Factories Act 1948

¹THE SECOND SCHEDULE

(See Section 41-F)

Permissible Levels of Certain Chemical Substances in work environment.

Sr. No.	Substance	Permissible limits of exposure
		Time weighted average concentration (TWA)                     (8hrs)		Short term exposure limit (STEL)             (15 min)
		ppm.	mg/m3**	ppm.	mg/m3**
1	2	3	4	5	6
1.	Acetaldehyde	100	180	150	270
2.	Acetic Acid	10	25	15	37
3.	Acetone	750	1,780	1,000	2,375
4.	Acrolein	0.1	0.25	0.3	0.8
5.	Acrylonitrile-Skin (S.C.)	2	4.5	—	—
6.	Aldrin-Skin	—	0.25	—	—
7.	Allyl Chloride	1	3	2	6
8.	Ammonia	25	18	35	27
9.	Aniline-Skin	2	10	—	—
10.	Anisidine (o,p-isomers)-Skin	0.1	0.5	—	—
11.	Arsenic & soluble compounds (as As)	—	0.2	—	—
2[12.	Benzene (H.C.)	0.5	1.5	25	7.5
13.	Beryllium & compounds          (as Be) (S.C.)	—	0.002	—	—
14.	Boron trifluorid-C	1	3	—	—
15.	Bromine	0.1	0.7	0.3	2
16.	Butane	800	1,900	—	—
17.	2-Butanone (Methyl ethyl Ketone-MEK)	200	590	300	885
18.	n-Butyl acetate	150	710	200	950
19.	n-Butyl alcohol-Skin-C	50	150	—	—
20.	Sec/Tert. Butyl acetate	200	950	—	—
21.	Butyl mercaptan	0.5	1.5	—	—
22.	Cadmium Dusts and Salts            (as Cd)	—	0.05	—	—
23.	Calcium Oxide (Lime)	—	2	—	—
24.	Carbaryl (Sevin)	—	5	—	—
25.	Carbofuran (Furadan)	—	0.1	—	—
26.	Carbon disulphide-Skin	10	30	—	—

 

1 Ins. by Act 20 of 1987, S.45 (w.e.f. 1.12.1987)

2 Subs. By S.O.342 (E) dt.19.4.2001 (w.e.f) 19.4.2001, Gaz. Of India Ext. No. 247, dt. 19.4.2001, Pt. II, sec.3 (ii).

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(Cont’d) – Page 2

Sr. No.	Substance	Permissible limits of exposure
		Time weighted average concentration (TWA)                                (8hrs)		Short term exposure limit (STEL)             (15 min)
		ppm.	mg/m3**	ppm.	mg/m3**
1	2	3	4	5	6
27.	Carbon Monoxide	50	55	400	440
28.	Carbon Tetrachloride Skin (S.C.)	5	30	—	—
29.	Chlordane-Skin	—	0.5	—	2
30.	Chlorine	1	3	3	9
31.	Chlorobenzene (Monochlorobenzene)	75	350	—	—
32.	Chloroform (S.C.)	10	50	—	—
33.	bis (Chloromethyl) ether (H.C.)	0.001	0.005	—	—
34.	Chromic acid and chromates (as Cr) (Water soluble)	—	0.05	—	—
35.	Chromous salts (as Cr)	—	0.5	—	—
36.	Copper Fume	—	0.2	—	—
37.	Cotton dust, raw	—	0.2*1	—	—
38.	Cresol, all isomers-Skin	5	22	—	—
39.	Cyanide (as CN)-Skin	—	5	—	—
40.	Cyanogen	10	20	—	—
41.	DDT (Dichlorodiphenyl trichlorothane)	—	1	—	—
42.	Demeton-Skin	0.01	0.1	—	—
43.	Diazino-Skin	—	0.1	—	—
44.	Dibutyl phthalate	—	5	—	—
45.	Dichlorvos (DDVP)-Skin	0.1	1	—	—
46.	Dieldrin-Skin	0.25	—	—	—
47.	Dinitrobenzene (all isomers)-Skin	0.15	1	—	—
48.	Dinitrotoluene-Skin	—	1.5	—	—
49.	Diphenyl (Biphenyl)	0.2	1.5	—	—
50.	Endosulfan (Thiodan)-Skin	—	0.1	—	—
51.	Endrin-Skin	—	0.1	—	—
52.	Ethyl acetate	400	1,400	—	—
53.	Ethyl alcohol	1,000	1,900	—	—
54.	Ethylamine	10	18	—	—
55.	Fluorides (as F)	—	2.5	—	—
56.	Fluorine	1	2	2	4
57.	Formaldehyde (S.C.)	1.0	1.5	2	3
58.	Formic acid	5	9	—	—
59.	Gasoline	300	900	500	1,500
60.	Hydrazine-Skin (S.C.)	0.1	0.1	—	—

