Factories Act 1961

Part XIVE+W+S Interpretation and General

InterpretationE+W+S

175 Interpretation of expression “ factory".E+W+S

(1)Subject to the provisions of this section, the expression “factory” means any premises in which, or within the close or curtilage or preceincts of which, persons are employed in manual labour in any process for or incidental to any of the following purposes, namely:—

(a)the making of any article or of part of any article; or

(b)the altering, repairing, ornamenting, finishing, cleaning, or washing or the breaking up or demolition of any article; or

(c)the adapting for sale of any article;

(d)the slaughtering of cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, asses or mules; or

(e)the confinement of such animals as aforesaid while awaiting slaughter at other premises, in a case where the place of confinement is available in connection with those other premises, is not maintained primarily for agricultural purposes within the meaning of the M1Agriculture Act 1947 or, as the case may be, the M2Agriculture (Scotland) Act 1948 and does not form part of premises used for the holding of a market in respect of such animals;

being premises in which, or within the close or curtilage or precincts of which, the work is carried on by way of trade or for purposes of gain and to or over which the employer of the persons employed therein has the right of access or control.

(2)The expression “factory” also includes the following premises in which persons are employed in manual labour (whether or not they are factories by virtue of subsection (1) of this section), that is to say,—

(a)any yard or dry dock (including the precincts thereof) in which ships or vessels are constructed, reconstructed, repaired, refitted, finished or broken up;

(b)any premises in which the business of sorting any articles is carried on as a preliminary to the work carried on in any factory or incidentally to the purposes of any factory;

(c)any premises in which the business of washing or filling bottles or containers or packing articles is carried on incidentally to the purposes of any factory;

(d)any premises in which the business of hooking, plaiting, lapping, making-up or packing of yarn or cloth is carried on;

(e)any laundry carried on as ancillary to another business, or incidentally to the purposes of any public institution;

(f)except as provided in subsection (10) of this section, any premises in which the construction, reconstruction or repair of locomotives, vehicles or other plant for use for transport purposes is carried on as ancillary to a transport undertaking or other industrial or commercial undertaking;

(g)any premises in which printing by letterpress, lithography, photogravure, or other similar process, or bookbinding is carried on by way of trade or for purposes of gain or incidentally to another business so carried on;

(h)any premises in which the making, adaptation or repair of dresses, scenery or properties is carried on incidentally to the production, exhibition or presentation by way of trade or for purposes of gain of cinematograph films or theatrical performances, not being a stage or dressing-room of a theatre in which only occasional adaptations or repairs are made;

(j)any premises in which the business of making or mending nets is carried on incidentally to the fishing industry;

(k)any premises in which mechanical power is used in connection with the making or repair of articles of metal or wood incidentally to any business carried on by way of trade or for purposes of gain;

(l)any premises in which the production of cinematograph films is carried on by way of trade or for purposes of gain, so, however, that the employment at any such premises of theatrical performers within the meaning of the M3Theatrical Employers Registration Act 1925 and of attendants on such theatrical performers shall not be deemed to be employment in a factory;

(m)any premises in which articles are made or prepared incidentally to the carrying on of building operations or works of engineering construction, not being premises in which such operations or works are being carried on;

(n)any premises used for the storage of gas in a gasholder having a storage capacity of not less than [F1140 cubic metres].

(3)Any line or siding (not being part of a railway or tramway) which is used in connection with and for the purposes of a factory, shall be deemed to be part of the factory; and if any such line or siding is used in connection with more than one factory belonging to different occupiers, the line or siding shall be deemed to be a separate factory.

(4)A part of a factory may, with the approval in writing of the chief inspector, be taken to be a separate factory and two or more factories may, with the like approval, be taken to be a single factory.

(5)Any workplace in which, with the permission of or under agreement with the owner or occupier, two or more persons carry on any work which would constitute the workplace a factory if the persons working therein were in the employment of the owner or occupier, shall be deemed to be a factory for the purposes of this Act, and, in the case of any such workplace not being a tenement factory or part of a tenement factory, the provisions of this Act shall apply as if the owner or occupier of the workplace were the occupier of the factory and the persons working therein were persons employed in the factory.

