S.I. No. 45/1976 - Factories Lead Processes (Medical Examinations) Regulations, 1976.


S.I. No. 45 of 1976.

FACTORIES LEAD PROCESSES (MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS) REGULATIONS, 1976.

I, MICHAEL O'LEARY, Minister for Labour, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by sections 6 , 20 , 70 and 99 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 ) after consultation with the Minister for Health and after due compliance with the provisions of the Third Schedule to that Act, hereby make as special regulations the following regulations:

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Factories Lead Processes (Medical Examinations) Regulations 1976, and shall come into operation on the 1st day of March, 1976.

2. In these regulations—

"appointed doctor" means an appointed doctor for the purpose of any of the instruments specified in the Schedule to these Regulations;

"blood lead level estimation" means an estimation of the amount of lead in the whole blood expressed in microgrammes per 100 grammes of the whole blood;

"haemoglobin estimation" means an estimation of the amount of haemoglobin in the whole blood expressed in grammes per 100 millilitres of the whole blood;

"health register" means a health register or health record, as the case may be, kept pursuant to any of the instruments specified in the Schedule to these Regulations;

"lead process" means a process to which any of the instruments specified in the Schedule to these Regulations applies;

"medical examination" means a medical examination required by any of the instruments specified in the Schedule to these Regulations;

"Minister" means the Minister for Labour.

3. These regulations shall not apply to the medical examination of any person employed only in a fume process within the meaning of the Factories (Indiarubber) Regulations, 1976 ( S.I. No. 29 of 1976 ).

4. (1) The medical examination of a person in connection with his employment for the first time in a lead process shall include—

(i) a full clinical examination,

(ii) a haemoglobin estimation,

(iii) a test for albuminuria and a test for glycosuria,

(iv) a blood level estimation.

(2) Every medical examination other than a medical examination referred to in paragraph (1) of this regulation shall include a full clinical examination.

(3) (i) Subject to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph every person employed in a lead process shall undergo a haemoglobin estimation as often as may be considered necessary by the appointed doctor but such estimation shall be undergone not less than once a year nor more than once in every period of 3 months.

(ii) Where as a result of any haemoglobin estimation the haemoglobin content of the blood of any person is estimated to be less than 13 grammes per 100 millilitres of whole blood in the case of a male, or less than 12 grammes per 100 millilitres in the case of a female, the appointed doctor may at his discretion require a further haemoglobin estimation after such interval as he may determine.

(iii) The results of every examination made under this paragraph shall be entered in the health register.

(4) (i) Subject to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph every person employed in a lead process shall undergo a blood lead level estimation as often as may be considered necessary by the appointed doctor but such estimation shall be undergone not less than once a year nor more than once in every period of 3 months.

(ii) Where as a result of any blood lead level estimation the lead content of the blood of any person is estimated to be 80 microgrammes or more of lead per 100 grammes of the whole blood the appointed doctor may at his discretion require a further blood lead level estimation after such interval as he may determine.

(iii) The results of every examination made under this paragraph shall be entered in the health register.

(5) (i) Every person employed in a lead process shall undergo a test for albuminuria and a test for glycosuria as often as may be considered necessary by the appointed doctor but such tests shall be taken not less than once a year nor more than once in every period of 3 months.

(ii) The results of every examination made under this paragraph shall be entered in the health register.

5. The occupier of a factory to which any of the instruments specified in the Schedule to these Regulations applies shall send to the Minister within 7 days after the end of the month in which the entry is made a copy of every entry made in the health register by the appointed doctor.

SCHEDULE.

Description or Title of Instrument

Reference

Provision requiring medical examination

The Factories (Electric Accumulators) Regulations, 1976

S.I. No. 33 of 1976 .

Regulation 18

The Factories (Heading of Yarn) Regulations, 1976.

S.I. No. 28 of 1976 .

Regulation 9

The Factories (Indiarubber) Regulations, 1976.

S.I. No. 29 of 1976 .

Regulation 18

The Factories (Manufacture of Lead Compounds) Regulations, 1976.

S.I. No. 32 of 1976 .

Regulation 17

The Factories (Manufacture of Paints and Colours) Regulations, 1976.

S.I. No. 43 of 1976 .

Regulation 10

The Factories (Pottery) Regulations, 1976.

S.I. No. 41 of 1976 .

Regulation 11

The Factories (Tinning of Metal Hollow Ware, Iron Drums and Harness Furniture) Regulations, 1976.

S.I. No. 42 of 1976 .

Regulation 11

The Factories (Vitreous Enamelling) Regulations, 1976.

S.I. No. 40 of 1976 .

Regulation 15

The Factories (Lead Processes) (Employment of Women and Young Persons) Regulations, 1976.

S.I. No. 39 of 1976 .

Regulation 5

The Factories (Lead Smelting) Regulations, 1976.

S.I. No. 44 of 1976 .

Regulation 18

GIVEN under my Official Seal this 25th day of February 1976.

MICHAEL O'LEARY,

Minister for Labour.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

These regulations prescribe the details of the medical examination of persons employed in certain lead processes which is required by each of the Instruments specified in the Schedule.