Factories Act 1961

30 Dangerous fumes and lack of oxygen

(1) The provisions of subsections (2) to (8) of this section shall have effect where work in any factory has to be done inside any chamber, tank, vat, pit, pipe, flue or similar confined space, in which dangerous fumes are liable to be present to such an extent as to involve risk of persons being overcome thereby.

(2) The confined space shall, unless there is other adequate means of egress, be provided with a manhole, which may be rectangular, oval or circular in shape, and shall be not less than eighteen inches long and sixteen inches wide or (if circular) not less than eighteen inches in diameter, or in the case of tank wagons and other mobile plant, not less than sixteen inches long and fourteen inches wide or (if circular) not less than sixteen inches in diameter.

(3) Subject to subsection (4) of this section, no person shall enter or remain in the confined space for any purpose unless he is wearing a suitable breathing apparatus and has been authorised to enter by a responsible person, and, where practicable, he is wearing a belt with a rope securely attached and a person keeping watch outside and capable of pulling him out is holding the free end of the rope.

(4) Where the confined space has been certified by a responsible person as being, for a specified period, safe for entry without breathing apparatus and the period so specified has not expired, subsection (3) of this section shall not apply, but no person shall enter or remain in the space unless he has been warned when that period will expire.

(5) A confined space shall not be certified under subsection (4) of this section unless—

(a) effective steps have been taken to prevent any ingress of dangerous fumes; and

(b) any sludge or other deposit liable to give off dangerous fumes has been removed and the space contains no other material liable to give off dangerous fumes; and

(c) the space has been adequately ventilated and tested for dangerous fumes and has a supply of air adequate for respiration;

but no account shall be taken for the purposes of paragraph (b) of this subsection of any deposit or other material liable to give off dangerous fumes in insignificant quantities only.

(6) There shall be provided and kept readily available a sufficient supply of breathing apparatus of a type approved by the chief inspector, of belts and ropes, and of suitable reviving apparatus and oxygen, and the apparatus, belts and ropes shall be maintained and shall be thoroughly examined, at least once a month or at such other intervals as may be prescribed, by a competent person; and a report on every such examination, signed by the person making the examination and containing the prescribed particulars, shall be kept available for inspection.

(7) A sufficient number of the persons employed shall be trained and practised in the use of the apparatus mentioned in subsection (6) of this section and in a method of restoring respiration.

(8) The chief inspector may by certificate grant, subject to any conditions specified in the certificate, exemption from compliance with any of the requirements of the foregoing provisions of this section in any case where he is satisfied that compliance with those requirements is unnecessary or impracticable.

(9) No person shall enter or remain in any confined space in which the proportion of oxygen in the air is liable to have been substantially reduced unless either—

(a) he is wearing a suitable breathing apparatus; or

(b) the space has been and remains adequately ventilated and a responsible person has tested and certified it as safe for entry without breathing apparatus.

(10) No work shall be permitted in any boiler-furnace or boiler-flue until it has been sufficiently cooled by ventilation or otherwise to make work safe for the persons employed.