OBJECTIVES OF THE ACT

(1) To consolidate and amend the law

regulating labour in factories
(2) To ensure adequate safety, health and
welfare facilities for workers employed in any
organization
(3) To regulate the working hours of Adults
(4) To regulate the employment of young
person
(5) To specify the procedures to be followed
for Factory license and constructions of
building and erection of machineries etc.
(6) To formalize the procedures to be followed
in case of accident.

APPLICABILITY

It is a central Act applicable for whole

of India and applied as defined as
factory in the Factories Act 1948.

Factory means

A place or premises where in

(a) 10 or more workers are employed with the aid of
power
(b) 20 or more workers are employed without the aid of
power
(c) Where a manufacturing process is carried on.
(d) On any day of the previous 12 months
(e) The Government can notify any place as a factory
even if there is less than 10 workers with the aid of power
or less than 20 workers without power.

To decide the status of factory on

12.03.2009 we have to go back to
the attendance from 13.03.2008 till
date. In the above said period if 10
or more are employed with power
(or) 20 or more are employed
without the aid of power even on a
single day then the premises will be
covered under Factories Act, 1948.

making, altering, repairing, ornamenting, finishing,

packing, oiling, washing, cleaning, breaking up,
demolishing, or otherwise treating or adapting any
article or substance with a view to its use, sale,
transport, delivery or disposal; or
pumping oil, water, sewage or any other
substance; or
generating, transforming or transmitting power; or
composing types for printing, printing by letter
press, lithography, photogravure or other similar
process or book binding; or
constructing, reconstructing, repairing refitting,
finishing or breaking up ships or vessels; or

A person (employed, directly or by or

through any agency (including a
contractor)
with or without the knowledge of the
principal employer,
whether for remuneration or not
in any manufacturing process, or in
cleaning any part of the machinery or
premises used for a manufacturing
process, or any other kind of work
incidental to, or connected with, the

A person who has not

completed his fifteenth year
of age:
(<15)

A person who is
either a child or
an adolescent

A period of seven days

beginning at midnight on
Saturday night or such
other night as may be
approved in writing for a
particular area by the Chief
Inspector of Factories.

Permission required for the site

on which the factory is situated
and for the construction or
extension of any factory by Chief
Inspector of factories or Joint
Chief Inspector of Factories or
Dy. Chief Inspector of Factories.
For the above purpose site plan,
building plan and installation of
machineries to be submitted and

For dangerous and

hazardous process
the plans should be
approved by Chief
Inspector of Factories.

For obtaining license under

Factories Act the fee will be
based on the number of
workers and horse power of
all machineries.

Once the factory

licence is obtained it
can be renewed for
any particular
calendar year by
submitting application
st
on or before 31

Every factory shall be kept clean

and free from effluent arising from
any drain or other nuisance.
Accumulation of dirt and refuse
removed daily by sweeping.
Floor of every workroom- clean at
least once every week by washing
using disinfectant.

All inside walls and partitions, all

ceilings or tops of rooms painting or
varnishing at-least once in every 5
years;
white-washing or colour washing- atleast once in 14 months.
With washable distempers once in 3
years.
All doors and windows frames and
other wooden or metallic frame and
shutters to be painted or Varnished

Wastes and effluents to be treated

properly and disposed off regularly
Adequate ventilation by circulation of
fresh air.
Temperature to be maintained at
reasonable level for comfort and
prevent injury to health.

Any dust comes out of

manufacturing
process
or
fume or other impurity which
may be injurious to health will
have to be prevented.

Each workman must be

provided 350 cubic feet of
space if the factory is built
before 1948.
For factories built after 1948
it is 500 cubic feet. For this
purpose only a height of 4.2
meters to be taken into

Sufficient supply of wholesome

drinking water is to be provided.
If the strength is 250 or more
provisions for cool water is to be
made.
The minimum requirement per
worker per day is 4.5 liters of

Male One seat for every 20

males up to 100 males and one
for every 50 males for above
100
Female One seat for every 20
women
The strength is to be taken based
on the maximum number of
workers working in the factory at
any point of time not the total

URINA
LS

One for every 50

workers up to 500
and one for every
100 thereon

No one should spit other than spittoons.

