About The Office

The office was established after the bifurcation of the erstwhile Assam state in 1973. Since then, it functions as a combined Inspectorate of Boilers and Factories headed by the Chief Inspector of Boilers and Factories under the administrative control of the Labour Department, Government of Meghalaya.

The office is entrusted with the implementation of the provisions of the following Acts, Rules and Regulations.

  1. The Factories Act, 1948. The Meghalaya Factories Rules, 1980, the Meghalaya Control of Industrial Major Accident Hazards (CIMAH) Rules, 1994.
  2. The Indian Boilers Act, 1923, the Meghalaya Boilers Rules, 1986, the Indian Boiler Regulations, 1950, The Central Boilers Board (Nomination of Members) Rules,2008,the Boiler Attendants Rules, 2011, the Boiler Operation Engineers Rules, 2011, the Chief Inspector, Deputy Chief Inspector and Inspector (qualification and experience) Rules, 2012, the Boiler Appeal Rules, 2013, the Boiler Accident Inquiry Rules,2021
  3. Relevant portions of:
    1. The Payment of Wages Act, 1936, (collection of Returns) under the Workmen’s Compensation Act, 1923, the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961
    2. The Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemicals Rules, 1989 and the Chemical Accidents Emergency Planning Preparedness and Response (EPPR) Rules, 1996 (both under the Environment Protection Act, 1986)

FUNCTIONS

Through the implementation of the above concerned Acts, Rules and Regulations, this office ensures:

  1. Safe operation of Boilers, which are highly explosive unless proper care is taken, and
  2. Protection of Industrial Safety & Health and Welfare of workers employed in factories/Industrial units

Process of industrialization is absolutely necessary for the development of a state. At the same time it has to be kept in mind that any phenomenal growth in the industrial sector might bring increased risk of various hazards including accidents, explosions, occupational disease etc. unless the said process of industrialization is properly streamlined and suitably organized. This objective can be can be achieved by the office of the Chief Inspector of Boilers and Factories (which also needs to be properly streamlined as per statute,) who can provide the required technological care and has the ability to eliminate, reduce or prevent industrial accidents, hazards and occupational diseases through the enforcement of the concerned Acts, Rules etc.

Industries occupy a key position in the economic life of a society. They supply a wide range of products which find their way into the large spectrum of human activity. Many of the industrial equipments, products, by-products, raw materials and processes are potentially hazardous – some are explosive (e.g. Boilers), some flammable and yet some others are toxic or corrosive. Further, with the advancement of technology many complex processes, high temperature & pressure plants will be there to stay and the problem of various hazards will increase manifold if proper care is not taken care of. People working in Boilers units and in Factories are constantly exposed to dangers of explosion, fire, gas-leakage, chemical-spillage etc. absence, non-use or failure of safety items like the fire-lighting apparatus, personal protective equipments, disaster control, devices etc. often result in mishaps and catastrophies causing huge loss to the society and the nation as a whole.


ACTIVITIES

Under the Factories Act, and Rules framed there under, the following steps are taken, namely:

