$1 x 50 TZ , i LS hs #1 A> tn ND rs = ooh kak el fFFRER ade to insure practical and enforceable regulations. The cooper- 1 given by industry in the formulation of industrial standards * tremendous value not only in the preparation, but in their en- ement. APPROVAL OF DEVICES nother important duty of the Research Section is that of approving ices. This work is divided into two parts. First, there are the ices required to be approved by the regulations of the Department. other words, some parts of machines or equipment are considered razardous that the Department should control the types of guards ted on the machines. The regulations are, therefore, so written as permit only approved guards to be installed on such machines or ipment. The duty of approving the devices falls upon the Industrial wird, but this Board, through the very nature of its structure, must rend on some other agency to conduct the necessary investigations of h devices, and so refers them to the Bureau of Industrial Standards. » Research Section makes a complete study of the device to determine t meets the requirements of the regulations, whether it is practical { dependable, and whether the reputation of the manufacturer is such to guarantee that the device will continue to be manufactured ac- ding to specifications. The second type of approvals eovers all other devices submitted to Department in order that it may be in a position to advise indus- 38 as to the practicability of the device and whether it will satisfac- ily perform the work it is intended to do. There is no legal backing the approval and industries are not required to use such approved sices. The approval simply places the Department in a position of ng able to tell inquiring industries where they can purchase a device at will satisfactorily take care of a particular guarding problem. ie investigation procedure is the same as for Industrial Board ap- ovals but no report of the investigation is made to the Board. Lists of these two classes of approvals are prepared by the Research ction and are available for distribution. GENERAL RESEARCH = mJ A § Realizing that the inspectors who have the duty of enforcing the gulations cannot be expected to interpret them to others as well as e organization that prepared them, this Bureau prepares, in the form what is known as departmental bulletins, standard instructions eon- roing the enforcement of the regulations, explanations of the mean- g of particular rules, and illustrations of the methods of applying the les to particular conditions. This work not only enables the inspector “give the industries in his district a proper explanation of the mean- g of these regulations, but it insures that the inspection force labors ; one man in its general enforcement work and in a way intended by ie regulations. This Bureau also makes special studies concerning accident-preven- on work for the purpose of preparing data that will be helpful to the idustries of the Commonwealth, may be useful in supplementing regu- itions, or simply be of an advisory nature.