The spittoons shall be

(a) A galvanized iron container with
a conical funnel-shaped cover. A
layer of suitable disinfectant liquid
shall always be maintained in the
container.

Fencing of Machinery
Every moving part of a prime mover and every
fly-wheel connected to the prime mover are
shall be securely fenced.
Only specially trained adult male worker to be
allowed for operating, examining or
lubricating while the machinery is in motion.
They have to ware tight fitting cloths and their
names to be recorded in a separate register.

Hoist and Lift

All hoists and lifts should be of
mechanical construction sound material
and adequate strength.
To be maintained properly
To be examined by a competent person
once in 6 months.
The report of the examination should be
recorded in a separate register.
To be written clearly regarding the
maximum safe workload.
The gates shall be fitted with inter

Lifting Machines, Chains, Ropes and lifting

tackles
The above should be of good construction
sound material and adequate strength.
To be maintained properly.
To be examined by a competent person once
in 12 months.
A separate register to be maintained
To be written clearly regarding the maximum
safe workload.
The above should entered in a separate
register

4. Revolving Machinery
To indicate maximum safe working
peripheral speed of grinding wheel
To indicate wheel speed of shaft
To cover with thick cover the diameter
of the pulley and grinding stone

Pressure Plant
Effective measures to be taken to
ensure that the safe working pressure of
such plant or machinery or part is not
exceeding the safe limit.
To be periodically test by a notified
person

All pits, sumps,

opening in floors are
to be covered or
fenced.

Protection of Eyes
As there is a risk of injury
from particles or fragments
thrown off goggles to be worn
To avoid
exposure
to
excessive light - screen
goggles, shields to be given to
the workers

Precaution in case of fire

Sufficient means of escape to be available in
case of fire.
Exit doors must not be locked.
They should easily and immediately opened,
sliding type or openable out-wards.
Effective and audible means of giving
warning in case of fire
All employees to be trained and made
familiar with the means of escape in case of
fire.

Appointment of Safety Officers

In any factory where 1000

are more are employed
there should be a safety
officer.

Formation of safety committee

In any factory where there are 250 or more
workers are employed are any dangerous
operations or process is carried on or
hazardous process is carried on there should
be
a
safety
committee
with
equal
representatives
from
workers
and
management to be formed.
A senior management member will be
Chairman. Safety officer or senior medical
officer will be the secretary.

Wearing of safety belts

If a worker is required to work at a
height of two metres or above he
should be provided with a safety
belt and the edge of which should
be fixed with a rigid fixture.

Excessive weight
No adult man shall be engaged
for lifting an article, tool or
appliance of more than 50 kg
weight.
For female workers it is 30 kg.

1. Washing Facilities
Allocate and suitable facilities
for washing shall be provided
and kept clean.
Separate facilities for male and
female workers
Soap, towel and wire brush to
be given

Facilities for Storing and drying clothing

Suitable places to be provided for

each worker for keeping the cloths
not worn during working hours and
provision for drying the wet clothing
in selected industries.

Facilities for sitting

In every factory suitable sitting
facilities to be provided for workers
working in standing position in order
that they may advantage of sitting
facilities which may occur in the
course of their work

First Aid appliances

(a)One first aid box to be
provided for every
150 workmen
(b) Only prescribed medicines to be kept in the
first aid box
(c) It should be under the charge of a first aid
trained person
(d) The strength exceeds 500 there should be
an ambulance room
(e) The ambulance room should be under the
charge of a medical and nursing staff

CANTEEN
The workers strength crosses
250 then there should be a
canteen maintained by the
occupier.
The food stuff should be of good
quality

Shelters, Rest rooms and Lunch room

With the strength of workers

crosses 150 then there should
be shelter or rest room and a
suitable lunch room where the
workers who bring lunch can
take their food in the lunch
room.