(6)Where a place situate within the close, curtilage, or precincts forming a factory is solely used for some purpose other than the processes carried on in the factory, that place shall not be deemed to form part of the factory for the purposes of this Act, but shall, if otherwise it would be a factory, be deemed to be a separate factory.

(7)Premises shall not be excluded from the definition of a factory by reason only that they are open air premises.

(8)Where the Minister by regulations so directs as respects all or any purposes of this Act, different branches or departments of work carried on in the same factory shall be deemed to be different factories.

(9)Any premises belonging to or in the occupation of the Crown or any municipal or other public authority shall not be deemed not to be a factory, and building operations or works of engineering construction undertaken by or on behalf of the Crown or any such authority shall not be excluded from the operation of this Act, by reason only that the work carried on thereat is not carried on by way of trade or for purposes of gain.

(10)Premises used for the purpose of housing locomotives or vehicles where only cleaning, washing, running repairs or minor adjustments are carried out shall not be deemed to be a factory by reason only of paragraph (f) of subsection (2) of this section, unless they are premises used for the purposes of a railway undertaking where running repairs to locomotives are carried out.

Textual Amendments

F1Words substituted (with saving) by S.I. 1983/978, regs. 3, 4, Sch. 1

Marginal Citations

176 General interpretationE+W+S

(1)In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, the following expressions have the meanings hereby assigned to them respectively, that is to say:—

  • “bakehouse” means any place in which bread, biscuits or confectionery is or are baked by way of trade or for purposes of gain;

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F2

  • “bodily injury” includes injury to health;

  • “building operation” means the construction, structural alteration, repair or maintenance of a building (including re-pointing, re-decoration and external cleaning of the structure), the demolition of a building, and the preparation for, and laying the foundation of, an intended building, but does not include any operation which is a work of engineering construction within the meaning of this Act;

  • “calendar year” means the period of twelve months beginning with the first day of January in any year;

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F3

  • “child” means any person who is not for the purposes of the M4Education Act 1944 M5, over compulsory school age (or for the purposes of the Education (Scotland) Act [F41980] over school age);

  • “class or description”, in relation to factories, includes a group of factories described by reference to locality;

  • “contravention” includes, in relation to any provision, a failure to comply with that provision, and the expression “contravene” shall be construed accordingly;

  • “cotton cloth factory” means any room, shed or workshop, or part thereof, in which the weaving of cotton cloth is carried on;

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F5

  • “district council” means, as respects England and Wales, the council of a . . . F6 district, and, as respects Scotland [F7an islands or a district council];

  • “driving-belt” includes any driving strap or rope;

  • “fume” includes gas or vapour;

  • “general register” means the register kept in accordance with the requirements of section one hundred and forty of this Act;

  • “humid factory” means a factory in which atmospheric humidity is artificially produced by steaming or other means in connection with any textile process;

  • [F8“inspector” means an inspector appointed by the Health and Safety Executive under section 19 of the M6Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and references in any provision of this Act to the inspector for the district, the superintending inspector for the division or the chief inspector are references to an inspector so appointed for the purposes of that provision];

  • “machinery” includes any driving-belt;

  • “magistrates’ court” has the same meaning as in [F9the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980];

  • “maintained” means maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order, and in good repair;

  • “the Minister” means [F10the Secretary of State];

  • “owner”—

    (a)

    as respects England and Wales, means the person for the time being receiving the rackrent of the premises in connection with which the word is used, whether on his own account or as agent or trustee for another person, or who would so receive the rackrent if the premises were let at a rackrent; and

    (b)

    as respects Scotland, means the person for the time entitled to receive or who would, if the same were let, be entitled to receive, the rents of the premises, and includes a trustee, factor, tutor or curator, and in the case of public or municipal property, applies to the persons to whom the management thereof is entrusted;

  • “parent” means a parent [F11or guardian of, or person having the legal custody of, or the control over, a child or young person][F11of a child or young person or any person who is not a parent of his but who has parental responsibility for him (within the meaning of the Children Act 1989)], and includes, in relation to any child or young person, any person having direct benefit from his wages;

