Schedule VIII

CLEANING, SMOOTHING, ROUGHENING ETC., OF ARTICLES BY A

JET OF SAND METAL SHOT OR GRIT OR OTHER ABRASIVE

PROPELLED BY A BLAST OF COMPRESSED AIR OR STEAM

1. Definitions

For the purposes of this schedule

"Blasting" means cleaning, smoothing, peening, roughening or removing of

any part of the surface of any article by the use as an abrasive of a jet of

sand, metal shot, or grit or other material, propelled by a blast, of

compressed air or steam.

"Blast enclosures" means a chamber, barrel cabinet or any other enclosure

designed for the performance of blasting therein.

“Blasting chamber" means a blasting enclosure in which any person may

enter at any time in connection with any work or otherwise.

"Cleaning of castings", where done as an incidental or supplemental

process in connection with the making of metal castings, means, the

freeing of the casting from adherent sand or other substance and includes

the removal of dross and the general smoothing of a casting, but does not

include the free treatment.

2. Prohibition of sand blasting

Sand or any other substance containing free silica shall not be introduced

as an abrasive into any blasting apparatus and shall not be used for

blasting

3. Precautions in connection with blasting operations

(1) Blasting to be done in blasting enclosure: Blasting shall not be done except

in a blasting enclosure and no work other than blasting and any work

immediately incidental there to and cleaning and repairing of the enclosure

including the plants and appliances situated there in, shall be performed in

a blasting enclosure. Every door, aperture and joint of blasting enclosure,

shall be kept closed and air-tight, while blasting is being done therein.

(2) Maintenance of blasting enclosure: Blasting enclosure shall always be

maintained in good condition and effective measures shall be taken to

prevent dust escaping from such enclosures and from any apparatus

connected there with, into the air of any room.

(3) Provision of separating apparatus: There shall be provided and maintained

for and in connection with every blasting enclosure, efficient apparatus for

separating, so far as practicable, abrasive which has been used for blasting

and which is to be used again as an abrasive, from dust or particles or

other materials arising from blasting; and no such abrasive shall be

introduced into any blasting apparatus and used for blasting until it has

been so separated:

Provided that this clause shall not apply, except in the case of

blasting chambers, to blasting enclosures constructed or installed before

the coming into force of this Schedule, if the Chief Inspector-cum-

Facilitator is of the opinion that it is not reasonably practicable to provide

such separating apparatus.

(4) Provision of ventilating plant: There shall be provided and maintained in

connection with every blasting enclosure efficient ventilating plant to

extract, by exhaust draught effected by mechanical means, dust produced

in the enclosure. The dust extracted and removed shall be disposed of by

such method and in such a manner that it shall not escape into the air of

any room; and every other filtering or settling device situated in a room in

which persons are employed, other than persons attending to such bag or

other filtering or settling device, shall be completely separated from the

general air of that room in an enclosure ventilated to the open air.

(5) Operation of ventilating plant: The ventilating plant provided for the

purpose of sub- clause (4) shall be kept in continuous operation wherever

the blasting enclosure is in use whether or not blasting is actually taking

place there in, and in the case of a blasting chamber, it shall be in

operation even when any person is inside the chamber for the purpose of

cleaning.

(6) No person shall be required or allowed to work in blasting enclosure unless

he is provided with suitable breathing apparatus capable of continuous

supply of fresh air.

(7) No process or work shall be carried on in such a manner as to cause risk of

bodily injury to the persons employed.

4. Inspection and examination

(1) Every blasting enclosure shall be examined by a qualified person once in

every week and specially tested by a competent person once in every six

months, in which it is used for blasting. Every blasting enclosure, the

apparatus connected there with and the ventilating plant shall be

thoroughly examined and in the case of ventilating plant, examined by a

qualified person once in every month and tested by a competent person

once in every six months.

(2) Particulars of the result of every such inspection, examination and test

shall forth with be entered in a register in a Form: EDE which shall be kept

in a form approved by the chief Inspector-cum-Facilitator and shall be

available for inspection by any workman employed in, or in connection

with, blasting in the factory. Any defect found on any such inspection,

examination or test shall be immediately reported by the person carrying

out the inspection, examination or test to the Occupier or other appropriate

person and without prejudice to the foregoing requirements of this

Schedule, shall be removed without avoidable delay.

5. Provision of protective helmets, gauntlets and overalls

(1) There shall be provided and maintained for the use of all persons who are

employed in a blasting chamber, whether in blasting or in any work

connected there with or in cleaning such a chamber, protective helmets of

a type approved by a certificate of the Chief Inspector-cum-Facilitator; and

every such person shall wear the helmet provided for this use whilst he is

in the chamber and shall not remove it until he is outside the chamber

(2) Each protective helmet shall carry a distinguishing mark indicating the

person by whom if is intended to be used and no person shall be allowed or

required to wear a helmet not carrying his mark or a helmet which has

been worn by another person and has not since be thoroughly disinfected.

