Question : Safety Check in Cotton Industries

(a) whether there is a provision for time to time safety checks in the cotton industries to ensure safe and hygienic working environment for the workers engaged in the processing and spinning of cotton as they are exposed to significant amounts of cotton dust, particles of Pesticides and other particles which leads to respiratory disorders including the fatal disease of byssinosis, commonly known as brown lung and if so, the details thereof;

(b) if so, the time intervals on which these safety checks are undertaken; and

(c) if not, the reasons therefor?

MINISTER OF TEXTILES
(SMT. SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a) to (c): Ministry of Labour and Employment is the nodal ministry to implement the Factories Act, 1948, for taking care of the occupational safety, health & welfare issues of the factory workers employed in manufacturing sector including processing and spinning sector of cotton industries. The factories registered under the Factories Act, 1948 are inspected as per the provisions contained under Section 9 of Act. Such factories have to comply with the provisions of the Act and the Rules framed thereunder at all times. The Factories Act, 1948 and the State Factories Rules framed thereunder are enforced by the respective State Governments and under the provisions contained therein the State Governments are required to carry out inspections of the registered factories. There are penal provisions in the Act for violation of any of the provisions of the Act and the Rules framed thereunder.
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