 

1 *Lint-free dust as measured by the vertical elutricator cotton dust sampler.

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Sr. No.	Substance	Permissible limits of exposure
		Time weighted average concentration (TWA)                          (8hrs)		Short term exposure limit (STEL)                 (15 min)
		ppm.	mg/m3**	ppm.	mg/m3**
1	2	3	4	5	6
61,	Hydrogen chloride-C	5	7	—	—
62.	Hydrogen cyanide-Skin-C	10	10	—	—
63.	Hydrogen fluoride           (as F)-C	3	2.5	—	—
64.	Hydrogen peroxide	1	1.5	—	—
65.	Hydrogen Sulphide	10	14	15	21
66.	Iodine-C	0.1	1	—	—
67.	Iron Oxide Fume              (Fe2 O3) (as Fe)	—	5	—	—
68.	Isoamyl acetate	100	525	—	—
69.	Isoamyl Alcohol	100	360	125	450
70.	Isobutyl alcohol	50	150	—	—
71.	Lead, inorg, dusts & fumes (as Pb)	—	0.15	—	—
72.	Lindane-Skin	—	0.5	—	—
73.	Malathion-Skin	—	10	—	—
74.	Manganese dust & compounds (Mn)-C	—	5	—	—
75.	Manganese fume (as Mn)	—	1	—	0.03
76.	Mercury (as Hg)-Skin-
	i. Alkyl compounds	—	0.01	—	0.03
	ii. All forms except alkyl vapour	—	0.05	—	—
	iii. Aryl and Inorganic compounds	—	0.1	—	—
77.	Methyl alcohol (Methanol)-Skin	200	260	250	310
78.	Methyl cello solve (2-Metho-xyethanol)-Skin	5	16	—	—
79.	Methyl isobutyl ketone	50	205	75	300
80.	Methyl isocyanate-Skin	0.02	0.05	—	—
81.	Naphthalene	10	50	15	75
82.	Nickel carbonyl (as Ni)	0.05	0.35	—	—
83.	Nitric Acid	2	5	4	10
84.	Nitric oxide	25	30	—	—
85.	Nitrobenzene-Skin	1	5	—	—
86.	Nitrogen dioxide	3	6	5	10
87.	Oil mist mineral	—	5	—	10
88.	Ozone	0.1	0.2	0.3	0.6

