### Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Work in Compressed Air) Regulations 《工廠及工業經營(在壓縮空氣中工作)規例》

12. Employment in compressed air at a pressure exceeding 14 pounds per square inch
(1) Subject to paragraph (2), no employer shall employ a person in compressed air at a pressure exceeding 14 pounds per square inch on more than 3 occasions in any 24-hour period.
(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply—
(a) in the case of an emergency where the employer authorizes that any person may be so employed on more than 3 occasions in any 24-hour period, in which case the employer shall keep a record signed by him of such employment and particulars of the emergency;
(b) to a person who is a supervisor or is engaged on maintenance work provided that—
(i) such person shall not be so employed on more than 5 occasions in any 24-hour period;
(ii) such employment is not for more than half an hour on any 1 occasion;
(iii) there is an interval of not less than 1 1/2 hours between each such employment; and
(iv) the maximum pressure at which such person is so employed does not exceed 30 pounds per square inch.
(3) A person who is employed in compressed air at a pressure exceeding 14 pounds per square inch shall spend not less than 12 consecutive hours at atmospheric pressure in any 24-hour period.
(4) Except in the case of an emergency, no person shall be employed in compressed air at a pressure exceeding 50 pounds per square inch without permission from the Commissioner.

13. Entrance to and exit from a working chamber
When no lock attendant is inside a man-lock or working chamber, the arrangements shall be such as to enable any person employed in compressed air inside the man-lock or working chamber to control the doors of the man-lock or working chamber in order to leave or enter the working chamber in the case of an emergency.

14. Temperature in a working chamber
(1) No person shall be employed in compressed air in any part of a working chamber where the wet bulb temperature exceeds 27oC, except where—
(a) it is essential to carry out emergency work; or
(b) the Commissioner has given permission in writing, upon application made by the contractor.
(2) Permission granted under paragraph (1)(b) may be subject to such conditions and limitation on working hours as the Commissioner may specify.
(3) A wet bulb thermometer, in good working order, shall be provided in every working chamber. (5 of 2023 s. 37)
(4) The lock attendant in charge of the working chamber must record the readings of the thermometer at the end of each shift in the lock attendant’s register in Form 1 of the Fourth Schedule. (5 of 2023 s. 37)

### Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Work in Compressed Air) Regulations 《工廠及工業經營(在壓縮空氣中工作)規例》

15. Health facilities
(1) There shall be provided and maintained for the use of persons employed in compressed air—
(a) clothes lockers and adequate and suitable facilities for the changing and drying of clothes;
(b) adequate and suitable facilities for washing, including showers, soap and clean towels; and
(c) adequate and suitable facilities for remaining on the construction site for one hour after decompression from pressure exceeding 14 pounds per square inch.
(2) Where meals are taken in the working chamber, cupboard space shall be provided for food. All drinks shall be kept in covered containers.
(3) A chemical closet shall be provided in every working chamber and shall be regularly serviced.
(L.N. 161 of 1978)

16. Decant locks
(1) A decant lock shall—
(a) be a double compartment lock similar to a medical lock so that any person taken ill during decompression may be individually recompressed;
(b) be capable of withstanding a pressure of not less than 10 pounds per square inch above the maximum pressure used or likely to be used in the working chamber at any time;
(c) be situated as near as possible to the man-lock;
(d) be protected from the weather and the sun; and
(e) be maintained, heated and ventilated in the same manner as a man-lock.
(2) Each compartment of a decant lock shall be provided with—
(a) exhaust valves that will enable accurate decompression to be carried out according to the Decompression Tables in the Third Schedule;
(b) a pressure recording gauge, which shall be accurate to within half a pound per square inch and the recording on the chart shall be as approved by the Commissioner;
(c) if a circular recording chart is used it shall rotate at a speed of not less than once in 4 hours.
(L.N. 161 of 1978)

17. Use of decant locks
Decanting may be carried out only— (L.N. 161 of 1978)
(a) where, because of lack of space, it is not practicable to provide a separate man-lock (in addition to the lock used for the passage of plant or material) as a means of egress from a working chamber to the open air;
(b) where persons require a decompression procedure lasting more than 20 minutes and their only means of egress from a working chamber is through a ‘blister’ type of lock;
(c) under any conditions where, because of the numbers of persons involved and the inadequate size of the man-lock, the normal decompression procedure in Part II of the Third Schedule could be associated with delay that might be detrimental to the safety and health of those persons.

18. Medical practitioner to be informed
Where decanting is to be carried out, the appointed medical practitioner shall be informed.

### Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Work in Compressed Air) Regulations 《工廠及工業經營(在壓縮空氣中工作)規例》

19. Transfer from man-lock to decant lock
The transfer of persons from the man-lock to the decant lock shall be so arranged that it does not involve the climbing of ladders or other strenuous exercise.

20. Time limit for transfer
The total time spent on—
(a) the primary decompression of a person in the man-lock;
(b) his transfer from that man-lock to the decant lock; and
(c) his recompression in the decant lock,
shall, except when this is not reasonably practicable, not exceed 5 minutes.