  1. Identification of Industrial units which come under the purview of the Factories Act, 1948 and Rules frame thereunder.
  2. Identification of industrial units which, from the safety and health point of view, can be brought under the purview of the Factories Act, through application of special provision of Section 85 of the Factories Act.
  3. To receive and scrutinize applications, technical drawings (like site plan, machinery layout plan, etc) other relevant documents and registration fees – their approval by the Chief Inspector.
  4. To conduct inspection to all the registered factories as a matter of routine work and also on receipt of any complaint from the workers etc. with a view to ensure compliance under the Act and Rules in which various provisions have been laid down for the health, safety and welfare of the workers.
  5. Registration and grant of licence to the units;
  6. Receive online applications alongwith requisite fees and Auto-renewal of Factory licences annually.
  7. Surprise inspections of factories as a matter of routine work to ensure compliance with the provisions of the said Act and Rules.
  8. To investigate cases of reportable accidents and suggest remedial measures to prevent their recurrence.
  9. Get the defects detected during inspections, rectified through issue of instructions, follow up and monitoring.
  10. To launch legal proceedings against the defaulters.
  11. To get medical examinations conducted in factories by the Certifying Surgeon where –
    1. Cases of illness have occurred due to the nature of the manufacturing process therein.
    2. Due to the change in the manufacturing process or substances, there is a likelihood of injury to the health of the workers.
    3. Young persons are or are about to be employed in any work which is likely to cause injury to their health.
    4. Cases of notifiable occupational diseases like silicosis, asbestosis etc are reported in hazardous manufacturing processes.
    5. Medical surveillance of workers employed in small scale units but hazardous in nature who could not afford to appoint Factory Medical Office on their own vis-à-vis improvement in the Occupational Safety and Health management system of such units.
  12. Grant of certificates to competent persons/institutions under certain sections of the Act for carrying out tests of equipments installed in industrial units and collection of fees and renewal thereof.
  13. To encourage the Entrepreneurs in promotional activities such as to train the workers in the matter of safety and health, and to celebrate “National Safety day” annually with due involvement and enthusiasm.
  14. To collect various returns from the factories periodically, as prescribed and further forward them to – (i) The Labour Bureau Shimla, Government of India; and to the (ii) DGFASLI (Director General Factory Advice Service and Labour Institute), Mumbai, Govt. of India.
  15. The Chief Inspector of Factories is required to attend Chief Inspectors’ Conference annually organized by DGFASLI, Govt. of India.
  16. Make draft Rules for adoption in the State Factories Rules as per the decisions of the Chief Inspectors’ Conferences.

Under the Indian Boilers Act, 1923, Regulations and Rules framed thereunder, the following steps are taken, namely:

  1. Identification of Boilers which come under the purview of the Indian Boilers Act, 1923.
  2. Receive applications for the registration of Boilers, alongwith necessary technical drawings, certificates of manufacture and test issued by Competent Authority (of the State of Manufacture) in respect of the boilers and registration fees.
  3. Scrutinize the drawings of the Boiler and the layout of steam pipe lines etc. and accord approve of the Chief Inspector.
  4. Conduct inspections and tests in phases (three to four number of inspections), as prescribed under the Indian Boiler Regulations to ascertain the fitness of a boiler, its mountings and fittings, accessories and associated steam pipe lines for the purpose of the registration of the boilers.
  5. Conduct inspections and the prescribed tests every year, after necessary fees has been paid and the boiler has been prepared by the owner for inspection as per the requirement of the provisions of the Indian Boiler Regulations, 1950.
  6. Grant of certificates and renewal thereof authorizing the use of boiler.
  7. Make inspection and tests before, as well as after any repair on the boiler.
  8. To conduct examinations for the issue of Certificates to Boiler Attendants and Boiler Operation Engineers.
  9. The Chief Inspector of Boilers is required to attend Chief Inspector of Boilers’ conferences held annually and organized by the Central Boilers Board, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Govt. of India.

Payment of wages Act, 1936 :

Under Section 14(i) of this Act, an Inspector of Factories is also an Inspector in respect of factories for the purposes of the Act. Its objective is to regulate non-payment, undue delay in payment and deduction from payment of wages to the workers by the employer.

Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 :

The objective of this Act is to regulate the employment of women in factories for certain periods before and after child birth and to provide maternity benefit to them.

Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemicals Rules, 1989 :

The Ministry of Environment and Forests, Govt. of India, under the above Central Rules, has entrusted the Chief Inspector of Factories with the following duties, namely :-

  • Notification of sites as per Rule 7 – 9 of these Rules;
  • Safety Reports as per Rule 10 – 12.
  • Preparation of On-site Emergency Plan as per Rule 13.
  • Preparation of Off-site Emergency Plan in consultation with the District Collector or the District Emergency Authority, as prescribed.

The Chemical Accidents [Emergency Planning Preparedness and Response] Rules, 1996 :

A State Level Crisis Group under the Chairmanship of the Chief Secretary was constituted during the year 1997, whose main function is to act as an apex body in the state to deal with major Chemical Accidents. The Chief Inspector of Boilers and Factories shall be a member of the State Crisis Group.