4. HEALTH
Chapter III of Section 11 to 20 of the Factories
Act, 1948, deals with the provisions relating to
the health of the workers in a factory.
5. 1. Cleanliness (Sec. 11)
• Dirt should be swiped and cleaned daily.
• Floor of workroom should be cleaned at least once in a week.
• If the floor is wet through any manufacturing process effective drainage shall be
provided.
• Inside walls, partition, ceilings, tops of rooms should be painted or vanished ,and
repainted and revarnished once in 5 year.
• if washable paints are used it can be repainted once in 5 years and washed once
in 6 months.
• if they have smooth impervious surface should be cleaned at least once in 14
months.
• other cases white or colour wash may be carried out once in every 14 months.
Doors, windows, wooden or metallic frame work,shutters should be painted once
in every 5 years.
6. 2. Disposal of wastes and effluents (Sec.12)
• There should be such arrangement in the factory that the wastes and effluents
are easily disposed of.
• Section 12(2) provides that the State Government may make rules prescribing the
arrangements to be made or may require that arrangements made shall be
approved by such authority as may be prescribed.
7. 3. Ventilation and Temperature (Sec. 13)
• 1) Effective and suitable provision shall be made in every factory for securing and
maintaining in every workroom
(a) Adequate ventilation and the circulation of fresh air
(b) such temperature will secure to workers therein
reasonable conditions of comfort and prevention from injury to health.
• 2) State Govt. can prescribe a standard of adequate ventilation and reasonable
temperature for any factory or class
• 3) If it appears to the state govt. that in any factory there are excessive high
temperatures, it can be reduced by whitewashing, spraying or insulating the roof
materials
8. 4. Dust and Fume (Sect. 14)
• There are certain manufacturing processes like chemicals , textile or jute which
generate a lot of dust, fumes or other impurities.
• Following measures to be adopted:
i)Effective measures to be taken to prevent inhalation and accumulation of dust in
work room
ii)Fit exhaust appliance wherever necessary
iii)In stationery internal combustion engine , connect the exhaust into open air.
iv) In case of other engine, prevent accumulation of dust.
9. 5.Artificial humidification (Sec. 15)
• In some industries, humidity of air is artificially increased.
• In such cases, the State Government may make rules -
(a) prescribing standards of humidification;
(b) regulating the methods used for artificially increasing the humidity of the air;
(c) directing prescribed tests for determining the humidity of the air to be correctly
carried out and recorded;
(d) prescribing methods to be adopted for securing adequate ventilation and
cooling of the air in the workrooms
the water used for the purpose shall be taken from a public supply, or other source
of drinking water, or shall be effectively purified before it is so used. But if the
water that used is not purified, he may serve on the manager of the factory an
order in writing, specifying the measures which in his opinion should be adopted,
and requiring them to be carried out before specified date.
10. 6. Overcrowding (Sec. 16)
• This section has been enacted with a view to provide sufficient air space to
workers.
• At least 9.9 cubic metres in every work room in factories at the time of
commencement of this act and after the commencement at least 14.2 cubic
metres of space for every worker.
• Also the Chief Inspector if requires, there may be notices posted on each work
room specifying the max. number of workers who may be employed in the room.
• Also the Chief Inspector, may by order, exempt any work room from provision of
this section, if he is satisfied that the compliance is unnecessary.
11. 7. Lighting (Sec. 17)
• The Factories Act makes following provisions in this respect,
(a) There shall be provided and maintained sufficient and suitable lighting , natural
or artificial, or both, in every part of the factory.
(b) In every factory all glazed windows and skylights be used and workrooms shall
be kept clean on both the inner and outer surface.
(c) In every factory effective provision shall, so far as is practicable, be made for the
prevention of glare, either directly from a source of light or by reflection from a
smooth or polished surface;
(d) The State Government prescribes standards of sufficient and suitable lighting
for factories or for any class of description of factories or for any manufacturing
process.
12. 8. Drinking water (Sec. 18)
• The provisions in this respect under the Factories Act, are;
(a) Arrangements shall be made to provide and maintain sufficient supply of
wholesome drinking water.
• Points should be marked as “DRINKING WATER” in the language understood by
majority of workers.
• It should be situated within 6 M of any washing palace, urinal, latrine , spittoon,
etc
(b) Provision shall be made for cooling drinking water during hot weather by
effective means and for distribution thereof in every factory wherein more than
two hundred and fifty workers are ordinarily employed.
(c)State Govt. may also make rules to examine as prescribed by the authorities of
the supply and distribution of drinking water in factories.
