Schedule XXIV

MANUFACTURE OR MANIPULATION OF DANGEROUS PESTICIDES:

1. Application.—This Schedule shall apply in respect of all factories or any part thereof in which

the process of manufacture or manipulation of dangerous pesticide hereinafter referred or as the said

manufacturing process is carried on.

2. Definitions.—For the purposes of this Schedule—

(a) "dangerous pesticides" means any product proposed or used for controlling,

destroying or repelling any part or for preventing growth or mitigating excepts of such

growth including any of its formulations which is considered toxic under and is covered

by the Insecticides Act, 1968 and the rules made thereunder and any other product, as

may be notified from time to time by the State Government;

(b) "efficient exhaust draught" means localised mechanical ventilation for removal of

smoke, gas vapour, dust, fume or mist so as to prevent them from escaping into the air of

any workroom in which work is carried on. No exhaust draught shall be considered

efficient if it fails to remove smoke generated at the point where such gas, fume, dust,

vapour or mist originates from the process;

(c) "first employment" shall mean first employment in any manufacturing processes to

which this Schedule applies and shall also include re-employment in the said

manufacturing processes following any cessation of employment for a continuous period

exceeding three calendar months; and

(d) "manipulation" including mixing, blending, formulating, filling, emptying, packing or

otherwise handling.

3. Instruction to workers-Every worker on his first employment shall be fully instructed on the

properties including dangerous properties of the chemicals handled in the said manufacturing process and

the hazards involved. The workers shall also be instructed in the measures to be taken to deal with any

emergency, such instructions shall be repeated periodically.

4. Cautionary notice and placards.—Cautionary notices and placards in the form specified in

appendix to this Schedule and printed in the language of the majority of the workers shall be displayed in

all workplaces in which the said manufacturing process is carried on so that they can be easily and

conveniently read by the workers.Arrangements shall be made by the occupier and the manager of the

factory to periodically instruct the workers regarding the health hazards arising in the said manufacturing

process and methods of protection. Such notices shall include brief instructions regarding the periodical

clinical tests required to be undertaken for protecting health of the workers.

5. Prohibition relating to employment of women or young persons.—No pregnant women or

young person shall be employed or permitted to work in any room in which the said manufacturing

processes is carried on or in any room in which dangerous pesticide is stored.

Provided that women workers may be employed with their consent to work subject to the

following conditions :-

(1) International Safety standards shall be adopted by the occupier for providing Occupational

Safety and Health (OSH).

(2) The occupier shall, as far as possible, modernise the above processes/places from time to time

and will use modern equipments.

(3) Women workers who are feeding mothers shall be exempted from the Employment.

6. Food, drinks and smoking prohibited.—(1) No food, drink, tobacco, pan or supari shall be

brought into or consumed by any worker in any workroom in which the said manufacturing process is

carried out.

(2) Smoking shall be prohibited in any workroom in which the said manufacturing process is

carried out.

7. Protective clothing and protective equipment.—(1) Protective clothing consisting of long pants

and shirts or overalls with long sleeves and head coverings shall be provided for all workers employed in

the said manufacturing process .

(2) (a) Protective equipment consisting of rubber gloves, gum boots, rubber apron, chemical

safety goggles and respirators shall be provided for all workers employed in the said manufacturing process

.

(b) Gloves, boots, aprons shall be made from synthetic rubber where a pesticide contains oil.

(3) Protective clothing and equipment shall be worn by workers supplied with such clothing and

equipment.

(4) Protective clothing and equipment shall be washed daily inside and outside if the workers

handle pesticides containing nicotine or phosphorus and shall be washed frequently if handling other

pesticides.

(5) Protective clothing and equipment shall be maintained in good repair.

8. Floors and workbenches.—(1) Floors in every workroom where dangerous pesticides are

manipulated shall be of cement or other impervious material giving a smooth surface.

(2) Floors shall be maintained in good repair, provided with adequate slope leading to a drain and

thoroughly washed once a day with hose pipe.

(3) Workbenches where dangerous pesticides are manipulated shall be made of smooth, non-

absorbing material preferably stainless steel and shall be cleaned at least once daily.

