Factory Act 1874

1 Short title.

1. This Act may be cited as theFactory Act, 1874, and together with the Factory Acts, 1833 to 1871, may be cited as the Factory Acts, 1833 to 1874.

2 Commencement of Act.

2. This Act shall come into operation on the first day of January one thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, which day is in this Act referred to as the commencement of this Act.

3 Period for employment of children, young persons, and women.

3. The period during which a child, young person, or woman may be employed in a factory to which this Act applies, shall be either the period between the hours of six in the morning and six in the afternoon, or the period between the hours of seven in the morning and seven in the afternoon.

4 Hours of employment of children, young persons, and women in factory where period from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

4. In every factory to which this Act applies, and in which the period of employment is between the hours of six in the morning and six in the afternoon, the following regulations shall be observed:

(1) (1.) A child, young person, or woman shall not be employed except between those hours; and

(2) A child, young person, or woman shall not be employed continuously for more than four hours and a half without an interval of at least half an hour for a meal; and

(3) (3.) There shall be allowed between the hours of six in the morning and six in the afternoon on every day except Saturday two hours for meals, and of such time one hour at the least shall be before three o'clock in the afternoon; and

(4) (4.) A child, young person, or woman shall not on Saturday,

(a. ) If not less than one hour is allowed for meals on that day, be employed in any manufacturing process after one o'clock in the afternoon, or for any purpose whatever after half-past one o'clock in the afternoon; and

(b. ) If less than one hour is allowed for meals on that day, be employed in any manufacturing process after half an hour after noon, or for any purpose whatever after one o'clock in the afternoon.

5 Hours of employment of children, young persons, and women in factory where period from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

5. In every factory to which this Act applies, and in which the period of employment is between the hours of seven in the morning and seven in the afternoon, the following regulations shall be observed:

(1) (1.) A child, young person, or woman shall not be employed except between those hours; and

(2) (2.) A child, young person, or woman shall not be employed continuously for more than four hours and a half without an interval of at least half an hour for a meal; and

(3) (3.) There shall be allowed between the hours of seven in the morning and seven in the afternoon on every day except Saturday two hours for meals, and of such time one hour at the least shall be before three o'clock in the afternoon; and

(4) (4.) A child, young person, or woman shall not be employed on Saturday in any manufacturing process after half-past one o'clock in the afternoon, or for any purpose whatever after two o'clock in the afternoon.

6 Employment of children in morning and afternoon sets, or on alternate days.

6. In a factory to which this Act applies, the children may be employed either in morning and afternoon sets, or for the whole day on alternate days, and the following regulations shall be observed:

(1) (1.) Where the children are employed in morning and afternoon sets:

(a. ) A child who on any day except Saturday is employed before noon, shall not on the same day be employed after one o'clock in the afternoon, or if the hour of dinner be before one o'clock, after such hour of dinner; and

(b. ) A child shall not be employed on Saturday in two successive weeks, nor on Saturday in any week if on any other day in the same week he has been employed for more than five hours; and

(c. ) A child employed in the factory shall attend school in manner directed by section thirty-eight of the ^{Factory Act, 1844} ; and the provisions of that Act with respect to such attendance and certificates thereof shall apply accordingly; and

(2) (2.) Where the children are employed on alternate days:

(a. ) A child may be employed during the same hours, and with the same hours for meals, as young persons and women in a factory; and

(b. ) A child shall not be employed in any manner on two successive days; and

(c. ) A child employed in the factory shall attend school in manner directed by section thirty-one of the ^{Factory Act, 1844} ; and the provisions of that Act with respect to such attendance and certificates thereof shall apply accordingly.

7 Hours of meals to be simultaneous.

7. In a factory to which this Act applies, all children, young persons, and women in the factory shall have the time allowed them for meals at the same time of the day, unless some alteration for special cause be allowed in writing by an inspector.

8 Employment during meal times forbidden.

8. In a factory to which this Act applies, a child, young person, or woman shall not during any part of the time allowed for any meal be employed in the factory, or allowed to remain in any room in which any manufacturing process is being carried on, and any child, young person, or woman so employed or allowed so to remain shall be deemed to be employed in contravention of the provisions of this Act.

9 Notices of hours of employment and mode of employment of children.

9. The notice of the times of the day for meals required by section twenty-eight of the Factory Act, 1844, to be hung up in the factory shall, in every factory to which this Act applies, specify the hours between which the period of employment in such factory is fixed, and whether children in such factory are to be employed in morning and afternoon sets, or on alternate days.

The period of employment in the factory shall be deemed to be between the hours specified in such notice, and all the children in the factory shall be employed either in sets or on alternate days as may be specified in such notice.

A change in such hours, or in the mode of employment of the children, shall not be made until after the occupier of the factory has sent written notice of his intention to make such change to the inspector or sub-inspector of the district in which the factory is situate, and shall not be made oftener than once a quarter, unless for special cause, allowed in writing by an inspector.

10 Abolition of recovery of lost time under 7 & 8 Vict. c. 15 ss. 33 and 34.

10. Until the first day of January one thousand eight hundred and seventy-six children, young persons, and women may be employed in a factory to which this Act applies in the recovery of lost time in pursuance of the Factory Acts, 1833 to 1856, but after the said first day of January one thousand eight hundred and seventy-six, in a factory to which this Act applies, a child, young person, or woman shall not be employed in the recovery of lost time in pursuance of the Factory Acts, 1833 to 1856, or any of them, during any hours during which they cannot be employed in pursuance of the other provisions of this Act.