Factories Act · 1985 Revised Edition · Part V · Safety (General Provisions)
37. Steam receivers and steam containers
Feedback & supportLast amended by an amending law of 1986. 2 amendments in all.
Every steam receiver and every part thereof and all its fittings shall be of good construction, sound material, adequate strength, and free from patent defect, and shall be properly maintained.
steam receiver
“steam receiver” means any vessel or apparatus (other than a steam boiler, steam container, steam pipe or coil or a part of a prime mover) used for containing steam under pressure greater than atmospheric pressure;
Every steam receiver, not so constructed and maintained as to withstand with safety the maximum permissible working pressure of the boiler or the maximum pressure which can be obtained in the pipe connecting the receiver with any source of supply, shall be fitted with —
maintained
“maintained” means maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair;
a suitable reducing valve or other suitable automatic appliance to prevent the safe working pressure of the receiver being exceeded;
a suitable safety valve so adjusted as to permit the steam to escape as soon as the safe working pressure is exceeded, or a suitable appliance for cutting off automatically the supply of steam as soon as the safe working pressure is exceeded;
a correct steam pressure gauge, which shall indicate the pressure of steam in the receiver;
a suitable stop-valve; and
except where only one steam receiver is in use, a plate bearing a distinctive number which shall be easily visible,and the safety valve and pressure gauge shall be fitted either on the steam receiver or on the supply pipe between the receiver and the reducing valve or other appliance to prevent the safe working pressure being exceeded.
For the purpose of subsection (2), except paragraph (e) thereof, any set of receivers supplied with steam through a single pipe and forming part of a single machine may be treated as one receiver, and for the purpose of that subsection, except paragraphs (d) and (e) thereof, any other set of receivers supplied with steam through a single pipe may be treated as one receiver but this subsection shall not apply to any such set of receivers unless the reducing valve or other appliance to prevent the safe working pressure being exceeded is fitted on that single pipe.
safe working pressure
“safe working pressure” means, in the case of a new steam receiver or air receiver or refrigerating plant pressure receiver, that pressure specified in the certificate referred to in section 37(7), 39(7) or 40(1) and, in the case of a steam receiver or air receiver or refrigerating plant pressure receiver which has been examined in accordance with section 37, 39 or 40, that pressure specified in the report of the last examination;
Every steam receiver and all its fittings shall be thoroughly examined by an authorised boiler inspector, so far as the construction of the receiver permits, at least once in every 24 months.
The Chief Inspector may, if he thinks fit, by a certificate in writing authorise, subject to any conditions specified in the certificate, a period exceeding 24 months within which the examination under subsection (4) is to be made.
Chief Inspector
“Chief Inspector” means the Chief Inspector appointed under this Act and any other inspector authorised to act on his behalf by the Commissioner;
A report of the result of every such examination in the prescribed form and containing the prescribed particulars (including particulars of the safe working pressure), shall be prepared in duplicate and signed by the person making the examination. A copy of such report shall be handed to the occupier of the factory and the other copy shall be sent to the Chief Inspector.
prescribed
“prescribed” means prescribed by the Minister by order or by regulations made under this Act;
No steam receiver which has previously been used shall be taken into use in any factory for the first time in that factory until it has been examined and reported on in accordance with subsections (4) and (6); and no new steam receiver shall be taken into use unless there has been obtained from the Chief Inspector a certificate specifying the safe working pressure of the receiver and stating the nature of the tests to which the receiver and fittings have been submitted, and the certificate is kept available for inspection, and the receiver is so marked as to enable it to be identified as the receiver to which the certificate relates.
