Briefly discuss the provision for health safety and welfare of workers under the factories act 1948
Answers
There are various measures under Factories Act 1948 which are taken by factories for health, safety and welfare of their workers. Such measures are provided under Chapters III, IV and V of the Act which are as follows:
Chapter III of the Act deals with the following aspects.
(i) Section 11 ensures the cleanliness in the factory. It must be seen that a factory is kept clean and it is free from effluvia arising from any drain, privy or other nuisance. The Act has laid down following provisions in this respect :ll the accumulated dirt and refuse on floors, staircases and passages in the factory shall be removed daily by sweeping or by any other effective method. Suitable arrangements should also be made for the disposal of such dirt or refuse.
Once in every week, the floor should be thoroughly cleaned by washing with disinfectant or by some other effective method [Section 11(1)(b)].
Effective method of drainage shall be made and maintained for removing water, to the extent possible, which may collect on the floor due to some manufacturing process.
To ensure that interior walls and roofs, etc. are kept clean, it is laid down that: (i) white wash or color wash should be carried at least once in every period of 14 months; (ii) where surface has been painted or varnished, repair or revanish should be carried out once in every five years, if washable then once in every period of six months; (iii) where they are painted or varnished or where they have smooth impervious surface, it should be cleaned once in every period of 14 months by such method as may be prescribed.
All doors, windows and other framework which are of wooden or metallic shall be kept painted or varnished at least once in every period of five years.
The dates on which such processes are carried out shall be entered in the prescribed register. If the State Government finds that a particular factory cannot comply with the above requirements due to its nature of manufacturing process, it may exempt the factory from the compliance of these provisions and suggest some alternative method for keeping the factory clean. [Section 11(2)]
(ii) Disposal of waste and effluents
Every occupier of a factory shall make effective arrangements for the treatment of wastes and effluents due to the manufacturing process carried on in the factory so as to render them innocuous and for their disposal. Such arrangements should be in accordance with the rules, if any, laid down by the State Government. If the State Government has not laid down any rules in this respect, arrangements made by the occupier should be approved by the prescribed authority if required by the State Government. (Section 12)
(iii) Ventilation and temperature
Section 13 provides that every factory should make suitable and effective provisions for securing and maintaining :-
adequate ventilation by the circulation of fresh air; and
such a temperature as will secure to the workers reasonable conditions of comfort and prevent injury to health. What is reasonable temperature depends upon the circumstances of each case. The State Government has been empowered to lay down the standard of adequate ventilation and reasonable temperature for any factory or class or description of factories or parts thereof. It may direct that proper measuring instruments at such places and in such position as may be specified shall be provided and prescribed records shall be maintained.
Measures to reduce excessively high temperature: To prevent excessive heating of any workroom following measures shall be adopted:
Walls and roofs shall be of such materials and so designed that reasonable temperature does not exceed but kept as low as possible.
Where the nature of work carried on in the factory generates excessively high temperature, following measures should be adopted to protect the workers:
(a) by separating such process from the workroom; or
(b) insulating the hot parts; or
(c) adopting any other effective method which will protect the workers.
The Chief Inspector is empowered to direct any factory to adopt such methods which will reduce the excessively high temperature. In this regard, he can specify the measures which in his opinion should be adopted. (Section 13)
(iv) Dust and fume
There are certain manufacturing processes like chemical, textile or jute, etc., which generates lot of dust, fume or other impurities. It is injurious to the health of workers employed in such manufacturing process. Following measures should be adopted in this respect:
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