Contains info on the sickness absenteesim on working employees and also inculded info on The Factories Act 1948

1. Sickness
absenteeism
GROUP B
Occupational Diseases IV

2. Contents 1. Sickness absenteeism
Causes
Control measures
2. Factories Act 1948

3. Sickness absenteeism
Absenteeism refers to worker's absence from his regular
work when he is normally scheduled to work.
Sickness absence is an important health problem in
industry.
It may seriously impede production with serious cost
repercussions, both direct as well as indirect.
As the production techniques become more
sophisticated, absenteeism tends to increase the adverse
repercussions.
Absenteeism is a useful index in industry to assess the
state of health of workers, and their physical, mental and
social well-being.

4. Predisposing conditions
• Nature of work
• Poor working conditions
• Absence of regular leave arrangement
• Accidents
• Poor control
• Absence of transport facilities
• Lack of interest
• Misc

5. Causes of Sickness Absenteeism
i. Medical causes: This is the main cause of sickness
absenteeism. About 10 percent of the days lost were
found to be due to the accidents in the industry.
ii. Economic causes: Since the worker is entitled to
‘Sickness benefit’ (Sick leave with pay), he/she tends to
avail this benefit of cash (7/12 of daily wage) by
declaring himself/ herself unfit for work, of course, it
is being certified by the Insurance Medical Officer.
Worker gets this benefit for 56 days in a year.
iii. Host factors:
• Age: Sickness absenteeism increases as the age advances.
• Sex: Women workers have frequent absences and men have
longer absences. Since the majority of women workers are
married and have children, it is undoubtedly due to their
home responsibilities.

6. • Marital status: Sickness absenteeism is more
among married workers than among unmarried
workers.
• Season: Sickness absenteeism is more in winter
season than in other seasons because of
frequent respiratory diseases.
• Social factors: Such as wedding ceremonies,
festivals, construction work, agricultural work and
such other occasions compel workers to seek
leave on medical grounds.
• Other causes: Habits like alcoholism, drug-
abuse, etc. predispose to sickness absenteeism.
Malingering or escapism is another factor.
Whenever the worker wants to escape from the
stressful situation or whenever the relation with
the co-workers or management is not good,
applies leave.

7. Control measures
The control measures/reduction of sickness absenteeism
would result in better utilization of resources and
maximizing the production. The method for reducing
sickness absenteeism include:
• Preplacement examination of the workers for
contraindications in order to fit the job to the worker
(Ergonomics).
• Elimination of stressful conditions.
• Proper supervision by the foreman.
• Provision of treatment facilities.
• Good factory management including recreational
activities and incentives.
• Healthy relation between the management and the
employees.

8. Preventive measures to reduce voluntary
absenteeism
• Disciplinary approach: Oral warnings, written
suspensions, dismissal etc.
• Positive reinforcement: allowances, recognition,
time-off or other rewards for meeting attendance
standards
• Combination approaches: ideally reward desired
behaviours & punish undesired behaviours. This
approach uses policies & discipline to punish
offenders and develops various programmes &
rewards for employees with outstanding
attendance.

9. • Paid time-off (PTO) programs: Vacation
time, holidays, & sick leave for each
employee are combined into PTO
account. Employee use days from their
accounts at their discretion for illness,
personal time or vacation.
If employees run out of days in their
accounts then they are not paid to for
any additional days missed.

10. Indian Factories Act 1948
The Original Act was passed on July 1,
1881. The IFA was revised and amended
seven times, the latest being IFA 1987.
An Act to consolidate and amend the law
regulating labour in factories.
Whereas, it is expedient to consolidate and
amend the law regulating labour in factories.

11. The Act has 9 chapters:
Chapter I: Preliminary - Scope and definition.
o Section1: Scope - The Act extends to whole of India, except Jammu and
Kashmir.
o Section2: Definitions.
• Child-an individual who has not completed 15 yrs
• Adolescent—an individual who has completed 15thyear but not 18th year.
• Young person—an individual who is either a child or an adolescent.
• Adult—an individual who has completed 18th year.
• Power—means an energy transmitted mechanically and is not generated by human
agency.
• Factory—is an establishment employing10 or more workers where power is used and
20 or more persons where power is not used.
• Worker—means a person employed, whether for wages or not, in any manufacturing
process.

12. Chapter II: The inspecting staff:
o Section8: Inspectors - The State Government may
appoint Chief Inspectors and Additional Inspectors
of factories. Every District Magistrate shall be an
Inspector for his district.
o Section9: Powers - An Inspector can enter any
factory, within his local limits and make an
examination of premises, machineries or records
which he may consider necessary.
o Section10: Certifying Surgeons - The state
government may appoint qualified medical
practitioners to be certifying surgeons.

13. Chapter III: Health - This chapter deals with the provision of
sanitary environment for the protection and promotion of
health of the workers.
o Section11: Cleanliness
o Section12: Disposal of refuse
o Section13:Ventilation and Temperature
o Section14: Dust and fumes
o Section15: Artificial humidification
o Section16: Over-crowding
o Section17: Lighting
o Section18: Drinking water
o Section19: Latrines and urinals *Section20: Spittoons.

14. Chapter IV: Safety –
o This chapter prescribes precautions to be taken for
safety of the workers against accidents and injuries.
o These include casing (fencing) of the machinery,
devices for cutting off the power, hoists and lifts,
cranes and other lifting devices, protection of the
eyes and precautions against dangerous fumes,
explosive and inflammable material.
o The Act says non-employment of persons on
dangerous machines and no worker shall be required
to lift or carry loads, which are likely to cause injury.
o The Act also advices appointment of one ‘Safety officer’
for a factory involving 1000 or more workers.

15. Chapter V: Welfare measures -
o Facilities for washing, drying and storing the clothes.
o Facilities for rest and recreation.
o Canteen if there are more than 250 workers.
o Crèches, for the children of women workers, if there are more women workers.
o First aid appliances, at the rate of 1 box for every 150 workers. •A Welfare
Officer, if there are more than500 workers.
Chapter VI: Working hours
o Weekly hours: Not more than 48 hours in a week. Not more than 60 hours
including over-time.
o Weekly holiday: One day in a week, preferably on Sunday.
o Daily hours: Not more than 9 hours, with half an hour rest, after five hours of
continuous work.
o Women: No women shall be allowed to work between 7 pm and 6 am.

16. Chapter VII: Employment of young persons
o No child, who has not completed his 14th year,shall be allowed
to work in any factory.
o Adolescents(between15and18years)should be duly certified by
the ‘Certifying Surgeons’ regarding their physical fitness for
work.
o Certificate is valid only for 12 months, after which it is to be
renewed.
o Adolescent employee should work only between 6am to7 pm.
Chapter VIII: Annual leave with wages –
o Act lays down that besides weekly holidays and general
holidays, every worker is entitled to leave with wages, after
12 months of continuous service at the rate of 1 day for
every 20 days of work and the leave can be accumulated up
to 30 days.

17. Chapter IX: Special provisions –
o Section88: Certain accidents, including death
or serious injuries, should be notified by the
manager to District Magistrate and Police.
Enquiry is done in every fatal accident.
o Section89: Act gives a schedule of notifiable
diseases and occurrence of such a disease,
to be notified to Chief Factory Inspector
and Certifying Surgeon by the manager. IFA
1976 amendment includes byssinosis,
asbestosis, occupational dermatitis and noise
induced hearing loss, to the list of other
notifiable diseases.

18. References
• K Park’s Preventive and social medicine
• A H Suryakantha’s PSM
• labour.gov.in – The Factories Act 1948
• www.bing.com/images