Schedule VIII

MANUFACTURE AND TREATMENT OF LEAD AND CERTAIN

COMPOUNDS OF LEAD:

1. Exemptions.—Where the Chief Inspector-cum-Facilitator is satisfied that all or any of the provisions of

this schedule are not necessary for the protection of the persons employed, he may by certificate in writing,

exempt any factory from all or any such provisions, subject to such condition as he may specify therein.

1. Definitions.—For the purposes of this schedule—

(a) "Efficient exhaust draught" means localised ventilation affected by heat or mechanical

means, for the removal of gas, vapour, dust or fumes so as to prevent them (as far as

practicable under the atmospheric conditions usually prevailing) from escaping into the

air of any place in which work is carried on. No draught shall be deemed efficient which

fails to remove smoke generated at the point where such vapour, fumes or dust originate.

(b) "First Employment" means first employment in the Process specified in paragraph 3 and

on glass blowing and shall also include re-employment in such Process following any

cessation of employment for a continuous period exceeding three calendar months,

(a) "Lead Compound" means any compound of lead other than galena which when treated

in the manner described below, yields to an aqueous solution of hydrochloric acid, a

quantity of soluble lead compound exceeding, when calculated as lead monoxide, five per

cent of the dry weight of the portion taken for analysis. In the case of points and similar

products and other mixtures containing oil or fat the "dry weight" means the dry weight of

the material remaining after the substance has been thoroughly mixed and treated with

suitable solvents to remove oil, fats, varnish or other media.

The method of treatment shall be as follows :

A weighed quantity of the material, which has been dried at 100°C. and thoroughly mixed shall be

continuously shaken for one hour, at the common temperature, with 1,000 times its weight of an aqueous

solution of hydrochloric acid containing 0.25 per cent by weight of hydrogen chloride. This solution shall

thereafter be allowed to stand for one hour and then filtered. The lead salt contained in the clear filtrate shall

then be precipitated as lead sulphide and weighed as lead sulphate.

3. Application.—This schedule shall apply to all factories or parts of factories in which any of the

following operations are carried on:

(a) work at a furnace where the reduction or treatment of zinc or lead ores is carried on.

(b) the manipulation treatment or reduction of ashes containing lead, the desilvering of

lead or the melting of scrap lead or zinc.

(c) the manufacture of solder or alloys containing more than ten percent of lead.

(d) the manufacture of any oxide, carbonate, sulphate chromate, acetate, nitrate or silicate

of lead.

(e) handling or mixing of lead tetraethyl.

(f) any other operation involving the use of a lead compound.

(g) the cleaning of work-rooms where any of the operations aforesaid are carried on.

4. Prohibition relating to women and young persons.—No pregnant women or young persons shall

be employed or permitted to work in any of the operations specified in paragraph 3.

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.

5. Requirements to be observed.—No person shall be employed or permitted to work in any

process involving the use of lead compounds, if the process is such that dust or fume from a lead compound

is produced therein, or the persons employed therein are liable to be splashed with any lead compound in

the course of their employment unless the provisions of paragraphs 6 to 14 are complied with.

6. Exhaust draught.—Where dust, fume, gas or vapour is produced in the process , provision shall

be made for removing them by means of an efficient exhaust draught so contrived as to operate on the dust,

fume, gas or vapour as closely as possible to the point of origin.

7. Medical facilities and records of examination 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 therein;

and(b) provide the said medical practitioner all the necessary facilities for the purpose referred to in clause

(a)

(2) The record of medical examination and appropriate tests carried out by the factory medical

officer shall be maintain in a separate register, which shall be kept readily available for inspection by the

Inspector cum facilitator

8. Medical examination by factory medical officer - (1) Every worker employed in the 15 days of

his first employment. Such examination shall include tests for lead in blood and urine, ALA in urine,

haemoglobin content, stippling of cells and steadiness test. 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 processes shall be re-examined by a factory medical officer

at least once in every three calendar months. Such re-examination shall, wherever the factory medical

officer considers appropriate include tests specified in sub-paragraph (1).

(3) The Factory Medical Officer after examining a worker will issue a certificate of fitness in

Form-8. 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 Manager of the factory. The record of each examination

carried out under sub-paragraphs (1) and (2) including the nature and the results of the test shall also be

entered 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 processes 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 for work in the said processes.

(6) No person who has been found unfit to work as said in sub-paragraph (5) above 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.

9. Food, drinks, etc., prohibited in work-rooms.—No food, drink, pan and supari or tobacco shall

be brought into or consumed by any worker in any work-room in which any of the Process specified in

paragraph 3 are carried on and no person shall remain in any such room during intervals for meals or rest.

10. Protective clothing.—Suitable protective overalls and head coverings shall be provided,

maintained and kept clean by the factory occupier and such overalls and head covering shall be worn by the

persons employed.

11. Cleanliness of work-rooms, tools, etc.—The rooms in which the persons are employed and all

tools, and apparatus used by them shall be kept in a clean state.

12. Washing facilities.—(1) The occupier shall provide and maintain for the use of all persons

employed suitable washing facilities consisting of—

(a) a trough with a smooth impervious surface fitted with a waste pipe without plug and

of sufficient length to allow at least two feet for every ten persons employed at any one

time, and having a constant supply of clean water from taps or jets above the trough at

intervals of not more than two feet; or

(b) at least one wash-basin for every ten persons employed at any one time, fitted with a

waste pipe and plug and having a constant supply of clean water together with, in either

case, a sufficient supply of nail brushes, soap or other suitable cleaning material and clean

towels.

(2) The facilities so provided shall be placed under the charge of a responsible person and shall be

kept clean.

13. Mess-room or canteen.—The occupier shall provide and maintain for the use of the persons,

employed suitable and adequate arrangements for taking their meals. The arrangements shall consist of the

use of a room separate from any work-room which shall be furnished with sufficient tables and benches,

and unless a canteen serving hot meals is provided, adequate means of warming food. The room shall be

adequately ventilated by the circulation of fresh air, shall be placed under the charge of a responsible person

and shall be kept clean.

14. Cloak-room.—The occupier shall provide and maintain for the use of persons employed,

suitable accommodation for clothing not worn during working hours, and for the drying of wet clothing.