The Factories Act of 1948 aims to regulate labor in factories and ensure adequate safety and welfare of workers. It applies to factories with 10 or more workers and covers provisions around working hours, holidays, health, safety, welfare amenities and penalties. The act has been amended over time and now consists of 11 chapters covering topics such as hazardous processes, annual leave, definitions of who is considered a worker or child, and powers of inspection. Its overall goal is to protect vulnerable groups working in factories and provide a safe working environment for all.

1. By
A1355905161
Kumar Supratik
RICS School of Built Environment,
Noida
Sub group – 4, Group – 2
Sec - A

2. Background
 2nd half of 18th century , a period of rapid industrial growth in Great
Britain
 It was total mess, people use to work regardless of time, age, gender
etc
 Initiatives were taken and it came into existence in 1819
 After modifications final Factories Act came into existence in 1948
 India, 1st factories law passed in 1881
 Designed to protect children and to provide measures for health and
safety of the workers
 Applicable to factories with 100 or more workers
 Later modified law came with applicability extending to factories
with 50 or more workers
 Factories act 1948 extends to all of India
 Came into effect from 1st April 1949

3. Factories Act Object And Scope
 This act extends to whole of India
 The main object of this act is to ensure adequate safety
measures and to promote the health & welfare of workers
employed in factories
 The act also make provisions regarding employment of
women & young person (including children & adolescents),
annual leave with wages etc

4. Highlights
 The Factories Act, 1948 came into force on the 1st day of April,1949 and extends to
the whole of India. It was, in fact, extended to Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Pondicherry in
1963, to Goa in 1965 and to the State of Jammu & Kashmir in 1970
 The Factories Act was amended in 1949, 1950, 1954, 1956, 1976 and 1989
 Latest amendment in 2014
 106 sections, 11 Chapters

5. Chapter -1, Preliminary
Definitions
 Adult – 18 years and above
 Adolescent – between 15 to 18 years
 Child – Less than 15 years
 Calendar Year – 12 months beginning with 1st Jan
 Competent Person – Any person or an institution recognized by Chief Inspector to
carry out ,Tests, Examinations and Inspections
 Hazardous Process – Any process where raw material, intermediate product, final
product, or bye-product can;
Cause material impairment to the person involved.
Result in pollution of general environment.
 Young Person – A person either child or adolescent
 Day – 24 hours starting from midnight
 Week – 7 days period starting from any midnight as specified

6.  Power – Any form of energy, mechanically transmitted and not produced by any
human or animal agency
 Prime mover - Any engine, motor or other appliance which generates or otherwise
provides power
 Machinery - Prime movers, transmission machinery and all other appliances
whereby power is generated, transformed, transmitted or applied
 Manufacturing Process - making, altering, repairing ornamenting, finishing,
packing, oiling, washing, cleaning, breaking up, demolishing, or otherwise treating
or adapting any article or substance with a view to its use sale, transport, delivery or
disposal or;
Pumping oil, water, sewage or any other substance or;
Generating, transforming or transmitting power or;
Composing types for printing by letter press, lithography, photogravure or;
Preserving or storing any article in cold storage or;
Constructing, reconstructing, repairing, refitting, finishing or breaking up ships or
vessels.

7.  Factories - It means any premises including the precincts there of
- Whereon 10 or more workers are working, or were working on any
day of the preceding 12 months, and in any part of which a
manufacturing process is being carried on with the aid of power, or
is ordinarily so carried on; or
But does not include a mine subject to the operation of the Mines Act,
1952 or a mobile unit belonging to the Armed forces of the Union, a railway running
shed or a hotel, restaurant or eating place
 Worker - Person employed, directly or by or through any agency (including a
contractor) with or without the knowledge of the principal employer
 Occupier - Person who has ultimate control over the affairs of the factory

8.  Time of day will be as per IST
 Power to declare different departments to be separate factories or two or
more factories to be a single factory
 National Public Emergency and validity of act and concerned authorities during that
period
 Approval, licensing and registration of factories and the authorities responsible for
the same
 Occupier needs to give notice at least 15 days prior to occupy any premises as
factory
 Inspector and his appointment at different levels and powers lying with those
inspectors to enforce and monitor the proper enforcement of Act
 Certification of Surgeons (Medical Practitioners), processes, regulations and
authorities responsible and authorize to certify
Sec 3 to Sec 10

