Schedule XXXI

FIRE WORKS MANUFACTORIES AND MATCH FACTORIES

1. Application

The provisions of this Schedule shall apply to all manufactories and

processes incidental thereto carried on in any Fire Works Manufactory or a

match works and shall be in addition to and not in derogation of any

provisions contained in other rules.

2. Definition

(a) "Fire Works Manufactory" means any factory or such parts of any factory

wherein the following chemicals or combination of chemicals and materials

are being used for the manufacture or crackers, sparklers, caps, fuses,

blasting powder and fireworks

Saltpetre; Pyrotechnic aluminium Powder;

Barium Nitrate; Charcoal;

Potassium chloride; Red Phosphorus;

Gum; Dextrine;

Strontium Nitrate; Magnesium Powder;

Copper Coated Steel filings or iron filings;

Wires;

G.I.Wire; Gun Powder (BlackPowder);

(b) "Match works" means any establishment which manufactures safety

matches or colour matches by the use of chemicals mentioned in clause

(a).

(c) "Breathing apparatus" means a device covering mouth or nose with

necessary connections by means of which a person using it in a poisonous

asphyxiating or irritant atmosphere breathes ordinary air or any other

suitable apparatus approved in writing by the Chief Inspector-cum-

Facilitator in this behalf.

3. Buildings

(a) The building of any fireworks manufactory or match factory shall conform

to the standards prescribed under the Indian Explosives Act 1884 (Central

Act IV of 1884), and the height of such buildings shall at no time be less

than 3 meters;

(b) No building inside a fireworks manufactory shall have a first floor at any

time:

(c) In Match works, provided with a first floor, there shall be 2 staircases

leading from the first floor to the ground floor irrespective of the number of

persons employed in the first floor and one of the stair cases shall be of

masonry construction or of non-inflammable materials;

(d) All doors shall open outwards and all the door ways shall be kept free from

obstructions;

(e) All doors of workrooms shall not be less than 1.2 meters in width or less

than 2 meters in height;

(f) The floors of all work rooms including mixing sheds shall be completely

covered by a rubber sheet having a smooth surface and having a thickness

of atleast 3 mm. If the floor can not be covered by a single rubber sheet,

more than one rubber sheet may be used, so that each sheet is overlapped

by the other atleast 150 mm; and

(g) Mixing sheds in a fire works manufactory shall be at a distance of 18

meters away from all other sheds if the quantity of chemical stored,

handled or used in the mixing shed is less than 50 kilograms and be

separated by baffle walls opposite to each exit of the mixing shed:

Provided that the distance shall be at least 21 meters, if the quantity of

chemical stored, handled or used in the mixing shed exceeds 50 kilograms.

4. House-keeping

(a) Every part of ways, works, machinery and plant shall be maintained in a

clean and tidy condition;

(b) Any spillage of materials shall be cleaned without delay;

(c) Close platforms, passages and gangways shall be kept free of temporary

obstructions.

5. Electrical Equipment

(a) If at any time, use of electricity is allowed in the factory, all leads, etc.,

shall be in conduits with flame-proof junctions;

(b) Electrical supply shall never be through a lamp even with a non-conducting

handle.

6. Protective clothing

(a) Under no circumstances clothes made of artificial fiber like terelene, etc.,

be allowed inside the factory ;

(b) All workers shall be supplied with asbestos aprons especially to cover the

chest, gonads and thighs

(c) Breathing apparatus shall be used in mixing sheds to avoid workers

inhaling poisonous fumes in the event of an untoward reaction.

(d) In mixing sheds where aluminium and magnesium powders arc used "anti-

stat" foot-wear to combat static electricity shall be supplied.

(e) All protective equipments shall be maintained in an efficient condition and

also shall be maintained in a clean and hygienic condition.