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(Cont’d) – Page 4

Sr. No.	Substance	Permissible limits of exposure
		Time weighted average concentration (TWA)                          (8hrs)		Short term exposure limit (STEL)                 (15 min)
		ppm.	mg/m3**	ppm.	mg/m3**
1	2	3	4	5	6
89.	Parathion-Skin	—	0.1	—	—
90.	Phenol-Skin	5	19	—	—
91.	Phorate (Thimet)-Skin	—	0.05	—	0.2
92.	Phosgene (Carbonyl chloride)	0.1	0.4	—	—
93.	Phosphine	0.3	0.4	1	1
94.	Phosphoric acid (yellow)	—	1	—	3
95.	Phosphorous (yellow)	—	0.1	—	—
96.	Phosphorous pentachloride	0.1	1	—	—
97.	Phosphorous trichloride	0.2	1.5	0.5	—
98.	Picric acid-Skin	—	0.1	—	0.3
99.	Pyridine	5	15	—	—
100.	Silane (Silicon tetrahydride)	5	7	—	—
101.	Sodium Hydroxide C	—	2	—	—
102.	Styrene, monomer (Phenylethylene)	50	215	100	425
103.	Sulphur dioxide	2	5	5	10
104.	Sulphur hexafluoride	1,000	6,000	—	—
105.	Sulphuric acid	—	1	—	—
106.	Tetraethyl lead (as Pb)-Skin	—	0.1	—	—
107.	Toluene (Toluol)	100	375	150	560
108.	O-Toludine-Skin (S.C.)	2	9	—	—
109.	Tributyl phosphate	0.2	2.5	—	—
110.	Trichloroethylene	50	270	200	1,080
111.	Uranium, natural (as U)	—	0.2	—	0.6
112.	Vinyl chloride (H.C.)	5	10	—	—
113.	Welding fumes	—	5	—	—
114.	Xylene (o-,m-,P- isomers)	100	435	150	655
115.	Zinc Oxide
	i. Fume	—	5.0	—	10
	ii. Dust (Total dust)	—	10.00	—	—
116.	Zirconium compounds            (as Zr)	—	5	—	10

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Unit	Details
ppm	Parts particulate matter: Parts of vapour or gas per million parts of contaminated air by volume at 25o C and 760 toor (mm of mercury)
mg/m3	Milligram of substance per cubic metre of air
*	Not more than 4 times a day with at least 60 min. interval between successive exposures
**	mg/m3                Molecular weight ——————————-   x ppm 24.45
G	Denotes ceiling limit
Skin	Denotes potential contribution to the overall exposure by the cutaneous route including mucous membranes and eye.
S.C.	Denotes suspected human carcinogens
H.C.	Denotes confirmed human carcinogens

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(Cont’d) – Page 6

Substance	Permissible time-weighted average concentration (TWA) (8hours)
Silica, (Si O2)
a. Crystalline
i. Quartz
(1)   In terms of dust count	10600 ——————————   mppcm % Quartz + 10
(2)   In terms of respirable dust	10 ——————————   mg/m3 % Quartz + 2
(3)   In terms of total dust	30 ——————————   mg/m3 % Quartz + 3
ii. Cristobalite	Half the limits given against quartz
iii. Tridimite	Half the limits given against quartz
iv. Silica, fused	Same limits as for quartz
v. Tripoli	Same limit as in formula in item (2) given against quartz
1[b. Amorphous Silicates	10 mg/m3, Total dust
Asbestos (H.C.)
a. Amosite	0.1 fibre/cc***
b. Chrysolite	0.1 fibre/cc***
c. Crocidolite	0.1 fibre/cc***
c. Portland cement:	10 mg/m3, Total dust containing less than 1% quartz
d. Coal Dust	2 mg/m3, respirable dust fraction containing less than 5% quartz

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Unit	Details
Mppcm	Million particles per cubic metre of air, based on impinge samples counted by light field techniques
***	i. For fibres greater than 5 micro metre in length and less than 5 micro metre in breadth with length to breadth ration equal to or greater than 3:1.
	ii. As determined by the membrane filter method at 400-450 x magnification (4mm objective) phase contrast illumination.]

 

 

 

Substance	Details
Respirable Dust	Fraction passing a size-selector with the following characteristics:
Aerodynamic Diameter (Micro Metre) (Unit density sphere)	% passing selector
< or = 2	90
2.5	75
3.5	50
5.0	25
10	0

 

¹ Subs. by S.O. 3422 (E) dt. 04.11.2013 (w.e.f.) 12.11.2013, Gaz. Of India, Ext. No. 2582,

12. 12.11.2013, Pt. II, sec. 3 (ii)