Govt. moves changes to Factories Ordinance in P’ment

• Regulations include alterations to process of registering factories and approvals for buildings

By Ashwin Hemmathagama – Our Lobby Correspondent

The Government moved five regulations in Parliament this week to amend regulations of the Factories Ordinance including the registration of factories and the approval given for factory buildings.

Other provisions included in the regulations were registration of steam boilers, issuing certificates for examination of steam boilers and other pressure vessels, protections of workers from excessive noise, and general standard of lighting.

According to the regulations, no person will commence construction of a factory building on any site, or making any extension or alteration to any factory building or conversion of any other building into a factory building unless the plant of such construction, extension or conversion as the case may be is approved by the Chief Factory Inspecting Engineering or District Factory Inspecting Engineer of the Department of Labour.

The Department of Labour deviating from the existing unsystematic control of boiler inspection is planning to enrol qualified and competent persons issued with a certificate of the Department of Labour for inspection of steam boilers and pressure vessels. The certificate holder so authorised is obliged to report to the Chief Factory Inspecting Engineer of the Industrial Safety Division as to the condition of such equipment he has inspected.

The regulations on protecting workers from excessive noise states it shall be the duty of the owner or occupier of a factory to provide any person employed in such factory and who is exposed to sound pressure level of 85 dB (A) or more measured within an integrating sound level meter with suitable ear protectors.

According to the new regulations, it is the duty of the owner or the occupier of a factory to provide for natural or artificial lighting in individual work units or work stations and at places of particular risks, to avoid dazzling, stroboscopic effect and annoying glare or causing hazards including electrical fire, radiation or collision.