9. Chapter – 3 HEALTH
Sec 11 –Cleanliness inside premises
Sec 12- Disposal of Waste and Effluents
Sec 13 -Ventilation and Temperature i.e.
Inside Air Quality and Thermal Comfort
Sec 14 – Removal of Dust and Fumes
Sec 15 – Artificial Humidification
Sec 16 – Overcrowding,, number of
persons to be accommodated in any
particular work station
Sec 17 – Lighting provisions
Sec 18 –Pure Drinking Water
Sec 19 –Lavatory for employees
Sec 20 – Provision for Spittoons

10. Chapter – 4 SAFETY
Sec 21 – Fencing of Machineries
Sec 22 - Working on or near
machineries in motion
Sec 23 –Employment of young
persons on dangerous machines
Sec 24 –Striking gear and devices for
cutting off power
Sec 25 – Self acting Machines
Sec 26 – Casing of new machineries
Sec 27 - Prohibition of employment
of women and children near
cotton-openers
Sec 28 – Hoists and Lifts
Sec 29 - Lifting machines, chains,
ropes and lifting tackles

11. Sec 30 – Revolving machineries
Sec 31 – Pressure Plants
Sec 32 – Floors, Stairs ,means of Access
Sec 33 –Pits, sumps, openings in floors, etc.
Sec 34 –Working with excessive loads
Sec 35 – Protection of eyes
Sec 36- Precautions against dangerous
fumes, gases, etc., portable electric light
Sec 37- Explosive or inflammable dust, gas
Sec 38 – Case of Fire
Sec 39-Power to require specifications of
defective parts or tests of stability
Sec 40 – Safety of building and machinery ,
Maintenance of buildings, Safety officers
Sec 41 – Power to make rules to supplement
this Safety guidelines according to this act

12. Chapter–4A PROVISIONS RELATING HAZARDOUS
PROCESSES(41A-41H)
 Constitution of Site Appraisal Committee
 Compulsory Disclosure of Information
 Special Responsibility of the occupier in
relation to Hazardous processes:
 Maintaining accurate and up-to-date health
and medical records of workers exposed to
any chemical, toxic or any other harmful
substances manufactured, stored, handled
or transported
 Appointing qualified, experienced &
compete persons in handling such
substances to supervise handling and for
protecting the workers from the hazard
 Providing for medical examination of every
worker at intervals

13. Chapter 5 - WELFARE
Sec 42 –Washing facilities in
the premises
Sec 43 –Facilities for storing
and drying clothing
Sec 44 – Sitting arrangements
for workers
Sec 45 –First Aid facilities
Sec 46 –Canteen inside
premises
Sec 47 – Shelters, rest rooms,
lunch room etc.
Sec 48 – Crèches inside
premises
Sec 49 – Appointment of
welfare Officers
Sec 50 –Power regarding
supplementing this act

14. Chapter – 6 & 7 WOKING HOURS
Sec 51 to Sec 77 talks about working hours in different context
 Weekly Hours: < 48 hours
 Weekly Holidays : at least 1 holiday in a week , substitute holidays
 Compensatory Holidays
 Daily Hours : < 9 hours
 Intervals for rest : at least half an hour
 Night Shifts

15.  Prohibition of Overlapping Shifts : not more than 2 continuous shift
 Extra wages for overtime : wages at the rate of twice at his ordinary rate of wages
for overtime
 Notice of period of work
Restrictions on employment of Women & Children
 Work between 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. only
 Strictly restriction for women for employment between 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
 Employment of women in night shift is permitted only in the case some special
provisions

16. Chapter – 8 ANNUAL LEAVE WITH WAGES
(1) Every worker who has worked for a period of 240 days or more in a factory during
a calendar year shall be allowed during the subsequent calendar year, leave with wages
for a number of days calculated at the rate of –
(I) if an adult, one day for every 20 days of work performed by him during the
previous calendar year;
(ii) if a child, one day for every 15 days of work formed by him during the previous
calendar year.

17. Offences & Penalties (sec. 92 to 106)
 Court will take cognizance of the
offence only when the complaint
is made within 3 months of the
date on which the alleged
commission of the offence came to
the knowledge of the inspector,
but where the offence consist of
disobeying a written order made
by an Inspector, complaint may be
made within 6 months of the
commission of the offence
Offence

18. Penalties
 General penalties for offence
 Penalty for the contravention of Provisions
Relating to Hazardous process
 Penalty for obstructing Inspector
 Penalty for wrongfully Disclosing Results
of Analysis
 Penalty relating to casing of new
machinery
 Penalties for Offences by workers &
Parents
 Penalty for offence by a medical
practitioner
 Penalty for employing child labor

21. Thank You