Glass and Ceramics

Industries / examples: Glass manufacture, ceramic/pottery and refractory works.

Principal hazards & agents

Crystalline silica and ceramic/refractory dust
Lead and other glaze/colourant compounds; arsenic
Furnace heat and infrared radiation
Hydrofluoric acid (etching); noise

Health effects

Silicosis and pneumoconiosis, lead poisoning, heat stress, cataract/IR eye damage, HF burns and systemic toxicity, hearing loss.

Engineering controls

Wet methods, enclosure and LEV at batch mixing, grinding, glazing and fettling; substitution of lead glazes; furnace heat shielding and IR-screening; HF handling controls with calcium-gluconate first aid; dust monitoring.

PPE

FFP3 silica respirators
Heat-reflective clothing and IR goggles at furnaces
Acid-resistant gloves for HF (plus calcium gluconate)
Hearing protection
Safety footwear

Statutory vs annotation: only the entry name and its sub-items are First-Schedule text. The hazard, health-effect, control and PPE notes are occupational-hygiene context, not statutory text. First Schedule, the Factories Act, 1948 [See section 2(cb)] — "List of Industries involving hazardous processes" (29 entries). Section 2(cb) defines "hazardous process". Verbatim list confirmed against the official Factory Inspectorate (Government of Puducherry, Labour Department) publication of the Factories Act, 1948 (py.gov.in/sites/default/files/labourfactory.pdf) and cross-checked with the bare-act text at AdvocateKhoj (advocatekhoj.com/library/bareacts/factories/schedule1.php). The Schedule may be amended/added to by the State Government under section 2(cb) read with section 41A.

Reference information for occupational-health professionals — not medical advice, and not a substitute for examination by a qualified physician.

Other hazardous processes

All 29 hazardous processes — First Schedule

MedFactory — Occupational Health Centre software for Indian factories