SCHEDULE VIII
Rule 102
Cleaning, smoothing, roughening or removing or any part of
the surface of articles,
by a jet of sand, metal shot, or grit or other abrasive propelled by a blast of
compressed air or steam.
(BLASTING REGULATIONS)
Definitions.--
(a) “Blasting” means cleaning, smoothing, roughening, or removing of any part of the surface of any article by the use as an abrasive of a jet of sand, metal shot, or grit or other material, propelled by a blast of compressed air or steam;
(b) “Blasting enclosure” means a chamber, barrel, cabinet or any other enclosure designed for the performance of blasting therein;
(c) “Blasting chamber” means a blasting enclosure in which any person may enter at any time in connection with any work or otherwise;
(d) “Cleaning of castings” where done as an incidental or supplemental process in connection with the making of metal castings, means the freeing of the casting from adherent sand or other substance and includes the removal of cores and the general smoothing of a casting but does not include the free treatment.
2. Prohibition of Sand Blasting.-
Sand or any other substance containing free silica not be introduced as an abrasive into may blasting apparatus and shall not be used for blasting:
Provided that, this paragraph shall come into force two years after the coming into operation of the Gujarat Factories (Amendment) Rules, 1968:
Provided further that, no woman or young person shall be employed or permitted to work at any operation of sand blasting.
3. Precaution in connection with Blasting Operations.—
(1) Blasting to be done in blasting enclosure.—Blasting shall not be done except in a blasting enclosure and no work other than blasting and any work immediately incidental thereto and clearing and repairing of the enclosure including the plant and application situated therein, shall be performed in a blasting enclosure. Every door, aperture and joint of blasting enclosure, shall be kept closed and air tight while blasting is being done therein.
(2) Maintenance of blasting enclosure.—Blasting enclosure shall always be maintained in good condition and effective measures shall be taken to prevent dust escaping from such enclosures, and from apparatus connected therewith into the air any room.
(3) Provision of separating apparatus.—There shall be provided and maintained for and in connection with every blasting enclosure, efficient apparatus for separating, so far as practicable abrasive which has been used for blasting and which is to be used again as an abrasive from dust or particles of other materials arising from blasting; and no such abrasive shall be introduced into any blasting apparatus and used for blasting until, it has been so separated:
Provided that, nothing in this sub-paragraph apply except in the case of blasting chambers, to blasting enclosures constructed or installed before the coming into force of the Gujarat Factories (Amendment) Rules, 1968, if the Chief Inspector is of opinion that it is not reasonable practicable to provide such separating apparatus.
(4) Provision of ventilating plant.-There shall be provided and maintained in connection with every blasting enclosure efficient ventilation plant to extract, by exhaust draught affected by mechanical means, dust produce in the enclosure. The dust extracted and removed shall be disposed of by such method and in such manner that it shall not escape into the air of any room, and every other filtering or settling device situated in a room in which persons are employed, other than persons attending to such bag or other filtering or settling device, shall be completely separated from the general air of that room in an enclosure ventilated to the open air.
(5) Operation of ventilating plant.—The ventilating plant provided for the purpose of sub-paragraph (4) shall be kept in continuous operation whenever the blasting enclosure is in use whether or not blasting is actually taking place therein therein and in the case of a blasting chamber, it shall be in operation even when any person is inside the chamber for the purpose of cleaning.
4. Inspection and examination.-
(1) Every blasting enclosure shall be specially inspected by a competent person at least once in every week in which it is used for blasting. Every blasting enclosure; the apparatus connected therewith and the ventilating plant, shall be thoroughly examined an in case of ventilating plant tested by a competent person at least once in every month
(2) Particulars of the result of every such inspection, examination and test shall forthwith be entered in a register which shall be kept in a form approve by the Chief Inspector and shall be available for inspection by any workman employed in or in connection with blasting in the factory. Any defect found on any such inspection, examination or test shall be immediately reported by the person carrying out the inspection, examination or test to the occupier, manager or other appropriate person and without prejudice to the foregoing provision of this Schedule shall be removed without available delay.
