Insecticides Rules, 1971 - Provisions Regarding Protective Clothing, Equipment, and Other Facilities for Workers

CHAPTER VIII - PROVISIONS REGARDING PROTECTIVE CLOTHING, EQUIPMENT, AND OTHER FACILITIES FOR WORKERS DURING MANUFACTURE OF INSECTICIDES

37. Medical Examination

1. All persons who are engaged in the work of handling, dealing or otherwise coming in contact with the insecticides during manufacture/formulation of insecticides or being engaged during spraying operation shall be examined medically before their employment and at least quarterly in the case of those engaged in manufacturing / formulation units and yearly in any other cases including operators while in service by a qualified doctor who is aware of risks to which such persons are exposed. Particulars of all such persons, including the particulars of their medical examination, shall be entered in a register in Form XVII. Where the insecticide in question is an organo phosphorous compound or a carbonate compound, the blood cholinesterase’s level shall be measured at least once a month of all persons working in the manufacturing units. The blood residue estimation shall be done once in a year in the case of persons working with organo chlorine group of insecticides in a manufacturing / formulation unit. In the case of spraying people working with the pest-control operators, the estimation of cholinesterase level (if working with organo phosphorous or carbonate compounds) and blood residue (if working with organo chlorine group) shall be conducted as and when advised by the doctor as part of the general medical test.

2. Any person showing symptoms of poisoning shall be immediately examined and given proper treatment.

38. First aid measures

In all cases of poisoning first-aid treatment shall always be given before the physician is called. The Indian Standard Guide for handling cases of insecticide poisoning-Part I First-Aid Measures [IS : 4015 (Par I)—1967] and Part II Symptoms, diagnosis and treatment [IS : 4015 (Par II)—1967] shall be consulted for such first-aid treatment in addition to any other books, on the subject. The workers also should be educated regarding the effects of poisoning and the first-aid treatment to be given.

39. Protective clothing

1. Persons handling insecticides during its manufacture, formulation, transport, distribution or application, shall be adequately protected with appropriate clothing.

2. The protective clothing shall be used wherever necessary, in conjunction with respiratory devices as laid down in rule 40.

3. The protective clothing shall be made of materials which prevent or resist the penetration of any form of insecticides formulations. The materials shall also be washable so that the toxic elements may be removed after each use.

4. A complete suit of protective clothing shall consist of the following dresses, namely :-

a. protective outer garment/overalls/hood/hat.
b. rubber gloves or such other protective gloves extending half-way up to the fore-arm, made of materials impermeable to liquids;

c. dust-proof goggles;
d. boots.

40. Respiratory devices

For preventing inhalation of toxic dusts, vapours of gases, the workers shall use any of the following types of respirators or gas-masks suitable for the purpose, namely :

a. Chemical Cartridge Respirator;
b. Supplied-air Respirator;
c. Demand flow type respirator;
d. Full-face or half-face gas-masks with canister.

In no case shall the concentrates of insecticides in the air where the insecticides are mixed exceed the maximum permissible values.

41. Manufacturers, etc. to keep sufficient quantities of antidotes and first-aid medicines

The manufacturers and distributors of insecticides and persons who undertake to spray insecticide on a commercial basis (hereafter in these rules referred to as operators) shall keep sufficient stocks of such first-aid tools, equipments, antidotes, injections and medicines as may be required to treat poisoning cases arising from inhalation, skin, contamination, eye contamination and swallowing.

42. Training of workers

The manufacturers and distributors of insecticides and operators shall arrange for suitable training in observing safety precautions and handling safety equipment provided to them.

43. Aerial spraying operations

The aerial application of insecticides shall be subject to the following provisions, namely :

a. making of the area shall be the responsibility of the operators;
b. the operators shall use only approved insecticides and their formulations at approved concentration and height;

c. washing decontamination and first-aid facilities shall be provided by the operators;
d. All aerial operations shall be notified to the public not less than twenty-four hours in advance through competent authorities;

e. Animals and persons not connected with the operations shall be prevented from entering such areas for a specific period; and

f. The pilots shall undergo specialization training including clinical effects of the insecticides.

44. Disposal of used packages, surplus materials and washings of insecticides

1. It shall be the duty of manufacturers, formulators of insecticides and operators to dispose packages or surplus materials and washing in a safe manner so as to prevent environmental or water pollution.

2. The used packages shall not be left outside to prevent their re-use.

3. The packages shall be broken and buried away from habitation.

CHAPTER IX - MISCELLANEOUS

45. Places at which the insecticides may be imported

No insecticides shall be imported into India except through one of the following places, namely :

Ferozepore Cantonment and Amritsar railway stations in respect of insecticides imported by rail across the frontier with West Pakistan. Ranaghat, Bongaon and Mahiassan railway stations in respect of insecticides imported by rail across the frontier with the East Pakistan.Madras, Calcutta, Bombay, Cochin and Kandla – in respect of insecticides imported by sea into India. Madras, Calcutta, Bombay, Delhi and Ahmedabad – in respect of insecticides imported by air into India.

46. Traveling and other allowances payable to the members of the Board, etc.

The members of the Board, Registration Committee and any other Committee appointed by the Board shall be entitled to such traveling and other allowances for attending meetings of the Board shall be entitled to such traveling and other allowances for attending meetings of the Board, Registration Committee or other Committee, as the case may be, as are for the time being admissible to Grade I officers of the Central Government.