A.D. 1924. his death belonged or to which any person employed in the factory belongs, or by any association of employers of which the occupier is a member, shall be at liberty to attend and examine any witness either in person or by his counsel, solicitor, or agent, subject nevertheless to the power of the 5 coroner to disallow any question which, in his opinion, is not relevant or is otherwise not a proper question.

Power to

of accidents.

69.-(1) Where it appears to the Secretary of State direct formal that a formal investigation of any accident or disease investigation occurring or contracted in a factory and its causes and 10 circumstances is expedient, the Secretary of State may direct that such an investigation be held, and with respect to any such investigation the following provisions shall have effect:

(a) The Secretary of State may appoint a competent 15
person to hold the investigation, and may appoint
any person or persons possessing legal or special
knowledge to act as assessor or assessors in
holding the investigation:

(b) The person or persons so appointed (hereinafter 20
called "the court ") shall hold the investigation
in open court in such manner and under such
conditions as the court may think most effectual
for ascertaining the causes and circumstances of
the accident or disease, and enabling the court 25
to make the report in this section mentioned:
(c) The court shall have for the purposes of the
investigation all the powers of a court of summary
jurisdiction when acting as a court in hearing
informations for offences against this Act, and 30
all the powers of an inspector under this Act,
and, in addition, power :-

(i) to enter and inspect any place or building the entry or inspection whereof appears to the court requisite for the said 35

purposes;

(ii) by summons signed by the court to require the attendance of all such persons as it thinks fit to call before it and examine for the said purposes, and to require answers 40 or returns to such inquiries as it thinks fit to make;

(iii) to require the production of all books, A.D. 1924. papers, and documents which it considers important for the said purposes;

(iv) to administer an oath and require
any person examined to make and sign a
declaration of the truth of the statements
made by him in his examination :

(d) Persons attending as witnesses before the court
shall be allowed such expenses as would be
allowed to witnesses attending before a court
of record; and in case of dispute as to the
amount to be allowed, the same
same shall be
referred by the court to a master of the Supreme
Court, who, on request, signed by the court,
shall ascertain and certify the proper amount
of the expenses:

(e) The court shall make a report to the Secretary
of State stating the causes of the accident
or disease and its circumstances, and adding
any observations which the court thinks right
to make:

(f) The court may require the expenses incurred
in and about an investigation under this
section (including the remuneration of any
person appointed to act as assessor) to be
paid in whole or part by any person sum-
moned before it who appears to the court to
be responsible in any degree for the occurrence
of the accident or disease, but any such expenses
not required to be so paid shall be deemed to
be part of the expenses of the Secretary of State
in the execution of this Act:
(g) Any person who without reasonable excuse
(proof whereof shall lie on him) either fails,
after having had the expenses (if any) to
which he is entitled tendered to him, to
comply with any summons or requisition of
the court, or prevents or impedes the court
in the execution of its duty, shall be guilty of
an offence, and liable to a fine not exceeding
ten pounds, and in the case of a failure to
comply with a requisition for making any return
or producing any document to a further fine
not exceeding ten pounds for every day on
which such failure continues.

T

A.D. 1924.

Duty of
appointed
doctor to
investigate

and report
in certain

cases.

(2) The Secretary of State may cause the report of the court to be made public at such time and in such manner as he may think fit.

70.-(1) It shall be the duty of the appointed doctor to investigate and report—

(a) upon cases of death or injury caused by exposure to fumes or other noxious substances, or due to any other special cause specified in instructions of the Secretary of State as requiring investigation; and

5

10

(b) upon any case of death or injury which the
inspector for the district in pursuance of any
general or special instructions of the Secretary
of State may refer to him for that purpose; and
(c) upon any case of disease of which notice is sent 15
under this Act.

(2) The appointed doctor, for the purpose of an investigation under this section, shall have the same powers as an inspector, and shall also have power to enter any room in a building to which the person killed 20 injured, or affected has been removed.

