If you handle construction chemicals you are subjected to- The Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996.
The Act extends to the whole of India and applies to any establishment that employs, or had employed on any day of the preceding 12 months, 10 or more building workers.
The provisions for construction chemicals are given below. Here are some of provisions for chemicals and what you must do:
- Dust, gases, fumes etc:
Provide means to keep concentration of dust, gases or fumes within permissible limits.
- Corrosive chemicals including acids and alkalis:
See that a person dealing with such substances only stores and uses them. Provide them with protective equipment. If there is any spillage on the worker, take immediate remedial measures.
- Excavation or tunneling work:
Note that there is a requirement of special appointment of engineers and personnel to supervise the work.
- Flammable oils:
Ensure that flammable oils with the flash point below the working temperature that can happen in a tunnel are not used in excavation or tunneling work.
- Storing of oil and fuel underground:
Keep all oils in tightly sealed containers, in fire resistant areas, at safe distances, away from explosives/flammable chemicals.
- Use of gases underground:
Take required approval before you store and use petrol or liquefied petroleum gas or any flammable chemical inside the tunnel. Then, after the use, remove the remaining chemicals immediately from the tunnel.
- Handling of explosives:
Ensure that all explosives are handled, used or stored in accordance with the instructions given by the manufacturer. Put up warning and danger signs at conspicuous places before use.
You are also required to meet some more provisions. Some simple but still not followed are here:
- Warn about no smoking, no naked lights and no source of ignition in the vicinity of explosives
- Keep safe distance and use non-sparking tools to open packages containing explosives
- Stop the use and handling of explosives under unsuitable weather conditions
Another noteworthy provision The Act specifies permissible levels of more than hundred chemicals in the work environment, including common chemicals like ammonia, carbon monoxide, chlorine etc.
So that is some of a plenty that the statute tells you to do when you handle chemicals at a construction site. Needless to say, the Act provides for inspection and penalties: The Labor Commissioner of Delhi government is the chief inspector and other labor officers have been notified as inspectors.
One more important aspect without which this study would not be complete is composites. Lets now scrutinize as to what these composites are?
|