7. Match Factories

In match factories--

(i) the residue of the head composition shall not in any way be mixed with the

residue of the friction composition ;

(ii) the rooms comprising the two mixing departments, namely, (a) head

composition and (b) friction composition shall be entirely separated from

each other and the drains from these two departments shall be kept

entirely separate ;

(iii) rubbish containing the residues of the head composition and friction

composition shall be kept and burnt separately ;

(iv) department in which completed matches (matches with heads on) are

stored shall be separated from all other departments by means of fire-

proof walls and doors providing adequate means of escape in case of fire:

Provided that the Chief Inspector-cum-Facilitator may, subject to

such conditions, as he may deem necessary, exempt any factory in

existence on the first January 1935, from the provisions of this clause ;

(v) Splints, veneers and other materials in excess of the quantity required for

the day's manufacture shall be kept in separate rooms of the factory where

no manufacturing process is carried on. No manufactured material shall be

stored any where in the factory compound for more than five days after

the manufacture except in the storage godowns;

Provided that nothing contained in this clause shall apply to splints

and veneers in cases stored in peeling and box making departments;

(vi) Store room for matches shall be entirely separated by fire-proof walls from

the buildings used for manufacture

(vii) The racks in the dipped splints room shall have sides top and the rear part

provided with non-inflammable materials.

(viii) The process of packing shall be done in an area away from the place of

manufacture to the satisfaction of the Inspector-cum-Facilitator ; and

(ix) No child shall be employed or permitted to work in any process directly

connected with the manufacturing process up to final production of match

sticks.

8. Precautions to be taken inconnection with manufacture of fuses used

in crackers, etc

(a) Bundles of fuses shall be handled by carrying and not dragging them on

the floor;

(b) Drying of fuses after wrapping shall be carried out on platforms away tram

workrooms;

(c) Cutting shall be done by experienced workers employed only for this

purpose and under proper supervision;

(d) Cutting shall be done on a large masonry platform covered with a tarpaulin

and kept free from grit and pebbles;

(e) Cutting shall be done on araised platform so that workers can work

standing. Cutting must be done by placing the fuse on wooden sleepers

kept over blocks of wood. Brick shall not be used beneath the wooden

reapers; and

(f) Workers, while on dangerous operations, shall not wear clothing sewn with

ferrous or steel buttons, buckles or attachments. They shall not carry on

their persons, iron knives, keys, etc.

9. General

(a) No person other than a factory worker and/or an inspecting officer or

others connected with the manufacturing process shall be allowed to enter

the working area;

(b) Cardboard containers and trays without steel nails shall be used for

storage and day-to-day working purposes.

(c) During the manufacture of fuses only brass or non-ferrous knives shall be

used and drying of fines shall be away from all workrooms.

(d) Door mats shall be provided outside the workroom and near all drying

platforms and where fuses are cut for the workers to clean their feet.

(e) At no time, mixing materials shall exceed the quantity that is required for

the manufacture of mixing for half an hour operation only.

(f) For filling up chemicals in the inner tubes of crackers, only aluminium or

plastic rings shall be used and not galvanized iron rings.

(g) Buckets, containers, hoops, locks, nails, screws, bolts, nuts, knives,

scissors, hinges, latches etc., made up of iron shall not be used within the

factory premises.

(h) Wooden racks without iron nails shall be used for drying paper cap sheets,

in amorces factories.

(i) Wooden racks used for drying paper cap sheets shall be provided with

asbestos or other fire-resistant sheets on the three sides leaving the front

side open.

(j) Dried paper cap sheets shall be carried in wooden trays with four

compartments (partitions) each compartment (partition) carrying a single

sheet.

(k) Each manufacturing shed of fire works shall have atleast two doors facing

each other. The doors provided to the work sheds of adjacent rows shall

not face each other.

(l) Not more than four persons shall be employed or allowed at any one time

in any one building in which explosive is being manufactured.

(m) Copper plates shall be fixed on the baffle wall of the chemical mixing shed

and chemical filling shed; and the workers before entering those sheds,

shall place their hands on the copper plates in order to discharge the

electrostatic charges from their body and to protect them from any

untoward fire or explosion.

(n) Workers aged above 55 years shall be employed only in non-explosive

areas.

(o) No person, aged 50 years and above shall be employed in Fireworks

Manufactory unless his eye sight including colour vision and his hearing

capacity are examined and declared fit by a qualified ophthalmologist and

ENT specialist, respectively, to work whether with or without use of

corrective appliances. Such examinations shall be made atleast once in

every two years. Record of examination or re-examination carried out shall

be produced on demand to Inspector-cum-Facilitator at the time

inspection.

