Factories Act, 1955

Notification of industrial diseases.

76.—(1) Every medical practitioner attending on or called in to visit a patient whom he believes to be suffering from lead, phosphorus, arsenical or mercurial poisoning, or anthrax, contracted in any factory, shall (unless such a notice has been previously sent) forthwith send to the Minister a notice stating the name and full postal address of the patient and the disease from which, in the opinion of the medical practitioner, the patient is suffering, and the name and address of the factory in which he is or was last employed, and shall be entitled in respect of every notice sent in pursuance of this section to a fee of two shillings and sixpence, to be paid by the Minister.

(2) If, in contravention of the provisions of this section, any medical practitioner fails to send any notice in accordance with the requirements thereof, he shall be guilty of an offence under this section and shall be liable on summary conviction thereof to a fine not exceeding five pounds.

(3) Written notice of every case of lead, phosphorus, or arsenical or mercurial poisoning, or anthrax, occurring in a factory shall forthwith be sent by the occupier in the prescribed form and accompanied by the prescribed particulars to the Minister and to the certifying doctor.

(4) Where any disease is notified under subsection (3) of this section and, after notification, results in the death of the person who contracted the disease, notice in writing of the death shall be sent by the occupier of the factory to the Minister as soon as the death comes to his knowledge.

(5) Where any disease to which this section applies is contracted by a person employed in a factory of which the occupier is not the actual employer of such person, the actual employer shall immediately report the contracting of the disease to the occupier and, if he fails to do so, he shall be guilty of an offence under this section and shall be liable on summary conviction thereof to a fine not exceeding five pounds.

(6) The Minister may, as respects all factories or any class or description of factory, by regulations, made after consultation with the Minister for Health, apply this section to any disease other than those mentioned in this section.