Schedule XIII

CASHEW-NUT PROCESSING

1. Application

The provisions of this schedule shall apply to all factories in which roasting,

scrubbing or shelling of cashew-nuts or extracting oil from cashew- nuts or

cashew-nuts shells is carried on.

2. Protective clothing and equipment

The occupier shall provide and maintain --

(i) For the use of all persons employed in roasting or scrubbing of cashew-

nuts or extracting oil from cashew-nuts or cashew- nuts shells

(a) Suitable rubber or washable leather gloves,

(b) suitable impervious aprons with sleeves to cover the body down to the

knees and shoulders, and

(c) suitable foot-wear to afford protection to the feet and legs against cashew-

nut oil ;

(ii) for the workers employed in cashew-nutshelling,either,

(a) protective ointment containing 10 per cent of shellac, 55 percent of

alcohol, 10 per cent. of sodium perborate, 5 percent of carbitol and 20

percent of talc, or

(b) a sufficient quantity of kaolin and coconut oil; and

(iii) any other material or equipment which the Chief Inspector-cum-

Facilitator may deem to be necessary for the protection of the workers.

3. Use of protective clothing and equipment

Every person employed in the processes specified in paragraph 1, shall

make use of the protective clothing and equipment supplied and

arrangement shall be made by the occupier to supervise their maintenance

and cleanliness.

4. Disposal of shells, ashes or oil of cashew-nut

(i) Shells, ashes or oil of cashew-nut shall not be stored in any room in which

workers are employed and shall be removed atleast twice a day to any pit

or enclosed place in the case of shells and ashes and to closed containers

kept in a separate room in the case of oil.

(ii) No worker shall be allowed to handle shells or oil of cashew-nut without

using the protective measures provided in paragraph 3.

5. Floors of work-rooms

The floor of every work-room in which the processes specified in paragraph

1 are carried on shall be of a hard material so as to be smooth and

impervious and of even surface and shall be cleaned daily ; and spillage of

any cashew- nut oil in any work-room shall be washed with soap and

cleaned immediately.

6. Seating accommodation

Workers engaged in shelling of cashew-nuts shall be provided with

adequate seats of work benches which shall be cleaned daily.

7. Mess-room

(a) There shall be provided and maintained for the use of all persons employed

in the processes specified in paragraph 1, a suitable rest room furnished

with a sufficient number of tables and chairs or benches ;

(b) Separate lockers shall be provided where food, etc., shall be stored by

workers before it is consumed in the rest room.

8. Food, drinks, etc., prohibited in work-rooms

No food, drink, pan, supari or tobacco shall be brought or consumed by

any worker in any room in which the processes specified is paragraph 1 are

carried out and no person shall remain in any such room during intervals

for meals or rest.

9. Washing facilities

Where roasting, scrubbing and shelling of cashew- nuts or extracting oil

from cashew-nuts or nuts shells is carried on, there shall be provided and

maintained, in clean and good repair, washing facilities, at the scale of one

tap or stand pipe for every ten workers the taps or stand pipes being

spaced not less than 4 feet apart and also a sufficient supply of soap,

coconut oil, nail brushes and towels.

10. Time allowed for washing

Before each meal and before the end of the day's work at least ten

minutes, in addition to the regular meal times, shall be allowed to any

person employed in the process specified in paragraph 1, for the purpose

of washing.

11. Smoke or gas produced by roasting cashew-nuts

Where smoke or gas is produced in the operation of roasting, provision

shall be made for removing the smoke or gas through a chimney of

sufficient height and capacity or by such other arrangements as may be

necessary to prevent the gas or smoke from escaping into the air or any

place in which workers are employed.

12. Storage of protective equipment:

A suitable room or a portion of the factory suitably partitioned off, shall be

provided exclusively for the storage of all the protective equipment

supplied to the workers and no such equipment shall be stored in any place

other than the room or place so provided.

13. 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).

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

examined by the Health Surveillance Officer-

i. Once before employment, to ascertain the physical fitness of the person to

do the particular job:

ii. 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 said Health Surveillance Officer shall inspect daily the hands and feet

of all the persons employed in the process specified in para 1 of the

schedule

(4) The first-aid box maintained shall also contain Burrough's Solution (1:20)

and aqueous solution of tannic acid (10%) for treatment of cases of

dermatitis.

(5) 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.

(6) 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.

(7) 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, 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.

(8) 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.

(9) 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.