Manufacture or manipulation of
manganese and its compounds
1. Application
- This schedule shall apply to every factory in which or in any part of
which any manganese process is carried on.
2.
Definitions - For the
purposes of this schedule -
(a) “manganese
process” means processing, manufacture or manipulations of manganese or any ore
or any mixture containing manganese;
(b) “Manipulations”
means mixing, blending, filling, emptying, grinding, sieving, drying,
packing, sweeping, or otherwise handling of
manganese, or mixture containing
manganese; and
(c) “efficient
exhaust ventilation” means localised ventilation effected by mechanical means
for the removal of dust or fume or at its source of origin so as to prevent
it from escaping into the
atmosphere of any place where any work
is carried on. No draught shall be deemed to be efficient
which fails to remove the dust or fume
or mist at the point where it is
generated and fails to prevent it from
escaping into and spreading into the
atmosphere of a work place.
3.
Isolation of a process - Every manganese process which may
give rise to dust, vapour or mist containing manganese, shall be carried
on in a totally enclosed system or otherwise effectively isolated from other processes so that other plants and processes and other parts of the factory and persons
employed on other processes may not be affected by the same.
4.
Ventilation
of process -
No process in which any dust,
vapour or mist containing
manganese is generated, shall be
carried out except under an efficient exhaust ventilation which shall be
applied as near to the point of generation as practicable.
5.
Personal protective equipment -
(1) The occupier of the factory shall provide and maintain in good and clean condition suitable overalls
and head coverings for all persons employed in any manganese process and such
overalls and head coverings shall be worn by the persons while working on a
manganese process.
(2)
The occupier of
the factory shall provide suitable respiratory protective equipment for
use by works in emergency to
prevent inhalation of dusts, fumes or mists. Sufficient number of complete sets of such
equipment shall always be kept near the work place and the same shall be
properly maintained and kept
always in a condition to be used
readily.
(3)
The occupier shall provide and maintain for the use
of all persons employed, suitable accommodation for the storage and make
adequate arrangements for cleaning and
maintenance if personal
protective equipment.
6.
Prohibition relating to women and young persons - No
women or young persons shall be employed or permitted to work in any
manganese process.
7.
Food, drinks ,etc. prohibited in the work rooms -
No food, drink, pan and supari or tobacco shall be allowed to be brought into or consumed by any worker in any
workroom in which any manganese process is carried on.
8.
Mess room - There
shall be provided and maintained for the use of the persons employed in a
manganese process a suitable mess room which shall be furnished with sufficient
tables and benches and adequate
means for warming of food. The mess
room shall be placed under the charge of a responsible person and shall
be kept clean.
9.
Washing facilities - There shall be provided and maintained in
a clean state and in good condition,
for the use of persons employed on manganese process –
(a)
A wash place under cover, with either –
(i) a
trough with a smooth impervious
surface fitted with
a waste pipe without plug, and of sufficient length
to allow at least 60 centimetres for
every ten such persons employed at any
one time, and having a constant supply of water from taps or jets above
the trough at intervals of not more
than 60 centimetres;
(ii) at least on wash basin for every five such
persons employed at any
one time, fitted with a waste
pipe and plug and having a constant supply water; and
(b) sufficient supply of soap or other suitable
cleaning material and nail brushes and clean towels.
10.
Cloakroom - If
the Chief Inspector so requires there shall be provided and maintained for the use of persons employed in
manganese process a cloakroom for clothing put off during working hours with adequate arrangements for drying the
clothing.
11.
Cautionary placard and instructions -
Cautionary notices in the form
specified in appendix and printed in the language of the majority of the
workers and employed, shall be affixed in prominent places in the factory where they can be easily and conveniently
read by the workers and arrangement shall be made by the
occupier to instruct periodically all
workers employed in a manganese process regarding the health hazards
connected with their
duties and the
best preventive measures and
methods to protect themselves. The notices
shall always be maintained in a legible condition.
12.
Medical
facilities and records of
examinations and tests.- (1) The occupier of every factory to which this
schedule applies, shall-
(a) employ
a qualified medical practitioner
for medical surveillance of the
workers employed therein whose
employment shall be subject to
the approval of the Chief Inspector
of Factories; and
(b) provide
to the
medical practitioner all the necessary facilities for the purpose referred to in clause (a).
(2) The record of
medical examinations and appropriate tests carried out by the said medical
practitioner shall be maintained in a separate, register approved by the Chief
Inspector of Factories, which shall be kept readily available for inspection by the Inspector.
13. Medical
examination by Certifying Surgeon - (1)Every worker employed in any manganese process shall be
medically examined by a Certifying Surgeon within 15 days of his first employment. Such examinations
shall include tests for detection of
serum calcium, serum phosphate and manganese in blood and urine and also
include steadiness tests and other neuro-muscular coordination tests. No worker shall be allowed to work after 15 days of his first employment in the factory unless certified for such employment by the Certifying Surgeon.
(2)
Every worker employed in a manganese process shall be
re-examined by a Certifying Surgeon at least once in every three calendar
months and such examination shall, wherever the Certifying Surgeon considers
appropriate, include all the tests in
sub-paragraph (1).
(3)
The Certifying Surgeon after examining a worker,
shall issue a Certificate of Fitness in Form 23. The record of examination and
re-examinations carried out shall be entered in the Certificate and the
Certificate shall be kept in the custody of the manager of the factory. The record of each examination carried out
under sub-paragraph (1) and (2),
including the nature
and the results of these test, shall also be entered by the certifying Surgeon in a health
register in Form 24.
(4)
The Certificate of Fitness and the health register
shall be kept readily available for inspection by the
Inspector.
(5)
If at any time the Certifying Surgeon is of the opinion
that a worker is no longer fit for employment in the said processes on the ground that continuance
therein would involve special
danger to the health of the
worker, he shall make a record of
his findings in the said
certificate and the health register.
The entry of
his findings in those
documents should also include the period for which he
considers that the said person is unfit
to work in the said process shall
be provided with alternate placement facilities unless
he is fully incapacitated in the
opinion of the Certifying Surgeon, in which case the person affected shall be
suitably rehabilitated.
(6)
No person who has been found unfit to work as
said in sub-paragraph (5) shall be
re-employed or permitted to work in the
said processes unless the Certifying Surgeon, after further examination, again certifies him fit for employment in
those processes.
14. Exemption
- If in respect of any factory, the
Chief Inspector is satisfied that owing to any
exceptional circumstances, or
infrequency of the process, or for any other reason, application of
all or any of the provisions of
this schedule is not necessary for the protection of the persons employed in
such factory, he may by an order in writing which he may at his discretion
revoke, exempt such factory from all or
any of the provisions on such conditions and for such period as he may specify in the said order.
APPENDIX
CAUTIONARY NOTICE
Manganese and Manganese
Compounds
1.
Dust free and mists of manganese and its compounds
are toxic when inhaled or when
ingested.
2.
Do not consume food or drink near the work place.
3.
Take a good wash before taking meals.
4.
Keep the working area clean.
5.
Use the protective clothing and equipment provided.
6.
When required to work in situations where dusts,
fumes or mists are likely to be
inhaled, use respiratory protective equipment
provided for the purpose.
7.
If you get
severe head-aches, prolonged sleeplessness
or abnormal sensations
on the body, report to the manager
who would make
arrangements for your examination and treatment.
