Factories (Grinding of Cutlery and Edge Tools) Regulations, 1973.
Statutory Instruments
Source: Statutory Instruments

num: 1
paragraphs: (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Factories (Grinding of Cutlery and Edge Tools) Regulations, 1973.
(2) These Regulations shall come into operation on the 1st day of December, 1973.
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paragraphs: The Regulations for the Grinding of Metals and Racing of Grindstones, 1909, dated 15th October, 1909 (No. 1155), are hereby revoked.
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paragraphs: In these Regulations—
"abrasive wheel" means a wheel manufactured of bonded emery or similar abrasive;
"the Act" means the Factories Act, 1955 (No. 10 of 1955);
"approved" means approved for the time being by the Minister;
"cutlery" means knives, forks and spoons of any metal, and steels;
"glazing" means the abrading, polishing or finishing by aid of mechanical power or any article wholly or partly of metal by means of any wheel, buff, mop, bob, dolly or band to which any abrading or polishing substance is attached or applied except the process known as "sand buffing" in which articles are polished by means of a mixture of oil and sand applied by hand to a rotating buff;
"grindstone" means a grindstone composed of natural or manufactured sandstone or a metal wheel or cylinder into which blocks of natural or manufactured sandstone are fitted;
"grinding" (which includes "Whittening" or "Whitening") means the abrasion, by aid of mechanical power, of metal by means of a grindstone or abrasive wheel;
"hacking" means the chipping of the surface of a grindstone by a hack or similar tool;
"the Minister" means the Minister for Labour;
"racing" means the turning up, cutting or dressing of a revolving grindstone before the grindstone is brought into use for the first time;
"room", except in Regulation 5 of these Regulations, means a room in a factory to which these Regulations apply.
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paragraphs: Subject to Regulation 5 hereof, these Regulations shall apply to any factory in which grinding or glazing or any process incidental to grinding in, or incidental to, the manufacture of cutlery, edge tools, swords, bayonets, files, saws, ploughs, or other cutting or piercing implements of iron or steel is carried on.
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paragraphs: (1) These Regulations shall not apply—
( a ) to any process in the manufacture of needles, pins and fish-hooks,
( b ) to any process in the manufacture, repair or sharpening of saws, tools or instruments for use in machines for the cutting or working of metals, or
( c ) to grinding or glazing, or any process incidental to grinding, being part of or incidental to the manufacture, repair or sharpening of saws,tools or instruments for use in the factory itself if, but only if,
(i) such work is not carried on in any particular room for more than eight hours in any week, or
(ii) the work is carried on in a place in the open air where no person is wholly or mainly employed in such work.
(2) These Regulations, other than Regulation 18 hereof, shall not apply to the intermittent grinding or glazing of metals—
(a) in a room in which such work is carried on for not more than eight hours in any week, or
(b) in a place in the open air where no person is employed in such work for more than eight hours in any week;
provided that the exemption specified in this paragraph shall not apply in relation to a factory as respects which the Minister gives notice in writing to that effect to the occupier of the factory.
(3) Regulations 10 and 11 of these Regulations shall not apply to any wet grinding where the work being done at the grindstone or abrasive wheel is carried on by mechanical means, unless the Minister gives to the occupier of the factory concerned notice in writing to the effect that those Regulations shall apply to such wet grinding.
(4) In case the Minister gives to the occupier of a factory a notice pursuant to paragraph (3) of this regulation, the occupier of the factory shall cause to be posted in the factory a copy of the notice.
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paragraphs: The Minister may (subject to such conditions, if any, as may be specified therein) by certificate in writing (which he may in his discretion revoke at any time) exempt from all or any of the requirements of these Regulations any factory where he is satisfied that the requirements in respect of which the exemption is granted are not necessary for the protection of persons employed or are impracticable.
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paragraphs: (1) It shall be the duty of every occupier of every factory to which these Regulations apply to comply with the requirements of the regulations and to provide and maintain the appliances or water supply required by these Regulations.
(2) It shall be the duty of every person who is employed or engaged at any process mentioned in Regulation 4 of these Regulations to comply with the requirements thereof and to make full and proper use of all appliances and facilities provided pursuant to these Regulations and to report forthwith to the owner, occupier, manager or other responsible person any defect in any appliance so provided.
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paragraphs: (1) No racing, dry grinding, or glazing ordinarily causing the evolution of dust into the air of a room so that it may be inhaled by any person employed shall be performed unless adequate appliances for the interception of the dust are provided, as near as possible to the point of origin thereof, and for its removal and disposal so that the dust will not enter any occupied room.
(2) For the purpose of this regulation, the appliances hereby required to be provided shall not be regarded as being adequate unless they either—
( a ) include
(i) a hood or other appliance which is constructed, arranged and placed so as substantially to intercept the dust,
(ii) a fan or other efficient means of producing a draught sufficient to extract the dust, and
(iii) an air-tight duct of adequate size and arranged so as to be capable of carrying away the dust, which duct shall be kept free from obstruction and shall be provided with a proper means of access for inspection and cleaning, and, where practicable, with a connection at the end remote from the fan to enable an inspector to attach an instrument necessary for ascertaining the pressure of air in the duct, or
( b ) are, in the opinion of an inspector, such as regards a particular factory or a particular process or operation in or for which they are used, at least as effectual for such interception, removal and disposal as such hood, fan and duct, if it were provided, would be.
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paragraphs: Racing shall not be done in any room whilst any person other than a person performing or assisting at the racing is present, and work shall not be resumed in the room after racing until the dust has been removed and the room cleaned either by clean water or by an efficient vacuum.
