Schedule VIII

(See rule 84)

Cleaning or 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 purpose of this schedule-

a) “blasting” means cleaning, smoothing, roughening, or removing of any part of the surface of any

article by 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.

b) “blasting enclosure” means a chamber, barrel, cabinet or any other enclosure designed for the

performance of blasting therein,

c) “blasting chamber” means a blasting enclosure in which any person may enter at any time in

connection with any work or otherwise, and

d) “Cleaning of Casting” where done as an incidental or supplemental process in connection with the

making of metal casting, means the freeing of the casting from adherent sand or other substance

and includes the removal of cores and the general smoothing of a casting, but does not include

the free treatment.

2. Prohibition of sand blasting–

a) 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:

b) Provided further that this clause shall come into force two years after the coming into operation

of this schedule:

c) Provided further that no pregnant woman or young person shall be employed or permitted to

work at any operation of sandblasting.

d) Precautions in connection with blasting operations

(i) Blasting shall not be done except in a blasting enclosure and no work other than blasting

and any work immediately incidental thereto and cleaning and repairing of the enclosure

including the plants and appliances situated therein, shall be performed in a blasting

enclosure. The enclosure shall be kept closed and air tight while blasting is being done

therein.

(ii) Blasting enclosure shall always be maintained in good condition and effective measures

shall be taken to prevent dust escaping from such enclosures, and from apparatus connected

therewith, into the air of any room.

(iii) 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 of 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 opinion

that it is not reasonably practicable to provide such separating apparatus.

(iv) 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 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.

(v) The ventilation plant provided for the purpose of sub-paragraph (4) shall be kept in

continuous operation whenever the blasting enclosure is in use whether or not blasting is

actually taking place therein, and in the case of a blasting chamber, it shall be in operative

even when any person is inside the chamber for the purpose of cleaning.

3. Inspection and Examination.-

a) Every blasting enclosure shall be specially inspected by a competent person at least once in every

week 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 ventilating plant, tested

by a competent person at least once, in every month.

b) Particulars of the result of every such inspection, examination and test shall forth with be entered

in a register which shall be kept in a form approved by the Chief Inspector- cum-Facilitator and

shall be available for inspection by any work man, 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, manager

or other appropriate person and without prejudice to the forgoing requirements of this schedule,

shall be removed without delay.

4. Provision of protecting helmets, gauntlets and overalls.-

a) There shall provide and maintained for the use of all persons who are employed in a blasting

chamber, whether in blasting or in any work connected therewith or in cleaning such a chamber,

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

every such persons shall wear the helmet provided for this use while he/she is in the chamber and

shall not remove it until he/she is outside the chamber.

b) Each protective helmet shall carry a distinguishing mark indicating the persons by whom it 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 been thoroughly

disinfected.

c) Each protective helmet when in use shall be supplied with clean and not unreasonably cold air at

a rate of not less than 170 litres per minute.

d) 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.

5. Precautions in connection with cleaning and other work.-

a) Where any person is engaged upon cleaning of any blasting apparatus or blasting enclosure or

any apparatus or ventilating plant connected therewith or the surroundings thereof or upon any

other work in connection with any blasting enclosure or with any apparatus or ventilating plant

connected therewith so that he/she is exposed to the risk or inhaling dust which has arisen from

blasting, all practicable measures shall be taken to prevent such inhalation.

b) In connection with any cleaning operation referred to in paragraph 5, and with the removal of

dust from filtering or settling devices all practicable measures shall be taken to dispose of the dust

in such a manner that it does not enter the air of any room. Vacuum cleaners shall be provided

and used wherever practicable for such cleaning operations.

6. Storage accommodation for protective wear.- Adequate and suitable storage accommodation for the

helmets, gauntlets and overalls required to be provided by paragraph 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.

7. Maintenance and cleaning of protective wear.- All helmets, gauntlets, overalls and other protective

devices or clothing provided and worn for the purpose of this schedule, shall be kept in good condition

and sofar 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.

8. Maintenance vacuum cleaning plant.- Vacuum cleaning plant used for the purpose of this schedule

shall be properly maintained.

9. Medical facilities and records of examinations and tests.-

a) The occupier of every factory to which the schedule applies shall-

i) employs a qualified medical practitioner for medical surveillance of the workers employed

therein whose appointment shall be subject to the approval of the Chief Inspector-cum-

Facilitator;

ii) provide to the said medical practitioner all the necessary facilities for the purpose referred

to in clause (a).

b) 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-cum-

Facilitator, which shall be kept readily available for inspection by the Inspector- cum-Facilitator.

10. Medical Examination by the Medical Officer.-

a) Every worker employed in any of the processes to which this schedule applies shall be examined

by a Medical Officer within 15 days of his first employment. Such examination shall include

pulmonary function test and chest X-ray. No worker shall be allowed to work after 15 days of his

employment in the factory unless certified fit for such employment by the Medical Officer.

b) Every worker employed in the said processes shall be re-examined by Medical Officer at least

once in every 12 Calendar months and such re-examination shall, whenever the Medical Officer

considers appropriate include pulmonary function tests and chest X-ray once in every three years.

c) The Medical Officer after examining a worker, shall issue a Certificate of Fitness in FORM VI.

The record or 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-paragraphs (1) and (2) including the nature and the results

tests, shall all so be entered by the Medical Officer in health register in FORM-V.

d) The certificate of Fitness and the health register shall be kept readily available for inspection by

the Inspector-cum-Facilitator.

e) If at any time the Medical Officer 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/she 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/she considers that the said persons are unfit for work in the said process. The person so

suspended from the process shall be provided with alternative placement facilities unless he/she

is fully incapacitated in the opinion of the Medical Officer, in which case the person affected shall

be suitably rehabilitated.

f) No person who has been found unfit to work in the said in sub-paragraph (5) above shall be

re-employed or permitted to work unless the Medical Officer, after further examination, again

certifies him fit for employment in those processes.

11. Restrictions in employment of young persons.-

a) No person under 18 years of age shall be employed in blasting or assisting at blasting or in any

blasting chamber or in the cleaning of any blasting apparatus or any blasting enclosure or any

apparatus or ventilating plant connected therewith or be employed on maintenance or repair

work at such apparatus, enclosure or plant.

b) No person under 18 years of age shall be employed to work regularly within 20 feet of any blasting

enclosures unless the enclosure is in a room and he/she is outside that room where he/she is

effectively separated from any dust coming from the enclosure.

12. Power to exempt or relax.-

a) If the Chief Inspector-cum-Facilitator is satisfied that in any factory or any class of factory, the

use of sand or other substance containing free silica as an abrasive in blasting is necessary for a

particular manufacture or process (other than the process incidental or supplemental to making

of metal castings) and that the manufacture or process cannot be carried on without the use of

such abrasive or that owing to the special conditions or special method of work or otherwise

any requirement of this schedule can be suspended either temporarily or permanently, or can

be relaxed without endangering the health of the persons employed or that application of any of

such requirements is for any reason impracticable or inappropriate, he/she may, with the previous

sanction of the State Government by an order in writing exempt the said factory or class of factory

from such provisions of this schedule, to such an extent and subject to such conditions and for

such period as may be specified in the said order.

b) Where an exemption has been granted under sub-paragraph (1), acopy of the order shall be

displayed at a notice at a prominent place at the main entrance or entrances to the factory and

also at the place where the blasting is carried on.