Schedule XXIX

(See rule 84)

PROCESS OF MELTING IN INDUCTION FURNACE

1. Application:

Provisions of this schedule shall apply to all parts of factories operations where melting of metal is

done in induction furnace and other allied processes are carried on.

2. Definitions:

a) “Induction Furnace” means furnace in which a strong magnetic field created by passing an electric

current through a coil wrapped around the furnace. The magnetic field in turn creates a voltage

across, and subsequently an electric current through, the metal to be melted.

b) “Coil” means coil of Induction Furnace

c) “Ladle” means equipment used to carry melted metal

d) “Mould” means moulds made of steel, sand, loam, moulding composition or other mixture of

materials.

e) “Personal Protective Equipment” Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) refers to protective

clothing, helmets, goggles, or other garments or equipment Designed to protect the wearer’s body

from injury or infection.

f) “Refractory” means lining of refractory bricks made in pit

3. Arrangement and storage – For the purposes of promoting safety and cleanliness in workrooms the

following requirements shall be observed:-

a) moulding boxes, loam plates, ladles, patterns, pattern plates, frames, boards, box weights, and

other heavy articles shall be so arranged and placed as to enable work to be carried on without

unnecessary risk;

b) Suitable and conveniently accessible racks, bins, or other receptacles shall be provided and used

for the storage of other gear and tools;

c) Where there is bulk storage of sand, fuel, metal scrap or other materials or residues, suitable bins,

bunkers or other receptacles shall be provided for the purpose of such storage.

4. Construction, maintenance of platform and floors–

a) The platform of furnace should be of good construction, sound material and adequate strength to

withstand explosion

b) The platform must be of adequate size to accommodate persons working there and raw material

to be charged

c) The platform must be provided with at least two stairs

a. Floors of indoor workplaces in which the processes are carried on, other than parts which

are of sand, shall have been surface of hard material.

d) No part of the floor of any such indoor workplace shall be of sand except where this is necessary

by reason of the work done.

e) All parts of the surface of the floor of any such indoor workplace which are of sand shall, so far as

practicable, be maintained in an even and firm condition.

5. Authorised person :–

a) No person except those authorised to work on platform or near furnace shall be allowed on the

platform or near furnace.

b) Person covered under exception of sub-rule (1) must be trained and provided with prescribed

personnel protective equipments.

c) No person shall carry out any work within a distance of 4 metres from a vertical line passing

through the delivery end of any spout of a furnace, being a spout used for delivering molten metal,

or within a distance of 2.4 metres from a vertical line passing through the nearest part of any ladle

which is in position at the end of such a spout, except, in either case, where it is necessary for the

proper use of maintenance of furnace that work should be carried out within that distance of that

work is being carried out at such a time and under such conditions that there is no danger to the

person carrying it out from molten metal which is being obtained from the cupola or furnace or

is in a ladle in position at the end of the spout.

6. Maintenance and examination of exhaust plant–

a) All ventilation plant used for the purpose of extracting, suppressing or controlling dust or fumes

shall be properly maintained.

b) All ventilating plant used for the purpose of extracting, suppressing or controlling dust or fumes

shall be examined and inspected once every week by a responsible person. It shall be thoroughly

examined and tested by a competent person at least once in every such examination and test shall

be entered in a register which shall be available for inspection by an Inspector- cum-Facilitator.

Any defect found on any such examination and carrying out the examination and test to the

occupier of the factory.

7. Ladle-

a) Before the ladle is placed for pouring the hot liquid metal, it shall be thoroughly inspected

b) Place the ladle below the spout.

c) Before pouring is started, it shall be ensured that:

(i) Only minimum required nos. of persons shall be present.

(ii) They all shall use PPEs like face shield, flame retardant suit, anklets, goggles, hand gloves,

helmets and safety shoes.

d) Ladle shall be removed only after clearance from the Furnace In-charge.

e) Ladle shall not be transported in tilted condition.

8. Operation and Maintenance of furnace:

a) The occupier shall operate the furnace as per instructions supplied by manufacturer.

b) The occupier shall keep the maintenance of furnace as per maintenance schedule supplied by

manufacturer.

c) The coil should be checked at regular intervals

d) The refractories shall be changed at regular interval

9. Work Permit-

The occupier shall issue work permit to the person supposed to work in confined space, at height or

on electric equipments.

10. Washing facilities–

The occupier shall provide and maintain, in a clean state and in good repair for the use of all persons

employed a wash place under cover with sufficient supply of water and soap, towel etc.

11. Protective equipment–

The occupier shall provide and maintain suitable PPEs for all persons employed in process as specified

in sub-rule (2).

12. Prohibition of employment of pregnant Woman and Adolescent–

No pregnant woman or adolescent shall be employed in any of the process covered by this schedule

13. Medical examination by medical officer–

a) Every worker employed in the processes specified in paragraph 1 shall be examined by a

medical officer within 15 days of his first employment. Such examinations shall include skin test,

audiometric test, Pulmonary test and no worker shall be allowed to work after 15 days of his first

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

b) Every worker employed in a manganese process shall be re-examined by a medical officer at least

once in every 12 months and such examination shall, wherever the medical officer considers

appropriate, include all the tests in sub paragraph (1).

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

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 occupier 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 medical officer in a 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 person is unfit to work in the said process shall be provided

with alternate 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 as said in sub-paragraph (5) shall be re- employed

or permitted to work in the said processes unless the Medical Officer, after further examination,

again certifies him fit for employment in those processes.

14. Exemptions – If in respect of any factory, the Chief Inspector-cum-Facilitator is satisfied that owing to

the exceptional circumstances or infrequency of the processes or for any other reason, all or any of the

provisions of this schedule is not necessary for the protection of the workers in the factory, the Chief

Inspector-cum-Facilitator may be a certificate in writing which he/she may in his discretion revoke at

any time, exempt such factory from all or any of such provisions subject to such conditions, if any, as

he/she may specify therein.