Factories Act – Other Statutory Health & Welfare Measures – Creche

Factories Act – Other Statutory  Health & Welfare Measures – Creche

Crèches

(1)Rules 73 to 76 shall apply to any factory wherein more than 157[Thirty women workers] are ordinarily employed.

(2)The crèches shall conform to the following standards and the 158[Occupier or Manager of the factory] shall submit for approval of the Chief Inspector, detailed plans in triplicate of the building to be constructed or adapted.

(3)The crèche shall be conveniently accessible to the mothers of the children accommodated therein and so far as is reasonably practicable it shall not be situated in the close proximity to any part of the factory where obnoxious fumes, dust or odours are given off or in which excessively noisy processes are carried on.

(4)The building in which the crèche is situated shall be soundly constructed and all the walls and roof shall be of suitable heat-resisting materials and shall be water-proof. The floor and internal walls of the crèche to a height of 1.2 meters all around shall be so laid or finished as to provide a smooth impervious surface.

(5)The height of the rooms in the building shall be not less than 3.7 meters from the floor to the lowest part of the roof and then shall be not less than 1.9 square meters of floor area for each child to be accommodated.

(6)Effective and suitable provisions shall be made in every part of the crèche for securing and maintaining adequate ventilation by the circulation of fresh air.

(7)The crèche shall be adequately furnished and equipped and in particular, there shall be one suitable cot or cradle with the necessary bedding for each child (provided that for children over two years of age it will be sufficient if suitable bedding is made available) at least one chair or equivalent seating accommodation for the use of each mother while she is feeding or attending to her child and a sufficient supply of suitable toys for the older children.

(8)A suitably fenced and shady open-air playground shall be provided for the older children:

Provided that the Chief Inspector may by order in writing exempt any factory from compliance with this sub-rule if he is satisfied that there is not sufficient space available for the provision of such a playground.