  • “period of employment” means the period (inclusive of the time allowed for meals and rest) within which persons may be employed on any day;

  • “prescribed” means prescribed by order of the Minister;

  • “prime mover” means every engine, motor or other appliance which provides mechanical energy derived from steam, water, wind, electricity, the combustion of fuel or other source;

  • “process” includes the use of any locomotive;

  • “railway” means any railway used for the purposes of public traffic whether passenger, goods, or other traffic and includes any works of the railway company connected with the railway;

  • “railway company” includes . . . F12 a company or person working a railway under lease or otherwise;

  • “sanitary conveniences” includes urinals, water-closets, earthclosets, privies, ashpits, and any similar convenience;

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F3

  • “ship”, “vessel”, and “harbour” have the same meanings as in the M7Merchant Shipping Act 1894;

  • “tenement factory” means any premises where mechanical power from any prime mover within the close or curtilage of the premises is distributed for use in manufacturing processes to different parts of the same premises occupied by different persons in such manner that those parts constitute in law separate factories;

  • “tramway” means a tramway authorised by or under any Act of Parliament and used for the purpose of public traffic;

  • “transmission machinery” means every shaft, wheel, drum, pulley, system of fast and loose pulleys, coupling, clutch, driving-belt or other device by which the motion of a prime mover is transmitted to or received by any machine or appliance;

  • “week” means the period between midnight on Saturday night and midnight on the succeeding Saturday night;

  • “woman” means a woman who has attained the age of eighteen;

  • “work of engineering construction” means the construction of any railway line or siding otherwise than upon an existing railway, and the construction, structural alteration or repair (including re-pointing and re-painting) or the demolition of any dock, harbour, inland navigation, tunnel, bridge, viaduct, waterworks, reservoir, pipe-line, aqueduct, sewer, sewage works, or gasholder, except where carried on upon a railway or tramway, and includes such other works as may be specified by regulations of the Minister;

  • “young person” means a person who has ceased to be a child but has not attained the age of eighteen.

(2)For the purposes of this Act, machinery or plant shall be deemed to have been constructed or reconstructed, and a factory or building to have been constructed, reconstructed, extended, added to, or converted for use as a factory, before any date, if the construction, reconstruction, extension, addition, or conversion was begun before that date.

(3)For the purposes of this Act, a factory shall not be deemed to be a factory in which mechanical power is used by reason only that mechanical power is used for the purpose of heating, ventilating or lighting the workrooms or other parts of the factory.

(4)A woman, young person, or child who works in a factory, whether for wages or not, either in a process or in cleaning any part of the factory used for any process, or in cleaning or oiling any part of the machinery or plant, or in any other kind of work whatsoever incidental to or connected with the process, or connected with the article made or otherwise the subject of the process therein, shall, save as is otherwise provided by this Act, be deemed to be employed therein for the purposes of this Act or of any proceedings thereunder, . . . F13.

(5)A young person who works in a factory, whether for wages or not, in collecting, carrying or delivering goods, carrying messages or running errands shall be deemed to be employed in the factory for the purposes of this Act or of any proceedings thereunder, but [F14the provisions of Part VI of this Act shall not apply, except as expressly provided,][F14section 119 of this Act shall not apply]to any such young person who is employed mainly outside the factory.

(6)For the purposes of this Act, employment shall be deemed to be continuous unless interrupted by an interval of at least half an hour.

(7)For the purposes of this Act, an apprentice shall be deemed to be a person employed.

(8)This Act shall in its application to London have effect as if for references to district councils there were substituted, as respects the City of London references to the common council, . . . F15

(9)References in this Act to any enactment shall be construed as references to that enactment as amended by any subsequent enactment, including this Act.