5. Provision of protective helmets gauntlets and overalls.-
(1) There shall be provided and maintained for the use of all persons who are employed in a blasting chamber; whether in blasting or in any work connected therewith or in cleaning such a chamber, protective helmets of a type approved by a certificate of the Chief Inspector and every such person shall wear the helmet provided for this use whilst he is in the chamber and shall not remove it until he is outside the chamber.
(2) Each protective helmet shall carry a distinguishing mark indicating the person by whom it is intended to be use and no person shall be allowed or required to wear a helmet not carrying his mark or a helmet which has been worn by another person and has not since been thoroughly disinfected.
(3) Each protective helmet when in use shall be supplied with clean and not unreasonably cold air at a rate of not less than six cubic feet per minute.
(4) Suitable gauntlets and overall, shall be provided for the use of all persons while performing blasting or assisting at blasting and every such person shall while so engaged wear the gauntlet and overall provided.
6. Precautions in connection with cleaning and other work.-
(1) Where any person is engaged upon cleaning of any blasting apparatus or blasting enclosure or any apparatus or ventilating plant connected therewith or the surroundings thereof or upon any other work in connection with any blasting apparatus or blasting enclosure or with any apparatus or ventilating plant connected therewith so that he is exposed to the risk of inhaling dust which has arisen from blasting, all practicable measures shall be taken to prevent such inhalation.
(2) In connection with any cleaning operation referred to in paragraph 5 and with the removal of dust from filtering or settling devices all practicable measures shall be taken to dispose of the dust in such a manner that it does not enter the air of any room. Vacuum cleaners shall be provided and used whenever practicable for such cleaning operation.
7. Storage accommodation for protective wear.-
Adequate and suitable storage accommodation for the helmet, gauntlets and overall required to be provided by paragraph 5 shall be provide outside and conveniently near to every blasting enclosure and such accommodation shall be kept clean. Helmets, gauntlets and overalls when not is actual use shall be kept in this accommodation.
8. Maintenance and cleaning of protective wear.-
All helmets, gauntlets, overalls and other protective or devices or clothings provided and worn for the purposes of this Schedule, shall be kept in good condition and so far as is reasonably practicable shall be cleaned on every week-day in which they are used. Where dust arising from the cleaning of such protective clothing or devices is likely to be inhaled, all practicable measures shall be taken to prevent such inhalation vacuum cleaners shall wherever practicable, be for removing dust from such clothing and compressed air shall not be used for removing dust from any clothing.
9. Maintenance of vacuum cleaning plant.-
Vacuum cleaning plant used for the purpose of this schedule shall be properly maintained.
10. Restrictions in employment of young persons.-
(1) No person under 18 years of age shall be employed in blasting or assisting at blasting or in any blasting or in any blasting chamber or in the cleaning of any blasting apparatus enclosure or any apparatus or ventilating plant connected therewith or be employed on maintenance or repair work at such apparatus, enclosure or plant.
(2) No person under 18 years of age be employed to work regularly within twenty feet of any blasting enclosure unless the enclosure is in a room and he is outside that room where he is effectively separated from any dust coming from the enclosure.
11. Power to exempt or relax.-
(1) If Chief Inspector is satisfied that in any factory or any class of factory, the use of sand or other substance containing free silica as an abrasive in blasting is necessary for a particular manufacture or process other than the process incidental or supplemental to making of metal casting and that the manufacture or process cannot be carried on without the use of such abrasive or that owing to the special conditions or special method of work or otherwise any requirement of this Schedule can be suspended either temporarily or permanently or can be relaxed without endangering the health of the person employed or that application of any such requirements is for any reason impracticable or inappropriate he may with the previous sanction of the State Government by an order in writing, exempt the said factory or class of factory from such provision of the Schedule, to such an extent and subject to such conditions and for such period as may be specified in the said order.
(2) Where an exemption has been granted under sub-paragraph (1) a copy of the order shall be displayed at a notice board at a prominent place at the main entrance or entrances to the factory and also at the place where the blasting carried on.