The main objectives of the Indian Factories Act, 1948 are to regulate the working conditions in factories, to regulate health, safety welfare, and annual leave and enact special provision in respect of young persons, women and children who work in the factories.
1. Working Hours:
According to the provision of working hours of adults, no adult worker shall be required or allowed to work in a factory for more than 48 hours in a week. There should be a weekly holiday.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Compensatory holidays should be given to employees who work on holidays, i.e., compensatory holidays of equal number to the holidays so lost should be given to the workers.
No adult worker shall be required or allowed to work in a factory for more than nine hours in any day. According to this Act, the working hours each day shall be so fixed that no period shall exceed five hours.
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He should be given half an hour rest after every five hours of work.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Extra wages for the overtime done by the worker should be paid. A worker who completes work for a period of 240 days or more during a year will be granted annual leave with wages.
A child worker should not be allowed to work for more than 41/2 hours a day. Women and child workers should not be asked to work or allowed to work between 7 P.M. and 6 A.M. and in no case between 10 P.M. and 5 A.M.
The manager of every factory is required to maintain a separate register for child workers (i.e., workers below the age of 18). No child below the age of 14 will be employed.
2. Health:
ADVERTISEMENTS:
For protecting the health of workers, the Act lays down that every factory shall be kept clean and all necessary precautions shall be taken in this regard. The factories should have proper drainage system, adequate lighting, ventilation, temperature etc.
Adequate arrangements for drinking water should be made. Sufficient latrine and urinals should be provided at convenient places. These should be easily accessible to workers and must be kept cleaned.
3. Safety:
In order to provide safety to the workers, the Act provides that the machinery should be fenced, no young person shall work at any dangerous machine, in confined spaces, there should be provision for manholes of adequate size so that in case of emergency the workers can escape.
Wherever there are chances of fire, fire-fighting equipments should be available at convenient places. Efforts should be made to give training to the workers to save themselves in case of fire.
Such factories should have arrangements for conveying warning to the workers in the event of fire or any other dangerous situations.
Under this Act, the State Government may appoint inspector for undertaking checking of factories to ensure that safety measures are taken by them.
4. Welfare:
For the welfare of the workers, the Act provides that in every factory adequate and suitable facilities for washing should be provided and maintained for the use of workers.
Facilities for storing and drying clothing, facilities for sitting, first-aid appliances, shelters, rest rooms’ and lunch rooms, crèches, should be there.
5. Penalties:
If the provisions of The Factories Act, 1948, or any rules made under the Act, or any order given in writing under the Act is violated, it is treated as an offence. The following penalties can be imposed:
(a) Imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months;
(b) Fine which may extend to one lace rupees; or
(c) Both fine and imprisonment.
If a worker misuses an appliance related to welfare, safety and health of workers, or in relation to discharge of his duties, he can be imposed a penalty of Rs. 500/-.