(3) Each protective helmet when in use shall be supplied with clean and not

unreasonably cold air at a rate of not less than 0.17 cubic meter per

minute.

(4) Suitable gauntlets and overalls shall be provided for the use of all persons

while performing blasting or assisting at blasting and every such person

shall, while so engaged, wear the gauntlet and overall provided.

6. Precautions in connection with cleaning and other work

(1) Where any person is engaged upon cleaning of any blasting apparatus or

blasting enclosure or of any apparatus or ventilating plant connected there

with or the surroundings there of or upon any other work in connection

with any blasting apparatus or blasting enclosure or with any apparatus or

ventilating plant connected therewith so that he is exposed to the risk of

inhaling dust which has arisen from blasting, all practicable measures shall

be taken to prevent such inhalation.

(2) In connection with any cleaning operation referred to in clause 5 and the

removal of dust from filtering or settling devices all practicable measures

shall be taken to dispose of the dust in such manner that it does not enter

the air of any room. Vacuum cleaners shall be provided and used wherever

practicable for such cleaning operations.

7. Storage accommodation for protective wear

Adequate and suitable storage accommodation for the helmets, gauntlets

and overalls required to be provided by clause 5 shall be provided outside,

and conveniently near to, every blasting enclosure and such

accommodation shall be kept clean. Helmets, gauntlets and overalls when

not in actual use shall be kept in this accommodation.

8. Maintenance and cleaning of protective wear

All helmets, gauntlets, overalls, and other protective devices or clothing’s

provided and worn for the purpose of this Schedule, shall be kept in good

condition and so far as is reasonably practicable shall be cleaned on every

week day in which they are used. Where dust arising from the cleaning of

such protective clothing or devices is likely to be inhaled, all practicable

measures shall be taken to prevent such inhalation. Vacuum cleaners shall,

wherever practicable, be used for removing dust from such clothing and

compressed air shall not be used for removing dust from any clothing.

9. Maintenance of vacuum cleaning plant

Vacuum cleaning plant used for the purpose of this Schedule shall be

properly maintained.

10. Medical facilities and records of examinations and tests

(1) The occupier of every factory to which the schedule applies, shall

(a) Employ a Health Surveillance Officer for medical surveillance of the

workers employed therein.

(b) Provide to the said Health Surveillance Officer all the necessary facilities

for the purpose referred to in clause (a) ; and

(2) Workers employed in this scheduled process / operation shall be medically

examined by the Health Surveillance Officer-

(a) Once before employment, to ascertain the physical fitness of the person

to do the particular job:

(b) Once in a period of six months, to ascertain the health status of all the

workers in respect of occupational health hazards to which they are

exposed; and in cases where in the opinion of the Health Surveillance

officer it is necessary to do so at a shorter interval in respect of any

workers.

(3) The record of the examinations referred to in sub-paragraph (2) shall be

maintained in Health Register in Form: HR which shall be kept readily

available for inspection by the Inspector-cum-Facilitator.

(4) No person shall be employed for the first time without a Certificate of

Fitness in Form: XVII granted by the Health Surveillance officer. If the

Health Surveillance officer declares a person unfit for being employed in

any process covered under sub-rule (1), such a person shall have the right

to appeal to the Inspector-cum-Facilitator who shall refer the matter to the

Medical Officer whose opinion shall be final in this regard. If the Inspector-

cum-Facilitator is also a Medical Officer, he may dispose of the application

himself.

(5) Any findings of the Health Surveillance officer revealing any abnormality or

unsuitability of any person employed in the process shall immediately be

reported to the Medical Officer who shall in turn, examine the concerned

worker and communicate his findings to the occupier within thirty days. If

the Medical Officer is of the opinion that the workers examined is required

to be taken away from the process for health protection, he will direct the

occupier accordingly, and who shall not employ the said worker in the

same process. However, the worker so taken away shall be provided with

alternate placement unless he is in the opinion of the Medical Officer, fully

incapacitated in which case the worker affected shall he suitably

rehabilitated.

(6) A Medical Officer on his own motion or on a reference from an Inspector-

cum-Facilitator may conduct medical examination of a worker to ascertain

the suitability of his employment in the scheduled Process/operation or for

ascertaining his health status. The opinion of the Medical Officer in such a

case shall be final. The fee required for this medical examination shall be

paid by the occupier.

(7) The worker taken away from employment in any process under sub-rule

(2) may be employed again in the same process only after obtaining the

Fitness Certificate from the Medical Officer and after making entries to that

effect in the Health Register.