Safety in Industry Act, 1980

Means of escape in case of fire; means of giving fire warning to be examined and tested.

22.—(1) Section 45 of the Principal Act, as amended by section 7 of this Act, shall have effect in relation to any factory and, accordingly, that section shall be construed as if “to which this section applies” were deleted from each place where it occurs.

(2) Section 45 of the Principal Act is hereby further amended by—

(a) the addition to subsection (1) of the following proviso:

“Provided that where an application has been made for a certificate under this section, then for so long, but only for so long, as the certificate is neither given, refused nor deemed under subsection (3A) of this section to have been refused an offence by reason of the occupier not having in force any certificate shall be deemed not to be committed.”;

(b) the insertion after subsection (3) of the following subsections:

“(3A) Where an application is made to a sanitary authority for a certificate under this section and the authority decide to grant the certificate only if certain alterations are carried out to the factory concerned by the applicant, the authority shall notify the applicant and the Minister in writing of the decision and specify in writing the alterations they require to be carried out and the period within which they require such alterations to be carried out, and in case the applicant is so notified and such alterations are not carried out within the said period, or such extended period as the authority may allow, then on the expiration of such period or extended period, as may be appropriate, the application shall be deemed to have been refused.

(3B) In examining a factory under this section a sanitary authority shall be entitled to require the occupier of the factory to provide the authority with a copy of any plan, or line or simple dimensional drawing of the factory, or another similar document, and in case a requirement is made under this section, the person of whom the requirement is made shall forthwith comply therewith.”.

(3) The following is hereby substituted for subsection (2) of section 47 of the Principal Act:

“(2) Any doors opening on to any staircase or corridor in a factory from any room therein, being a room in which more than ten people are employed, and all other doors affording a means of exit from the factory for persons employed therein, shall, except in the case of sliding doors, be constructed to open outwards.”.

(4) (a) Every means of giving warning in case of fire which is provided in pursuance of section 47 (7) of the Principal Act shall be thoroughly examined and tested by a competent person at least once in every period of six months or in every such shorter period as is for the time being prescribed for the purpose of this section and also at any time when an inspector so requires.

(b) A record of the date of every test or examination carried out in pursuance of this subsection and of any defect found and the date and particulars of anything done to remedy such defect shall be entered in the general register.

(c) The Minister may by regulations prescribe the manner in which examinations and tests under this subsection are to be carried out.