CRECHE
If more than 30 women workers are
there, there should be a crche
This will be under the charge of a
women trained in the care of children
and infants
The crche children under the age
of 6 years can be put and milk to be
supplied
Cradle, Toys to be provided

8.Welfare Officers
The number of workers with 500 or
more there should be a welfare officer

WORKING
HOURS

1. Daily Hours
No adult worker shall be required or allowed
to work for more than 9 hours in a day
2.Weekly Hours
No adult worker shall be required or allowed
to work for more than 48 hours in a week
3.Over time
If a worker works for more than 9 hrs in a day
or more than 48 hrs in a week then he should
be paid overtime at double the rate of
ordinary wages.

WEEKLY HOLIDAYS

No adult worker can be allowed to work in a

factory without having a weekly off in any week.
Normally the weekly off will be on the first day of
week.
The weekly off can be preponed by 3 days or
postponed by 3 days
By preponing or postponing the weekly off no
worker can be allowed to work for more than 10
days consecutively.
When there is a change of weekly off the same
should be intimated to Inspector of Factories and
a copy to be displayed on a notice board.

Compensatory Holidays
The Inspectorate of Factories
empowered to grand exemption.

are

If any worker is deprived of any weekly

holidays he can be allow to take the same
weekly holidays so loss as a
compensatory holiday with in two
subsequent months.

Interval for rest.

No worker can be allowed to
work in a factory for more than
5 hrs without having an interval
for rest for at-least half an
hour.

SPREAD OVER
Spread over means working hrs in
the first half + interval for rest +
working hrs in the second half.
Spread over shall not exceed ten and
half hrs in any day.
Chief Inspector can increase the
spread over up to 12 hrs.

Overlapping of shifts
When one relay of workers are
engaged for a particular work that
can not be some other relay of
workers doing the same kind of
work at the same time.

Engagement of women
workers during night shift.
No women workers should be
employed before 6.00 am or
after 7.00 pm.
Exemption can be granted
enabling the women workers to

CHILD EMPLOYMENT
A child who have not
completed 14 yrs should not
be employed.
Child labour those who have
not completed 15 years can
be permitted only after
obtaining fitness certificate

If a worker works for 240 days

or more in a calendar year then
he will be eligible for annual
leave with wages at the rate of
one for twenty days worked in
the subsequent calendar year.
Fraction of leave should be
rounded off

If anybody joins the middle

of the calendar year he will
be eligible for leave in the
subsequent calendar
provided he has worked for
2/3 of the calendar days in
the remaining year.

Accident means an unforeseen or unexpected

event resulting in bodily injury or damage to
the property arising out of and in the course of
employment.
When an accident takes place a report in
Form No.18 to be sent to Inspector of Factories
within 24 hours after the expiry of 48 hours
Simultaneously the same details have to be
entered in a register in Form No26
If the worker reports for work then a report in
Form No.18 B mentioning all the details of
accident to be sent to Inspector of factories.
If the injured worker does not report for work
within 21 days of the accident then a report in
Form 18 B has to be sent within 7 days of the

Dangerous occurrence means

1. Fatal Accident
2. Body injury likely to be fatal
3. Loss of one eye or both eyes
4. Loss of one hand or both hands
5. Loss of leg
6. Collapse of a wall used for a factory
7. Boiler blown
8. Explosion of Fire
9. Collapse or failure of Crane, Winch,
Hoist or other appliances.

Whenever there is a dangerous

occurrence the following works to be
attended immediately.
1. Send a telegram to Inspector of
Factory within 12 hrs
2. Inform to the nearest police station
3. Inform to the Chief Inspector of
factories
4. Inform to the District Magistrate or
Sub divisional officer
5. Inform to the close relative of the
affected person