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10 1955

FACTORIES ACT, 1955

PART IV.

Welfare (General Provisions).

Supply of drinking water.

52. —(1) There shall be provided and maintained at suitable points conveniently accessible to all persons employed an adequate supply of wholesome drinking water from a public main or from some other source approved in writing by the sanitary authority, such approval not to be withheld except on the ground of the unwholesomeness of the water.

(2) A supply of drinking water which is not laid on shall be contained in suitable vessels and shall be renewed at least daily, and all practicable steps shall be taken to preserve the water and vessels from contamination.

(3) In subsection (2) of this section “suitable vessels” does not include open barrels, pails, tanks or other containers from which the water must be obtained by dipping or pouring, whether they are fitted with covers or not.

(4) A supply of drinking water (whether laid on or not) shall be clearly marked “Drinking Water”.

(5) Except where the water is delivered in an upward jet from which the employed persons can conveniently drink, one or more suitable cups or drinking vessels shall be provided at each point of supply with facilities for rinsing them in drinking water.

Washing facilities.

53. —(1) There shall be provided and maintained for the use of employed persons adequate and suitable facilities for washing which shall include soap and clean towels or other suitable means of cleaning or drying, and the facilities shall be conveniently accessible and shall be kept in a clean and orderly condition.

(2) The Minister, after consultation with the Minister for Health, may, by regulations, prescribe, either generally or as respects any class or description of factory or as respects the persons employed in any process, a standard of adequate and suitable washing facilities.

(3) The Minister may, by regulations, provide for the exemption of factories from any of the requirements of this section in cases where, by reason of the difficulty of obtaining an adequate supply of water, or the fact that accommodation is restricted and adequate and suitable washing facilities are otherwise conveniently available or such other special circumstances as may be specified in the regulations, the application of the requirement would in his opinion be unreasonable.

Accommodation for clothing.

54. —(1) There shall be provided and maintained for the use of employed persons adequate and suitable accommodation for clothing not worn during working hours and such arrangements as are reasonably practicable, or where a standard is prescribed, such arrangements as are specified in the relevant regulations, shall be made for drying such clothing.

(2) The Minister, after consultation with the Minister for Health, may, by regulations, prescribe, either generally or as respects any class or description of factory, a standard of adequate and suitable accommodation for clothing of employed persons not worn during working hours and of arrangements for drying such clothing.

(3) The Minister may by regulations provide for the exemption of factories from any of the requirements of this section in cases where by reason of such special circumstances as may be specified in the regulations the application of the requirement would in his opinion be unreasonable.

Facilities for sitting.

55. —(1) Where any employed persons have in the course of their employment reasonable opportunities for sitting without detriment to their work or where a substantial proportion of any work done by employed persons can properly be done sitting, there shall be provided and maintained for their use suitable facilities for sitting.

(2) The Minister may, by regulations, prescribe a standard of suitable facilities for sitting for factories or any class or description of factory or parts thereof, or for any process.

First-aid.

56. —(1) There shall be provided and maintained so as to be readily accessible a first-aid box or cupboard of such standard as, after consultation by the Minister with the Minister for Health, may be prescribed, and where more than one hundred and fifty persons are employed, an additional box or cupboard for every additional one hundred and fifty persons.

(2) For the purposes of subsection (1) of this section—

(a) the number of persons employed in a factory shall be taken to be the largest number of persons employed therein at any one time, and any fraction of one hundred and fifty shall be taken to be one hundred and fifty,

(b) where the persons employed are employed in shifts, the calculation of the number employed shall be according to the largest number at work at any one time.

(3) Nothing except appliances or requisites for first-aid shall be kept in a first-aid box or cupboard.

(4) Each first-aid box or cupboard shall be placed under the charge of a responsible person who shall, in the case of a factory where more than fifty persons are employed, be trained in first-aid treatment, and the person in charge shall always be readily available during working hours.

(5) There shall be kept posted in each workroom a notice stating the name of the person in charge of the first-aid box or cupboard provided in respect of that room.

(6) If an ambulance room is provided at the factory and such arrangements are made as to ensure the immediate treatment there of all injuries occurring in the factory, the Minister may by certificate exempt the factory from the requirements of this section to such extent and subject to such conditions as he may specify in the certificate.

Welfare regulations.

57. —(1) Where it appears to the Minister that provision requires to be made in relation to any of the matters to which this section applies for securing the welfare of the persons employed or any class of them, he may make special regulations (in this Act referred to as welfare regulations) requiring such reasonable steps to be taken in connection therewith as may be specified in the regulations, either in addition to, or in substitution for, or by way of extension or variation of, any of the foregoing provisions of this Part of this Act.

(2) This section applies to—

(a) the matters dealt with in the foregoing provisions of this Part of this Act,

(b) arrangements for preparing or heating, and taking, meals,

(c) the supply of protective clothing,

(d) arrangements for protection of persons employed where they are exposed to unduly high or unduly low temperatures,

(e) ambulance and first-aid arrangements,

(f) the supply and use of seats in workrooms,

(g) rest rooms,

(h) arrangements for the supervision of persons employed.

(3) This section shall not apply to factories in which the only persons employed are members of the same family dwelling there.

(4) Welfare regulations may—

(a) be made for a particular factory or for factories of any class or description,

(b) be made contingent in respect of particular requirements upon application being made by a specified number or proportion of the employed persons concerned, and prescribe the manner in which the views of the persons employed are to be ascertained,

(c) provide for the employed persons concerned being associated in the management of the arrangements, accommodation or other facilities for which provision is made, in any case where a portion of the cost is contributed by the persons employed; but no contribution shall be required from the persons employed in any factory, except for the purpose of providing additional or special benefits which, in the opinion of the Minister, could not reasonably be required to be provided by the employer alone, and unless two-thirds at least of the employed persons affected in that factory, on their views being ascertained in the prescribed manner, assent.

(5) Welfare regulations may impose duties on owners and, so far as relates to the use of any facilities provided, on employed persons.

(6) The Minister may by regulations extend the matters to which this section applies so as to include other matters affecting the welfare of employed persons or any class of them.