(p) Work benches and tables shall be provided for mixing and filling

operations.

(q) Blast walls shall be provided around the drying platform at a distance of 2

meters away from the drying platform. The height of the blast wall shall be

atleast one foot more than that of the height of the drying platform.

(r) In every Fireworks Factory, there shall be appointed a Supervisor with

minimum qualification of B.Sc. (Chemistry) or Diploma in Chemical

Engineering or its equivalent. He shall be fully conversant with the process

of manufacture of fireworks and the associated hazards. These Supervisors

shall undergo special training of fireworks safety as approved by the Chief

Inspector-cum-Facilitator. Number of Supervisors shall be at the rate of 1

for every 50 workers. Manufacture of fireworks shall be carried out under

the supervision of such Supervisors.

(s) Factories which make fancy crackers shall have,

(i) Separate colour pellet machine shed;

(ii) Separate colour pellet drying shed; and

(iii) Separate transit rock forstoring colour pellets.

(t) Not more than one manufacturing activity at any one item of crackers shall

be allowed or required to be done in any working shed at a time.

(u) The workers involved in mixing and filling operations shall have an

education qualification of atleast Higher Secondary Course.

(v) The drying platform meant for Rocket sand Fire Works of flying nature shall

be provided with a temporary roof of a strong aluminium mesh cover

resting on the baffle wails, for protection from direct sunlight.

(w) There shall be provided atleast two burning pits in every factory and each

burning pit shall be at a minimum distance of 62 meters away from the

working sheds.

(x) The collected waste shall be disposed in the burning pit after the working

hours of the factory on the same day in the presence of the Foreman by a

trained worker.

(y) Wind direction indicator shall be provided in each factory.

(z) No electronic appliances such as mobile phones, transistors etc., shall be

allowed in the premises, where fireworks are manufactured, handled,

stored or used.

(za)The mixed chemicals shall be used on the same day. No mixed chemical

(fireworks) composition, dry or wet shall be kept in the factory at the close

of any working day. Such residual composition shall be safely destroyed at

the close of the day.

(zb) Fireworks factory ordinarily employing 250 workers or more shall appoint

a qualified Safety Officer as per the Andhra Pradesh Safety Officer (Duties,

Responsibilities and Conditions of Serves, 2005 at the rate of one Safety

Officer for 250 workers.

(zc)No manufacturing activity shall be carried on in Fire works factory

between 6.00 pm. and 6.00 am.

10. Display of notices

The following notices in the local language understood by the

majority of workers shall be displayed at a conspicuous place in the

factory.

(a) Smoking is strictly prohibited.

(b) No one shall carry matches or other igniting materials in to the

factory.

(c) No worker shall be in a workroom or area where no work has been

assigned to him.

(d) If anything untoward happens in any shed all workers shall dash to

the gates which serve as outgates of the factory and in no

circumstances be curious to see what has happened in the affected

shed.

(e) Any spillage of materials should be cleaned without any delay.

(f) Wearing of clothes made of artificial fiber like terene, etc., is

prohibited. Clothing’s sewn with ferrous or steel buttons or buckles or

attachments should not be worn.

(g) Foot wears with iron nails should not be used-(It) Workers should not

carry with themselves iron knives and iron keys, etc.

11. First-aid boxes

(a) The materials required under rule 65 shall be kept in the First-Aid Box.

In addition, four stretchers shall be available for every twenty persons

employed in the premises.

(b) Adequate amount of burn dressings and 24 ounces of coconut oil to be

used as the first remedy for burns shall be kept in the First-Aid Box.

(c) Persons who are in charge of First-Aid Boxes shall be those who

possess the certificate granted by the St. John's Ambulance Association

for rendering first-aid.

12. Medical Examination by Medical Officer:

(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 pre-employment medical examination shall include skin test for

Dermatitis, Pulmonary Function Test and Chest X-ray.

(4) The periodical re-examination shall, wherever the Health Surveillance

Officer considers appropriate, include all the tests of pre-employment

except the chest X-ray which shall be carried out at least once in three

years.

(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.