9. Spillage and waste.—(1) If a dangerous pesticide during its manipulation splashes or spills on

the work-bench, floor or on the protective clothing worn by a worker, immediate action shall be taken for

thorough decontamination of such areas or articles.

(2) Cloth, rags, paper or other material soaked or soiled with a dangerous pesticide shall be

deposited in a suitable receptacle with tight fitting cover. Contaminated waste shall be destroyed by burning

at least once a week.

(3) Suitable deactivating agents where available shall be kept in a readily accessible place for use

while attending to a spillage.

(4) Easy means of access shall be provided to all parts of the plants for cleaning, maintenance and

repairs.

10. Empty containers used for dangerous pesticides.—Containers used for dangerous pesticides

shall be thoroughly cleaned of their content and treated with an in-activating agent before being discarded

or destroyed.

11. Manual handling.—(1) A dangerous pesticide shall not be required or allowed to be

manipulated by hand except by means of a long handled scoop.

(2) Direct contact of any part of the body with a dangerous pesticide during its manipulation shall

be avoided.

12. Ventilation.—(1) In every workroom or area whereas dangerous pesticide is manipulated,

adequate ventilation shall be provided at all times by the circulation of fresh air.

(2) Unless the process is completely enclosed the following operations during manipulation of a

dangerous pesticide shall not be undertaken without an efficient exhaust draught—

(a) empty a container holding a dangerous pesticide;

(b) blending a dangerous pesticide;

(c) preparing a liquid or powder formulation containing a dangerous pesticide; and

(d) changing or filling a dangerous pesticide into a container, tank, hamper or machines or

small sized containers,

(3) In the event of a failure of the exhaust draught provided on the above operation, the said

operations shall be stopped forthwith.

13. Time allowed for washing.—(1) Before each meal and before the end of the day's work at

least ten minutes in addition to the regular rest interval shall be allowed for washing to each worker

engaged in the manipulation of dangerous pesticide.

(2) Every worker engaged in the manipulation of dangerous pesticides shall have a thorough wash

before consuming any food and also at the end of the day's work.

14. Washing and bathing facilities.—(1) There shall be provided and maintained in a clean state

and in good repair for the use of all workers employed in the factory where the said manufacturing

processes is carried on adequate washing and bathing places having a constant supply of water under cover

at the rate of one such place for every 5 persons employed.

(2) The washing places shall have standpipes placed at intervals of not less than one meter.

(3) Not less than one half of the total number of washing places shall be provided with bathrooms.

(4) Sufficient supply of clean towels made of suitable material shall be provided:

Provided that such towels shall be supplied individually for each worker if so ordered by the

Inspector cum facilitator.

(5) Sufficient supply of soap and nail brushes shall be provided.

15. Cloak-room.—There shall be provided and maintained for the use of all worker employed in

the factory where the said manufacturing processes is carried on—

(a) a cloak-room for clothing put off during working hours with adequate arrangements

for drying clothing if wet; and

(b) separate and suitable arrangements for the storage of protective clothing provided

under Paragraph 7.

16. Mess-room.—(1) There shall be provided and maintained for the use of all workers employed

in the factory in which the said manufacturing process is carried on and remaining on the premises during

the rest intervals a suitable mess-room which shall be furnished with—

(a) sufficient tables and benches with back rest; and

(b) adequate means for warming food.

(2) The mess-room shall be placed under the charge of a responsible person and shall be kept

clean.

17. Manipulation not to be undertaken.—Manufacture or manipulation of a pesticide shall not be

undertaken in any factory unless a certificate regarding its dangerous nature or otherwise is obtained from

the Chief Inspector-cum-Facilitator

18. Medical facilities and records of examinations and tests.—(1) The occupier of every factory to

which the Schedule applies, shall—

(a) employ a Factory medical officer for medical surveillance of the workers employed

where number of worker exceeds 50; and

(b) provide to the said Factory medical officer all the necessary facilities for the purpose

referred to in clause (a).

(2) The record of medical examinations and appropriate tests carried out by the said Factory

medical officer shall be maintained in a health register Form-7 which shall be kept readily available for

inspection by the Inspector-cum-Facilitator .

