JAWAHARLAL NEHRU TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY HYDERABAD B.Tech IV INDUSTRIAL SAFETY, HEALTH, AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING Previous Question Paper (September - 2020 - R16)

The Factories Act, 1948, contains specific provisions under Sections 67 to 77 to regulate the employment of young persons (children and adolescents) to prevent their exploitation and ensure their safety and health.

The key provisions are as follows:

• Prohibition of employment of young children: No child who has not completed his 14th year shall be required or allowed to work in any factory.
• Non-adult workers to carry tokens: A child who has completed his 14th year or an adolescent who has not completed his 18th year is required to carry a token giving a reference to the certificate of fitness granted under the Act.
• Certificate of fitness: A certifying surgeon may grant a certificate of fitness to a young person if they are fit for work in a factory. This certificate is valid for 12 months and may be subject to conditions regarding the nature of work or the need for re-examination.
• Working hours for children: No child shall be employed or permitted to work in any factory for more than 4.5 hours in any day, and the period of work shall be limited to two shifts that do not overlap.
• Prohibition of night work: Children are prohibited from working during the night, which is defined as a period of at least 12 consecutive hours including the interval between 10 PM and 6 AM.
• Double employment: No child shall be required or allowed to work in any factory on any day on which they have already been working in another factory.
• Maintenance of register: The manager of every factory employing young persons must maintain a register of child workers, which includes details such as name, nature of work, group, relay, and certificate of fitness reference.
• Power to require medical examination: An inspector may serve a notice on the factory manager requiring that a young person be examined by a certifying surgeon if the inspector believes the person is no longer fit for the work they are performing.

These provisions ensure that young persons are not subjected to hazardous conditions or excessive labor, balancing their need for education and development with the requirements of industrial employment.

Pollution control requires a multi-faceted approach involving source reduction, treatment technologies, and regulatory compliance. Prevention and control strategies are categorized below.

Prevention and Control of Air Pollution:

• Source Reduction: Transitioning to cleaner fuels such as natural gas or renewable energy sources significantly reduces emissions of sulfur dioxide and particulate matter. Improving combustion efficiency in industrial boilers and furnaces minimizes incomplete combustion products.
• Control Equipment: Implementing mechanical and chemical devices to capture pollutants before discharge. Common technologies include:
  • Gravitational Settling Chambers and Cyclones: Used for removing coarse particulate matter.
  • Electrostatic Precipitators (ESP): Highly efficient for capturing fine dust and fly ash from flue gases using electrical charges.
  • Scrubbers (Wet and Dry): Used to remove gaseous pollutants like acid gases (SOx) by absorbing them into a liquid or solid reagent.
  • Baghouse Filters: Fabric filters that trap fine particulates with high efficiency.
• Dispersion: Utilizing tall stacks to ensure pollutants are diluted and dispersed into the atmosphere, reducing ground-level concentrations.

Prevention and Control of Water Pollution:

• Waste Minimization: Implementing process modifications to reduce water consumption and recycle wastewater within the plant. Segregating hazardous waste streams from general process water prevents cross-contamination.
• Effluent Treatment Plants (ETP): Industrial wastewater must undergo systematic treatment before discharge:
  • Primary Treatment: Physical processes such as screening, sedimentation, and oil-water separation to remove suspended solids and floating materials.
  • Secondary Treatment: Biological processes, such as activated sludge or trickling filters, where microorganisms break down organic pollutants (BOD/COD reduction).
  • Tertiary Treatment: Advanced processes like reverse osmosis, ion exchange, or activated carbon adsorption to remove dissolved salts, heavy metals, and toxic chemicals.
• Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD): A closed-loop system where all wastewater is purified and recycled back into the industrial process, leaving only solid waste for disposal.
• Regulatory Compliance: Adhering to standards set by environmental protection agencies regarding effluent quality parameters such as pH, chemical oxygen demand (COD), and heavy metal concentrations.