Factories Act, 1955

Regulations and bye-laws as to means of escape in case of fire.

46.—(1) The Minister may make regulations as to the means of escape in case of fire to be provided in factories or any class or description of factory.

(2) It shall be the duty of the sanitary authority to enforce regulations under this section, and section 19 of this Act shall apply in the case of default in enforcing such regulations as it applies in the case of default in enforcing section 17 of this Act.

(3) If a certificate has been issued under section 45 of this Act in respect of a factory which is not in conformity with the regulations under this section, the sanitary authority shall by notice in writing require the occupier to make, within a specified period, such alterations as they consider necessary to bring the factory into conformity with the regulations, and the provisions of section 45 of this Act shall apply in relation to any such notice as they apply in relation to a notice of the sanitary authority under that section.

(4) The sanitary authority shall, in addition to any powers which they possess with reference to the prevention of fire, have power to make bye-laws as to the means of escape in case of fire to be provided in factories or any class or description of factory, but such bye-laws shall be void in so far as they contain any provision inconsistent with any regulations made by the Minister under this section.

(5) The provisions of sections 219 to 223 of the Public Health (Ireland) Act, 1878, shall apply with respect to bye-laws made under this section.