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 of the Factory Act, 1948 and the Tamil Nadu Factories Rules, 1950 or of any other Act or Rules that are applicable to fire works manufactories and match factories.
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 of crackers, sparklers, caps, fuses, blasting powder and fire works -
Saltpetre;
Pyrotechnic aluminium Powder;
Barium Nitrate;
Charcoal;
Potassium chloride;
Red Phosphorus;
Gum;
Dextrine;
Strontium Nitrate;
Magnesium Powder;
Copper Coated Wires;
Steel filings or iron filings;
G.I. Wire;
Gun Powder (Black Powder);
(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 in this behalf.
3. Buildings. --- (a) The building of any fire works 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 metres;
(b) No building inside a fire works manufactory shall have a first floor at any time;
(c) In Match woks, provided with a first floor, there shall be 2 staircases leading from the first floo to the ground floor irrespective of the number of persons employed in the first floor and one of the staircases shall be of masonry construction or of non-inflammable materials;
(d) All doors shall be open outwards and all the doorways shall be kept free from obstructions;
(e) All doors of workrooms shall not be less than 1.2 metres in width or less than 2 metres 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 m.m. If the floor cannot be covered by a single rubber sheet may be used, so that each sheet is overlapped by the other atleast 150 m.m.; and
(g) Mixing sheds shall be 30.5 metres away from all other sheds and be separated by baffle walls opposite each exit of the mixing shed.
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 or artificial fibre 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 are 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 mach 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 may, subject to such conditions, as he may deem necessary, exempt any factory in existence on the first January 1935, from the provision 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 anywhere 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; and
(ix) No child shall be employed or permitted to work directly connected with the manufacturing process upto final production of match sticks.
8. Precautions to be taken in connection 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 from 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 a raised 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. Employment of women and children. --- Women workers and young persons shall not be employed on operation where chemicals are mixed and where fuses are cut. Children shall not be employed or permitted to work in the manufacturing process or any work or operation or process connected therewith or incidental thereto in fireworks manufactory.
10. 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 fuses 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 there 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 tubs of crackers, only aluminium or plastic rings shall be used and not galvanised 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 amrocess factories.
(i) Wooden racks used for drying paper cap sheet 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 a fire works shall have atleast two doors facing each other. The doors provided to the worksheds of adjacent rows shall not face each other.
(l) No more than four persons shall be employed or allowed at any one time in any one building in which explosive is being manufactured.
11. 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 into 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 fibre like terene, terelene, etc., is prohibited. Clothings sewn with ferrous or steel buttons or buckles or attachments should not be worn.
(g) Foot wears with iron nails should not be used.
(h) Workers should not carry with themselves iron knives and iron keys, etc.
12. 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.
13. Exemption. --- If the Chief Inspector is satisfied in respect of any factory or any process that, owing to the special conditions or special methods of work or by reason of the frequency of the process or for other reason the application of all or any of the provisions of the schedule to the factory or process, or for the persons employed in such factory or process is not necessary, he may by order in writing exempt such factory or part of the factory or process or any part of the factory or person from all or any of these provisions subject to such conditions as he may deem expedient to ensure safety and health of the workers.
The Chief Inspector may at any time in his discretion revoke such order without assigning any reason.