Factories Act, 1955

Powers of inspector as to sanitary defects remediable by sanitary authority.

18.—(1) Where an inspector finds any act or default, in relation to any drain, sanitary convenience, water supply, nuisance, or other matter in a factory which is liable to be dealt with by the sanitary authority under this Part of this Act or under the law relating to public health, he shall give notice thereof in writing to the sanitary authority, and it shall be the duty of the sanitary authority to make such inquiry into the subject of the notice, and take such action thereon, as seems to them proper for the purpose of enforcing the law, and to inform the inspector of the proceedings taken in consequence of the notice.

(2) Where an inspector finds any such act or default as is referred to in subsection (1) of this section, he may take with him into the factory a medical officer of health, a health inspector or an officer of the sanitary authority.

(3) If, within one month after notice of an act or default is given by an inspector under this section to a sanitary authority, proceedings are not taken for punishing or remedying the act or default, the Minister may take the like proceedings for the punishment or remedying thereof as the sanitary authority might have taken, and shall be entitled to recover from the sanitary authority as a simple contract debt in any court of competent jurisdiction all such expenses incurred by him in and about the proceedings as are not recovered from any other person and have not been incurred in or about any unsuccessful legal proceedings.