Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Hyderabad B.Tech IV Industrial Safety, Health, and Environmental Engineering Previous Question Paper (September - 2022 - R16)

Under the Factories Act, 1948, the occupier is legally responsible for ensuring the health, safety, and welfare of all workers. Their primary duties include:

• Maintenance of plant and systems: Ensuring all machinery and plant equipment are maintained in a safe condition to prevent accidents.
• Safe handling and storage: Implementing strict procedures for the storage, handling, and transport of articles and substances to eliminate risks to health.
• Information and training: Providing necessary information, instruction, training, and supervision to ensure the health and safety of all workers.
• Safe access and egress: Maintaining all places of work in a condition that is safe and without risks to health, including providing safe means of access and exit.
• Work environment: Ensuring the working environment is safe and without risks, including adequate welfare facilities and protection against hazardous processes.
• Written policy: Preparing and revising a written statement of general policy regarding the health and safety of workers and bringing it to the notice of all employees.

The Factories Act, 1948, mandates specific protections for vulnerable groups and safety measures against hazardous atmospheres:

Prohibition of employment: No woman or child shall be employed in any part of a factory for pressing cotton in which a cotton opener is at work. However, if the feed-end of a cotton opener is in a room separated from the delivery end by a partition extending to the roof or to such height as the Inspector may specify, women and children may be employed in the room where the feed-end is situated.

Precautions against dangerous fumes and gases: To protect workers from hazardous environments in confined spaces, the following precautions are required:

• Entry restrictions: No person shall be required or allowed to enter any chamber, tank, vat, pit, pipe, or flue where dangerous fumes or gases are likely to be present, unless all practicable steps have been taken to remove such fumes and prevent their ingress.
• Ventilation and testing: The space must be adequately ventilated and tested for the presence of dangerous fumes before entry.
• Safety equipment: If entry is necessary, the worker must be provided with a suitable breathing apparatus and a safety belt securely attached to a rope, the free end of which is held by a person outside.
• Emergency preparedness: Suitable arrangements must be in place for the immediate rescue of any person in case of emergency, including the availability of trained personnel and resuscitation equipment.