factory
“factory” means any premises in which, or within the close or curtilage or precincts of which, persons are employed in manual labour in any process for or incidental to any of the following purposes:(a)the making of any article or of part of any article;(b)the altering, repairing, ornamenting, finishing, cleaning, or washing, or the breaking up or demolition of any article; or(c)the adapting for sale of any article,being premises in which, or within the close or curtilage or precincts of which, the work is carried on by way of trade or for purposes of gain and to or over which the employer of the persons employed therein has the right of access or control.(2) Whether or not premises are factories by reason of the foregoing definition, “factory” also includes the following premises in which persons are employed in manual labour:(a)any yard or dry dock (including the precincts thereof) in which ships are constructed, reconstructed, repaired, refitted, finished or broken up;(b)any premises in which the business of sorting articles is carried on as a preliminary to the work carried on in any factory or incidentally to the purposes of any factory;(c)any premises in which the business of washing or filling bottles or containers or packing articles is carried on incidentally to the purposes of any factory;(d)any premises in which the business of hooking, plaiting, lapping, making up or packing of yarn or cloth is carried on;(e)any laundry carried on as ancillary to another business or incidentally to the purposes of any public institution;(f)any premises in which the construction, reconstruction or repair of locomotives, aircraft, vehicles or other plant for use for transport purposes is carried on as ancillary to a transport undertaking or other industrial or commercial undertaking, not being any premises used for the purpose of housing locomotives, aircraft or vehicles where only cleaning, washing, running repairs or minor adjustments are carried out;(g)any premises in which printing by letter press, lithography, photogravure, or other similar process, or bookbinding is carried on by way of trade or for purposes of gain or incidentally to another business so carried on;(h)any premises in which the making, adaptation or repair of dresses, scenery or properties is carried on incidentally to the production, exhibition or presentation by way of trade or for purposes of gain of cinematograph films or theatrical performances, not being a stage or dressing-room of a theatre in which only occasional adaptations or repairs are made;(i)any premises in which the business of making or mending nets is carried on incidentally to the fishing industry;(j)any premises in which mechanical power is used in connection with the making or repair of any article incidentally to any business carried on by way of trade or for purposes of gain;(k)any premises in which the production of cinematograph films is carried on by way of trade or for purposes of gain, so however that the employment at any such premises of theatrical performers and of attendants on such theatrical performers shall not be deemed to be employment in a factory;(l)any premises in which articles are made or prepared incidentally to the carrying on of building operations or works of engineering construction, not being premises in which such operations or works are being carried on;(m)any premises used for the storage of gas in a gas-holder having a storage capacity of not less than 140 cubic metres;(n)any premises in which persons are employed in or in connection with the generating of electrical energy for supply by way of trade, or for supply for the purposes of any industrial or commercial undertaking or of any public building or public institution, or for supply to streets or other public places;(o)any premises in which mechanical power is used for the purposes of or in connection with a water supply, being premises in which persons are regularly employed;(p)any sewage works in which mechanical power is used and any pumping station used in connection therewith;(q)any premises in which building operations or works of engineering construction are being carried on.(3) Any line or siding, which is used in connection with and for the purposes of a factory, shall be deemed to be part of the factory; and if any such line or siding is used in connection with more than one factory belonging to different occupiers, the line or siding shall be deemed to be a separate factory.(4) Any workplace in which, with the permission of or under agreement with the owner or occupier, 10 or more persons carry on any work which would constitute the workplace a factory if the persons working therein were in the employment of the owner or occupier of the workplace, shall be deemed to be a factory for the purposes of this Act, and, in the case of any such workplace, the provisions of this Act shall apply as if the owner or occupier of the workplace were the occupier of the factory and the persons working therein were persons employed in the factory.(5) No premises shall be deemed to be a factory in which less than 10 persons are employed and in which —(a)no mechanical power, steam boiler, steam container, steam receiver, cast-iron underfired vulcaniser, air receiver, refrigerating plant pressure receiver or gas plant is used; and(b)no highly inflammable or noxious substance is manipulated, used or created.(6) Where a place situated within the close, curtilage or precincts forming a factory is solely used for some purpose other than the processes carried on in the factory, that place shall not be deemed to form part of the factory for the purposes of this Act, but shall, if otherwise it would be a factory, be deemed to be a separate factory.(7) A part of a factory may, with the approval in writing of the Chief Inspector, be deemed to be a separate factory; and two or more factories may, with the approval in writing of the Chief Inspector, be deemed to be a single factory.(8) Premises shall not be excluded from the definition of a factory by reason only that they are open air premises.(9) Any premises belonging to or in the occupation of the Government or of any statutory board or body shall not be deemed not to be a factory, and any premises in which building operations or works of engineering construction are carried on by or on behalf of the Government or any such board or body shall not be excluded from the operation of this Act by reason only that the work carried on thereat is not carried on by way of trade or for purposes of gain. Subject to this section,
Any person who for the purposes of this section desires that an examination of a steam receiver should be carried out by, and any person who in order to obtain the certificate referred to in subsection (7) desires that the necessary tests should be carried out by, any authorised boiler inspector who is an inspector, shall notify the Chief Inspector accordingly and, on payment by such person of the prescribed fee, the Chief Inspector shall instruct such an authorised boiler inspector to carry out the examination or the tests, as the case may be.
certificate
“certificate” means a certificate of registration issued under section 9;
Every steam container shall be so maintained as to secure that the outlet is at all times kept open and free from obstruction.
steam container
“steam container” means any vessel (other than a steam pipe or coil) constructed with a permanent outlet into the atmosphere or into a space where the pressure does not exceed atmospheric pressure, and through which steam is passed at atmospheric pressure, or at approximately that pressure for the purpose of heating, boiling, drying, evaporating or similar purpose;