13. 9. Latrine and Urinal (Sec. 19)
• The Factories Act makes following provisions in this respect,
(a) sufficient latrine and urinal accommodation of prescribed types shall be provided and
conveniently situated to make them accessible to workers at all times while they are at the factory;
(b) separate enclosed accommodation shall be provided for male and female workers and there
should be adequately lighted and ventilated;
(c) they shall be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition at all times;
(d) sweepers shall be employed whose primary duty would be to keep latrines, urinals and washing
places clean.
If more than 250 workers,
i)All accommodation should be of sanitary types
ii)Floor and internal walls up to a height of 90 cms and sanitary blocks should be laid in glazed tiles
iii)floors, portions of walls and sanitary pans be thoroughly washed and cleaned once in every 7
days
14. 10. Spittoons (Sec. 20)
• There shall be provided sufficient number of spittoons in convenient places and
they shall be maintained in a clean and hygienic condition.
• The State Government may make rules prescribing the type and the number of
spittoons to be provided and their location in any factory.
• A person shall not spit within the premises except in spittoons and a notice
containing the provision and the penalty for the violation shall be displayed at
suitable places in the premises.
• Penalty amounts to a fine of not more than five rupees.
15. WELFARE
Chapter V of Section 42 to 49 of the Factories Act, 1948, deals with the
provisions relating to the welfare of the workers in a factory.
16. 1. Washing facilities (Sec. 42)
• In every factory
a) adequate washing facilities should be provided for both male and female
workers.
b) they should be conveniently accessible and kept clean.
• The State Government prescribes standards for adequate and suitable facilities
for washing.
17. 2. Facilities for storing and drying clothing(Sec. 43)
• The State Govt. may make rules wherein it is prescribed the suitable
places for keeping clothing not worn during working hours and for
drying of wet clothes in different places of factories.
18. 3. Facilities for sitting (Sec. 44)
• In every factory, suitable arrangements for sitting shall be provided and
maintained by all workers and for those who have to work ion a standing position
so that they may take advantage of any opportunities for rest which may occur in
course of their work
• If it is in the opinion of the Chief Inspector that the work is being efficiently in a
sitting manner, he may, by order in writing , require the occupier of the factory to
provide before a specified date, such seating arrangement that is practical for all
workers.
19. 4. First-aid appliances(Sec. 45)
• There should be readily accessible during all working hours the first-aid boxes or
cupboards equipped with the prescribed contents, and the number of such boxes
or cupboards to be provided and maintained shall not be less than one for every
one hundred and fifty workers ordinarily employed .
• In every factory, wherein more than 500 workers are ordinarily employed, there
shall be maintained an ambulance room of the prescribed size, containing
prescribed and in charge of such a medical staff as prescribed and medical
facilities be readily available during working hours of factory.
20. 5. Canteens (Sec. 46)
• In a factory wherein more than two hundred and fifty workers are ordinarily
employed, a canteen or canteens shall be provided.
• The state govt.,along with the above mentioned rule, may make rules for the
following
i)Date by which canteen shall be provided
ii)the construction, accommodation, furniture and other equipment of the canteen
should be of good standards
iii)Foodstuffs to be served and the charges of each item
iii) Constitution of the managing committee for canteen
iv)Delegation to the chief inspector, subject to such
conditions as may be prescribed, of the powers to make rules for (iii)
21. 6.Shelters, rest-rooms and lunch-rooms(Sec 47)
(1)In every factory wherein more than one hundred and fifty workers are ordinarily
employed adequate and suitable shelters or rest-rooms and a suitable lunch-room, with
provision for drinking water, where workers can eat meals brought by them, shall be
provided and maintained for the use of the workers:
• Provided that any canteen maintained in accordance with the provisions of section 46
shall be regarded as part of the requirements of this sub-section:
• Provided further that where a lunch-room exists no worker shall eat any food in the
work-room.
(2) The shelters or rest-room or lunch-room to be provided under sub-section (1) shall be
sufficiently lighted and ventilated and shall be maintained in a cool and clean condition.
(3) The State Government may-
(a) prescribe the standards, in respect of construction accommodation, furniture and
other equipment of shelters, rest-rooms and lunch-rooms to be provided under this
section;
(b) by notification in the Official Gazette, exempt any factory or class or description of
factories from the requirements of this section
22. 7. Creches (Sec. 48)
• Wherein more than thirty women workers are ordinarily employed in a factory,
there shall be provided and maintained a suitable room or rooms for the use of
the children under the age of six years of such women.
• The rooms should provide adequate accommodation ,be adequately lighted and
ventilated, shall be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition and shall be
under the charge of women trained in the care of children and infants.
23. 8. Welfare officers (Sec. 49)
• In every factory, whether seasonal or not , with more than 500
workers, prescribed number of welfare officers have to be employed.
• The State Govt. may prescribe the duties, qualifications and
conditions of service of officers so employed.