(3) No repairs involving flames, heat or use of hand or power tools shall be made in the enclosures

where bulk sulphur is stored.

19. Liquid sulphur.- Open flames, electric sparks and other sources of ignition, including smoking

and matches, shall be excluded from the vicinity of molten sulphur:

20. Training and supervision.—(1) All electric furnaces and all plants in which carbon disulphide

is condensed, refined or stored shall be under adequate supervision at all times while the furnaces and plants

are in operation.

(2) Workers in charge of operation and maintenance of electric furnaces and the plants shall be

properly qualified and adequately trained.

21. Washing facilities.-(1) The occupier shall provide and maintain in a clean state and in good

repair, for the use of all persons employed wash place under cover with at least one tap or stand-pipe,

having a constant supply of clean water for every five such persons, the taps or stand-pipe being spaced not

less than 120 centimeters apart with a sufficient supply of soap and clean towels, provided that towels shall

be supplied individually to each worker if so ordered by the Inspector cum facilitator.

(2) All the workers employed in the sulphur storage, handling and melting operations shall be

provided with a nail brush.

22. Personal protective equipments.-(1) Suitable goggles and protective cloth consisting of overalls

without pockets, gloves and footwear shall be provided for the use of operator:

(a) when operating valves or cocks controlling fluids etc; sirupal

(b) drawing-off of molten sulphur from sulphur pots; and

(c) handling charcoal or sulphur.

(2) Suitable respiratory protective equipment shall be provided and stored in the appropriate place

for use during abnormal conditions in an emergency.

(3) Arrangements shall be made for proper and efficient cleaning of all such protective

equipments.

23. Cloak-rooms. There shall be provided and maintained for the use of all workers employed in

the processes, a suitable cloak-room for clothing put-off during work hours and a suitable place separate

from the cloak-room for the storage of overalls of working clothes. The accommodation so provided shall

be placed in the charge of a responsible person and shall be kept clean. paket scoorden).

24. Unauthorised persons.-Only maintenance and repair personnel, persons directly, connected

with the plant operation and those accompanied by authorized persons shall be admitted into the plant.

24. Examined by the Factory medical officer.—(1) Every worker employed in the processes

mentioned in Paragraph 1 shall be examined by the Factory medical officer within 15 days of his first

employment. Such examinations in respect of Halogenated pesticides, shall include tests for determination

of the chemical in blood and in fat tissues, EEG abnormalities and memory tests, in respect of

organophosphorus compounds, such examinations shall include tests for depression of cholinesterase in

plasma and red blood cells. 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 Factory medical officer.

(2) Every worker employed in the said process shall be re-examined by a Factory medical officer

at least once in every six calendar months and such examination shall, wherever the Factory medical

officer, The record of each examination carried out under sub-paragraphs (1) Further every worker

employed in the said processes shall also be examined once in every three months by the factory medical

officer.

(3) The Factory medical officer after examining a worker, shall issue a certificate of Fitness in

Form-8. The record of examination and re-examination 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-paragraph (1) and (2), including the nature and the results of these tests, shall also be entered

by the Factory medical officer in a Health Register in Form-7.

(4) The Certificate of Fitness and the Health Register shall be kept readily available for inspection

by the Inspector cum-facilitator.

(5) If at any time the Factory Medical Officer or Medical Officer is of the opinion that a worker is

no longer fit for employment in the said process on the ground that continuance therein would involve

special danger to the health of the worker he 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 considers that the said person is unfit to work in the said process.

(6) 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 process unless the Medical Officer after further examination again certifies

him fit for employment in those processes.

25. Exemption.—If in respect of any factory, the Chief Inspector cum-Facilitator is satisfied that

owing to the exceptional circumstances or the infrequency of the said manufacturing process or for any

other reason which he shall record in writing all or any of the provisions of this Schedule are not necessary

for the protection of the worker employed in the factory, he may by a certificate in writing exempt such

factory, from all or any of the provisions on such condition as he may specify therein, such certificate may

at any time be revoked by the Chief Inspector-cum-Facilitator after recording his reasons therefor.