The Factories (Amendment) Bill, 2014 has been introduced in Lok Sabha on August 7, 2014. The Bill is introduced to amend the Factories Act, 1948. The Bill provides for
- Amendment to section 18 so as to extend the provisions relating to drinking water to all factories irrespective of number of workers;
- Amendment to section 22 so as to prohibit the pregnant woman or a person with disability to work on or near machinery in motion;
- Substitution of new sections for existing :
- Section 27 relating to “prohibition of employment of women and children near cotton openers” so as to prohibit employment of young persons, pregnant woman and persons with disabilities in any part of a factory for pressing cotton in which a cotton-opener is at work;
- Section 36 relating “Entry into confined spaces” so as to provide adequate facilities to the persons who are liable to enter into confined spaces;
- Section 46 relating to “Canteens” so as to provide canteen facilities in respect of factories employing two hundred or more workers instead of the present stipulation of two hundred and fifty workers;
- Section 66 relating to Further restrictions on employment of women;
- Section 92 relating to General Penalty for offences;
- Section 93 relating to Liability of owner of premises in certain circumstances;
- Insertion of new sections i.e. Section 35 A relating to Personal protective equipments so as to impose obligation upon the occupier to make a provision of “personal protective equipment” for workers exposed to various hazards; Section 41- I relating to Power to make rules regarding hazardous substances; Section 112 A relating to Power to make rules by Central Government;
- Omission of Section 26 and First Schedule.
- Insertion of Fourth Schedule which deals with the list of compoundable offences.
- Amendment to section 37, 41B, 47 which relates to “explosive or inflammable dust, gas, etc.”, so as to take practical measures against explosion or inflammable dust, gas, etc.; “compulsory disclosure of information by the occupier” to provide for preparation of emergency plan and disaster control measures in consultation with the workers; shelters, rest rooms and lunch rooms” so as to provide for shelters or rest rooms and lunch rooms in respect of factories employing seventy-five or more workers instead of present stipulation of one hundred and fifty workers, respectively.
To read the full amendments, click here