Prohibition
of employ-
ment of
children.

PART VI.

EMPLOYMENT (WOMEN, YOUNG PERSONS AND
CHILDREN).

Prohibition of Employment of Children.

71.—(1) A child shall not be employed in a factory or about the business of any factory.

25

(2) The provisions of this section shall be in addition to and not in derogation of any provisions contained in the Education Act, 1918, the Education (Scotland) 30 Act, 1918, or any other enactment prohibiting the employment in a factory of persons who are under an obligation to attend school, and references in those provisions to the Factory and Workshop Acts, 1901 to 1911, shall be construed as references to this Act.

35

Hours and Holidays.

A.D. 1924.

72.-(1) Subject to the special exceptions allowed General conunder this Part of this Act, the period of employment ditions as to and intervals for meals and rest for every woman or 5 young person employed in a factory shall conform with the following conditions, namely :

10

15

20

25

30

35

-

(a) the total hours worked, exclusive of intervals
allowed for meals and rest, shall not exceed nine
in any day or forty-eight in any week;
(b) the period of employment shall not exceed eleven
hours in any day and shall not begin earlier
than six o'clock in the morning and shall not
end later than eight o'clock in the evening, or,
on Saturday, two o'clock in the afternoon;

(c) a woman or young person shall not be employed
continuously for a spell of more than four and
a half hours without an interval of at least half
an hour for a meal:

Provided that where a rest interval of not less
than fifteen minutes is allowed in the course of
a spell, the spell may be increased by the length
of the interval so allowed;

(d) a woman or young person shall not be employed
during any interval allowed for meals or rest;
(e) the period of employment and intervals allowed
for meals and rest shall be the same for all
women and young persons employed in the
factory.

(2) For the purposes of this Part of this Act-
(a) "period of employment' means the period
on any day between the hour at which the
employment first commences and the hour at
which the employment finally ends; and
(b) employment shall be deemed to be continuous
unless interrupted by an interval of at least
half an hour.

(3) The foregoing provisions shall not apply to any person holding a responsible position of management, and not usually employed in manual labour.

hours of employment of women and young per

sons.

A.D. 1924.

73.-(1) The occupier shall fix within the limits allowed by this Part of this Act, and shall specify in a ing hours of notice which shall be affixed in the factory

Notice fix

employment.

Restriction

ment inside

(a) the period of employment for the women and
young persons employed in the factory;
(b) the intervals allowed for meals or rest to such
women and young persons;

and, subject to the special exceptions allowed under this
Part of this Act, no woman or young person shall be
employed otherwise than in accordance with the notice.

(2) Different periods of employment and different intervals may be fixed for different days of the week.

5

10

(3) A change in the said periods or intervals shall not be made until the occupier has served on the inspector for the district, and affixed in the factory, notice of his 15 intention to make the change, and shall not be made oftener than once in three months, unless for special cause allowed in writing by the inspector.

(4) Where an inspector, by notice in writing, names a public clock, or some other clock open to public view, for 20 the purpose, the period of employment and the intervals allowed for meals or rest in that factory shall be regulated by that clock.

74. (1) A woman or young person shall not, except of employ during the period of employment, be employed by the 25 occupier outside the factory on any day during which the woman or young person is employed in the factory.

and outside

factory on same day.

Prohibition of use of

certain rooms

(2) For the purposes of this section a woman or young person to or for whom any work is given out or who takes out any work to be done by him or her 30 outside a factory, shall be deemed to be employed outside the factory on the day on which the work is so given or taken out.

75. Subject to the special exceptions allowed under this Part of this Act, a woman or young person shall not 35 during meal during any part of the intervals allowed for meals be allowed to remain in a room in which a process is then being carried on.

times.

Prohibition

76. A woman or young person shall not (subject to of Sunday the special exceptions allowed under this Part of this Act) 40 employment. be employed on Sunday in a factory or about the business

of a factory.