Hazardous process
Coal (including coke) industries — Coal, lignite, coke etc.; Fuel Gases (including Coal Gas, Producer Gas, Water Gas)
A hazardous process listed in the First Schedule to the Factories Act 1948 (s.2(cb)).
Typical industries: Coke ovens, coal-gas/producer-gas/water-gas plants, coal washeries and carbonisation units.
Principal hazards
- Respirable coal dust
- Coke-oven emissions / coal-tar pitch volatiles (PAHs - benzo[a]pyrene)
- Carbon monoxide (producer/water gas)
- Benzene, naphthalene, ammonia, H2S
- Heat and fire/explosion (flammable gases)
Health effects
Coal workers' pneumoconiosis, lung and skin cancer (PAH), CO poisoning, chronic bronchitis/COPD, dermatitis.
Key engineering controls
Sealed/larry-car charging and door seals on coke ovens, LEV on oven tops; CO and combustible-gas detection with alarms; PAH air monitoring; dust suppression; gas-purge and permit-to-work for confined spaces.
PPE
- Respirators (FFP3 / air-fed) for PAH and dust
- CO personal monitors
- Chemical-resistant gloves and clothing (tar)
- Skin barrier creams
- Flame-resistant clothing
- Eye protection
Statutory vs annotation: only the industry name is First-Schedule statutory text. The hazards, health effects, controls and PPE are standard occupational-hygiene practice, not statutory text.
This page is a statutory / occupational-health reference for factory Occupational Health Centres. It is not medical or legal advice. Verify against the current bare Act, Rules and your State amendments before acting.
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