S.I. No. 357/1974:

FACTORIES (ABRASIVE BLASTING OF SURFACES) REGULATIONS, 1974.

FACTORIES (ABRASIVE BLASTING OF SURFACES) REGULATIONS, 1974.

I, MICHAEL O'LEARY, Minister for Labour, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by sections 6 , 57 and 71 of the Factories Act, 1955 (No. 10 of 1955), and the Labour (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order, 1966 ( S.I. No. 164 of 1966 ), hereby, after consultation with the Minister for Health, and after due compliance with the provisions of the Third Schedule to that Act, make as special regulations the following regulations:

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Factories (Abrasive Blasting of Surfaces) Regulations, 1974, and shall come into operation on the 1st day of January, 1975.

2. In these Regulations--

"the Act" means the Factories Act, 1955 (No. 10 of 1955);

"approved" means approved for the time being by the Minister;

"blasting" means the cleaning, smoothing, roughening, or removing of part of any surface by the use as an abrasive of a jet of sand, metal shot, or grit or other material, propelled by a blast of compressed air or steam or by a wheel;

"blasting enclosure" means a chamber, barrel, cabinet or other similar enclosure designed for the performance of blasting therein, or any enclosure in which blasting is done;

"blasting chamber" means a blasting enclosure into which persons enter;

"cleaning of castings" means, where done as an incidental or supplemental process in connection with the making of metal castings, the freeing of the castings from adherent sand or other substances and includes the removal of cores and the general smoothing of the castings where such freeing is done, but does not include the freeing of castings from scale formed during annealing or heat treatment;

"the Minister" means the Minister for Labour.

3. Subject to the provisions of Regulation 4 of these Regulations--

( a ) Regulations 5 to 11 of these Regulations shall apply to all factories, and to all premises, places, processes, operations and works in which blasting is done and to which the provisions of Part V of the Act in relation to special regulations for safety and health are applied by sections 83, 86, 87, 88 and 89 of the Act.

( b ) Regulation 12 of these Regulations shall apply to all premises, places, processes, operations and works to which the provisions of Part V of the Act in relation to special regulations for safety and health are applied by sections 83, 86, 87, 88 and 89 of the Act.

( c ) Regulations 13 to 19 of these Regulations shall apply in relation to blasting in any factory in or incidental to the cleaning of castings.

4. (1) If the Minister is satisfied that the use of sand or other substance containing free silica as an abrasive in blasting is necessary for a particular manufacture or process (other than a process incidental or supplemental to the making of metal castings) in any factory or premises of any specified class or description he may, by certificate in writing (which he may in his discretion revoke at any time), in relation to that manufacture or process, exempt that factory or premises of that class or description to which the provisions of the Act apply by virtue of sections 83, 86, 87, 88 and 89 of the Act from the application of Regulations 5 to 11 of these Regulations either absolutely or subject to such conditions as may be specified in the certificate.

(2) If the Minister is satisfied in respect of any factory or premises of any specified class or description to which the provisions of the Act apply by virtue of sections 83, 86, 87, 88 and 89 of the Act that, owing to the special conditions or special methods of work or otherwise; and requirement of these Regulations can be suspended or relaxed without danger to the health of the persons employed, or that the application of any such requirement is for any reason impracticable or inappropriate, he may, by certificate in writing (which he may in his discretion revoke at any time), exempt that factory or those premises of that class or description to which the provisions of the Act apply by virtue of sections 83, 86, 87, 88 and 89 of the Act from the application of that requirement either absolutely or subject to such conditions as may be specified in the certificate.

(3) Where any certificate is issued under this regulation a legible copy thereof, showing the conditions (if any) subject to which it has been granted, shall be kept posted up in a position where it may conveniently be read by the persons employed in every factory, or in every premises to which the provisions of the Act apply by virtue of sections 83, 86, 87, 88 and 89 of the Act, in respect of which such certificate has been issued.

5. No sand or other substance containing free silica shall be introduced as an abrasive into any blasting apparatus.

6. (1) There shall be provided and maintained for the use of all persons who are employed--

( a ) in blasting,

( b ) to work in a blasting chamber, or

( c ) to clean the inside of a blasting chamber,

approved protective helmets and every such person shall wear the helmet provided whilst he is engaged in blasting or is working in a blasting chamber and such person shall not remove the helmet until the blasting has ceased or, if he was working in a blasting chamber, until he is outside that chamber.

(2) Each protective helmet shall carry a distinguishing mark indicating the person by whom it should be worn and no person shall wear, or be allowed to, or required to wear--

( a ) a helmet which does not carry his mark or

( b ) a helmet which has been worn by any person and which has not been thoroughly disinfected.

(3) Each protective helmet, when in use, shall be supplied with clean and not unreasonably cold air at a rate of not less than one hundred and twenty litres per minute.

(4) Suitable gauntlets and overalls shall be provided for the use of all persons while engaged in blasting or assisting at blasting and every such person shall, while so engaged, wear the gauntlets and overalls so provided.

7. Adequate and suitable storage accommodation for the helmets, gauntlets and overalls required by Regulation 6 of these Regulations shall be provided outside and conveniently near to every blasting enclosure or place where blasting is done and such accommodation shall be kept clean. Helmets, gauntlets and overalls, when not in actual use, shall be kept in this accommodation.

