum distance from ground of mounting step	21 inches	550 millimetres
The Agriculture (Tractor Cabs) Regulations 1974
Regulation 2(1)	interpretation of “tractor”	11 cwt	560 kilograms

EXPLANATORY NOTE
These Regulations amend:—
the Agriculture (First Aid) Regulations 1957,
the Agriculture (Ladders) Regulations 1957,
the Agriculture (Power Take-Off) Regulations 1957,
the Agriculture (Circular Saws) Regulations 1959,
the Agriculture (Safeguarding of Workplaces) Regulations 1959,
the Agriculture (Stationary Machinery) Regulations 1959,
the Agriculture (Threshers and Balers) Regulations 1960,
the Agriculture (Field Machinery) Regulations 1962,
the Agriculture (Tractor Cabs) Regulations 1974,
by substituting amounts or quantities expressed in metric units for amounts or quantities not so expressed. The substituted amounts preserve the effect of the original provisions except to the extent necessary to obtain amounts expressed in convenient and suitable terms.
Regulation 3 provides that the amendments do not relate to premises, plant or articles in existence or to premises or plant under construction immediately before the coming into operation of these Regulations if those premises or that plant or article complied with the then existing Regulations.