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paragraphs: (1) In every room in which wet grinding upon a grindstone is carried on there shall be provided and maintained, whilst work is in progress, either—
( a ) adequate exhaust and inlet ventilation, or
( b ) a supply of clean water conveyed by pipes and deposited upon the surface of the grindstone, together with suitable arrangements to ensure the drainage of the waste water from the grindstone trough.
(2) For the purposes of this regulation, the ventilation shall not be regarded as being adequate unless,
( a ) it ensures that the air of the room is renewed not less than fifteen times per hour,
( b ) it is arranged in such a manner as to secure a continuous movement of the air in a direction from the grinder towards the grindstone, and
( c ) the fresh air inlets are so arranged and are of such dimensions that no worker is exposed to a direct draught from them.
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paragraphs: (1) All ventilating plant used in a factory to which these Regulations apply, for the purpose of extracting or supressing dust, shall be examined and tested by a competent person at least once in every six months, and any defect disclosed by such examination and test shall be rectified as soon as practicable.
(2) A register containing particulars of such examinations and test shall be kept at the relevant factory in the approved form and shall be available for inspection by any person employed in any room in respect of which the ventilating plant is provided.
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paragraphs: Glazing or other processes, except processes incidental to wet grinding on a grindstone, shall not be carried on in any room in which wet grinding on a grindstone is done, nor in any other place unless the place is at least 2½ metres distance from the centre of the grindstone.
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paragraphs: Hacking shall not be done in a factory to which these Regulations apply unless an adequate supply of water is laid on at the upper surface of the grindstone, or the grindstone is, in the opinion of an inspector, adequately wetted by other means, so as to ensure, as far as practicable, the suppression of dust.
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paragraphs: (1) Subject to paragraph (2) of this regulation, wet grinding upon a grindstone shall not be done in any room unless—
( a ) the height of the room, measured from the floor to the ceiling or top (or in case all of the ceiling or top is not the same distance from the floor, measured from the floor to the part of the ceiling or top which is nearest to the floor), is at least 3 metres,
( b ) the total window area in the room is at least one-sixth of the floor area, and
( c ) all windows in the room are properly glazed and the glass or other material of such windows is maintained whole and kept clean.
(2) Subparagraph (a) of paragraph (1) of this regulation shall not apply to wet grinding where the work being done at the grindstone or abrasive wheel is carried on by mechanical means unless the Minister gives to the occupier of the factory concerned notice in writing to the effect that the said subparagraph (a) shall apply to such wet grinding.
(3) In case the Minister gives to the occupier of a factory a notice pursuant to paragraph (2) of this regulation, the occupier of the factory shall cause to be posted in that factory a copy of the notice.
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paragraphs: (1) Subject to paragraph (2) of this regulation, the following requirements shall be complied with in relation to every room in which wet grinding upon a grindstone is carried on, namely—
( a ) the floor and walls shall be constructed of, or covered with smooth impervious material, and all shafts, belts, pulleys and drums shall, as far as practicable, be efficiently covered in and a clear space left sufficient to permit the cleaning required by paragraph (b) of this regulation,
( b ) the floor, walls and all other parts of the room, the fixtures therein and the coverings (if any) of shafts, belts, pulleys and drums shall be thoroughly cleaned by clean water or by an efficient vacuum apparatus at least once in every week during which any grinding as aforesaid has been done,
( c ) adequate drainage shall be provided either by means of the floor sloping towards drainage channels, or by such other means as in the opinion of an inspector is at least as effectual.
(2) Subparagraphs (a) and (b) of paragraph (1) of this regulation shall not apply to any part of the room or fixtures therein which are more than 4 metres above the floor.
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paragraphs: (1) Subject to paragraph (2) of this regulation, in every room where racing or grinding, other than wet grinding upon a grindstone or glazing, is carried on, the floor, walls, ceiling or top and all other parts of the room, the fixtures therein and the coverings (if any) of shafts, belts, pulleys and drums, shall be properly cleaned at least once in every three calendar months.
(2) The foregoing provisions of this regulation shall not apply to any part of a room or the fixtures therein which are more than 4 metres above the floor.
num: 17
paragraphs: Particulars of all cleaning done in pursuance of Regulation 15 or 16 of these Regulations, including the date on which, and the name and the address of the person by whom, it was done, or when more than one person is employed thereon, of the person in charge, shall be kept in the approved form at the relevant factory for not less than two years after the final entry for inspection by any workman employed in a room to which the particulars relate.
num: 18
paragraphs: (1) In every room in which grinding is carried on there shall be kept permanently displayed a notice specifying the safe working peripheral speed of every class of grindstone and abrasive wheel in use in the room. The notice shall also specify the speeds of the shafts or spindles upon which the grindstones or abrasive wheels are mounted together with the diameters of the pulleys on such shafts or spindles being pulleys provided to secure the safe working peripheral speeds.
(2) The occupier of a factory to which these Regulations apply, or his agent, shall, when required by an inspector to do so, give all necessary facilities and particulars to enable the inspector to determine the speed of any shaft, pulley or other appliance mentioned in paragraph (1) of this regulation.
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paragraphs: (1) Subject to paragraph (2) of this regulation, in every room used as a grinding room, there shall be provided between any two grindstones—
( a ) in case the stones are both less than 610 millimetres in diameter, a distance of at least 1 metre,
( b ) in any other case, a distance of at least 1½ metres.
(2) This regulation shall not apply to grindstones made up of blocks of stone inserted into metal frames, nor prevent the use of two grindstones in a saw grinding or other similar machine.