8. All helmets, gauntlets, overalls and other protective devices or clothing provided and worn for the purposes of these Regulations shall be kept in good condition and, on every day on which they are used, freed, so far as is reasonably practicable, from dust. Where dust arising from the cleaning of such protective clothing or devices is likely to be inhaled, all practicable measures shall be taken to prevent such inhalation. Vacuum cleaners shall, wherever practicable, be used for removing dust from such clothing and compressed air shall not in any case be used for removing dust from any clothing.

9. Vacuum cleaning plant used for the purposes of these Regulations shall be properly maintained.

10. (1) No person under 18 years of age shall be employed in blasting or assisting at blasting or in any blasting chamber or in the cleaning of any blasting apparatus, blasting enclosure or apparatus, or ventilating plant connected therewith or be employed on maintenance or repair work at any such apparatus, enclosure or plant.

(2) No person under 18 years of age shall be employed to work regularly within six metres of any blasting enclosure in which blasting is done by means of compressed air or steam unless the enclosure is in a room and such person is outside that room and is effectively separated from any dust coming from the enclosure.

11. If any person engaged in blasting, cleaning or other work connected with the observance of these Regulations finds any defect in any enclosure, apparatus, plant, clothing or accommodation provided for the purposes of these Regulations, he shall, without delay, report the defect to the occupier, manager or other appropriate person.

12. Where, in connection with blasting at any building operation, electrical station, work of engineering construction, ship, dock, wharf, quay or warehouse, any dust of such a character and to such an extent as to be likely to be offensive to the persons employed, or any substantial quantity of dust of any kind, is emitted, all practicable measures shall be taken to protect the persons employed against inhalation of the dust.

13. (1) Blasting shall not be done except in a blasting enclosure.

(2) No work shall be performed in a blasting enclosure except--

(a) blasting and work immediately incidental thereto, and

(b) the cleaning and repairing of the enclosure and of plant and appliances situated therein.

(3) Every door of a blasting enclosure shall be kept closed while blasting is being done therein.

14. Blasting enclosures shall be constantly maintained in good condition and all practicable measures shall be taken to prevent dust escaping from such enclosures, and from any apparatus connected therewith, into the air of any room.

15. There shall be provided and maintained, in connection with every blasting enclosure, efficient apparatus for separating, so far as practicable, an abrasive which has been used in blasting apparatus and which is to be used again as an abrasive from dust or particles of other material arising from blasting, and no such abrasive shall again be introduced into blasting apparatus until it has been so separated:

Provided that this Regulation shall not apply (except in relation to blasting chambers) to blasting enclosures constructed before the making of these Regulations and in connection with which it is not reasonably practicable to provide apparatus in accordance with this regulation.

16. There shall be provided and maintained, in connection with every blasting enclosure, an efficient ventilating plant to extract, by exhaust draught effected by mechanical means, dust produced in the enclosure, and to remove and dispose of such dust so that it shall not escape into the air of any room; and every bag used for filtering the dust and every other filtering or settling device situated in a room in which persons are employed, other than persons attending to such bag or other filtering or settling device, shall be completely separated from the general air of that room in an enclosure ventilated to the open air.

17. The ventilating plant provided for the purposes of Regulation 16 of these Regulations shall be kept in continuous operation whenever the blasting enclosure is in use whether or not blasting is actually taking place therein, and, in the case of a blasting chamber, shall be in operation when any person is inside the chamber for the purpose of cleaning or repair work.

18. (1) ( a ) Every blasting enclosure shall be specially inspected by a person competent for the purpose at least once in every week in which it is used for blasting.

( b ) Every blasting enclosure, the apparatus connected therewith, and the ventilating plant provided in connection with the enclosure, shall be thoroughly examined and, in the case of ventilating plant, tested, by a person competent for the purpose at least once every month.

(2) Particulars of the result of any inspection, examination and test carried out pursuant to paragraph (1) of this regulation shall forthwith be entered in a register, which shall be kept in an approved form and shall be available for inspection by any workman employed in or in connection with blasting in the factory. Any defect found on any such inspection, examination or test shall be immediately reported to the occupier, manager or other appropriate person by the person carrying out the inspection, examination or test and shall be remedied as soon as practicable.

19. (1) Where any person is engaged upon--

( a ) the cleaning of any blasting apparatus,

( b ) the cleaning of any blasting enclosure,

( c ) the cleaning of any apparatus or ventilating plant connected with any blasting enclosure,

( d ) the cleaning of the surroundings of any blasting enclosure, or

( e ) any work in connection with any blasting apparatus, blasting enclosure or any apparatus or ventilating plant connected with any blasting enclosure,

and any such person is rendered liable to inhale dust which has arisen from blasting, all practicable measures shall be taken so as to prevent any such inhalation.

(2) All practicable measures shall be taken to dispose of dust which arises as a result of--

( a ) the cleaning operations referred to in paragraph (1) of this regulation, or

( b ) the removal of dust from filtering or settling devices,

in such a manner that it does not enter the air of any room. Vacuum cleaners shall be provided and used, wherever practicable, for any such cleaning operations.

GIVEN under my Official Seal, this 6th day of December, 1974.

MICHAEL O'LEARY,

Minister for Labour.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

These regulations specify measures which must be taken for the safety, health and welfare of persons engaged in abrasive blasting of surfaces. They require that helmets, gauntlets and overalls be provided for the use of persons employed and prohibit the use of substances containing free silica. In addition they prescribe standards of maintenance for blasting enclosures and related ventilating plants. They prohibit the employment at blasting of persons under 18 years of age.