Textual Amendments

F3Definition repealed by S.I. 1974/1941, reg. 7, Sch. 1

F5Definition repealed by S.I. 1983/978, reg. 3

F8Definition substituted by S.I. 1974/1941, Sch. 2 para. 12

F10Words substituted by virtue of S.I. 1968/729, art. 3(2)

F11Words commencing “of a child" substituted (E.W.) (prosp.) for words commencing “or guardian" by Children Act 1989 (c. 41, SIF 20), s. 108(2)(5)(6), Sch. 13 para. 15, Sch. 14 para. 1(1)

F14Words commencing “section 119" substituted (prosp.)for words commencing “the provisions" by Employment Act 1989 (c. 38, SIF 43:1), s. 29(3), Sch. 6 para. 6

Marginal Citations

GeneralE+W+S

177. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F16E+W+S

Textual Amendments

F16Ss. 1(5), 2(4), 3(3), 4(2), 5(2), 7(2), 9, 10, 14(3)(4)(6), 17(3)–(5), 18(5)(6), 25(4), 53–55, 58(2)–(4), 59(2)(3), 62, 66, 70, 71, 72(2), 73(2), 76, 81, 83, 121(7), 122(6), 124(2)(3), 129(1), 134, 137(5), 142, 145, 149, 150, 153(3), 159, 164(3), 174(2), 177, 179, 180(5)(7)(8)(10), 181(2), 182(5)(6), Schs. 3, 4 repealed by S.I. 1974/1941, reg. 7, Sch. 1

178 Certificates of birth.E+W+S

(1)Where the age of any person is required to be ascertained or proved for the purposes of this Act, any person shall, on presenting a written requisition in such form and containing such particulars as [F17the Secretary of State] or, as respects Scotland, the Secretary of State may by regulations prescribe and on payment of a fee of [F18£1.50][F19£3.00][F20£4.00], be entitled to obtain a certified extract under the hand of a registrar or superintendent registrar of births and deaths of the entry in the register under the M8Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953 or [F21the M9Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Scotland) Act 1965] of the birth of that person.

(2)A form of such a requisition shall on request be supplied without charge by every superintendent registrar and registrar of births and deaths.

Textual Amendments

F17Words substituted by virtue of S.I. 1967/486, arts. 2(6), 5(1), Sch. 2 para. 8 and 1968/1699, arts. 2, 5(4)

F18 “£1.50" substituted (E.W) by virtue of S.I. 1990/65 and (1.4.1991) 1990/2515, art. 2, Sch.

F19 “£3.00" substituted (S.) by virtue of S.I. 1989/2370, art. 2, Sch.

F20 “£4.00" substituted (S.) (1.4.1991) for “3.00" by virtue of S.I. 1990/2637, art. 2, Sch.

F21Words substituted by virtue of Interpretation Act 1978 (c. 30), s. 17(2)(a)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1Power to amend s. 178(1) conferred by Public Expenditure and Receipts Act 1968 (c. 14), s. 5, Sch. 3

Marginal Citations

179. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F22E+W+S

Textual Amendments

F22Ss. 1(5), 2(4), 3(3), 4(2), 5(2), 7(2), 9, 10, 14(3)(4)(6), 17(3)–(5), 18(5)(6), 25(4), 53–55, 58(2)–(4), 59(2)(3), 62, 66, 70, 71, 72(2), 73(2), 76, 81, 83, 121(7), 122(6), 124(2)(3), 129(1), 134, 137(5), 142, 145, 149, 150, 153(3), 159, 164(3), 174(2), 177, 179, 180(5)(7)(8)(10), 181(2), 182(5)(6), Schs. 3, 4 repealed by S.I. 1974/1941, reg. 7, Sch. 1

180 Regulations, rules and orders.E+W+S

(1)Any regulations, rules or orders made under this Act shall be made by statutory instrument, except an order applicable only to particular persons, premises, boilers, employment, operations or work or to persons employed at particular premises or on work supervised from particular premises.

(2)Any statutory instrument containing regulations under this Act shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

(3)Any power conferred by this Act to make regulations, rules or orders shall include power to make different provisions in relation to different circumstances.

(4)Any power conferred by this Act to make an order shall include power to revoke such an order by a subsequent order [F23and the provisions of section 50 of the M10Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 shall apply to any such power which is exercisable by statutory instrument as they apply to a power to make regulations.]

(5). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F24

(6)Any power conferred by this Act to prescribe standards or impose requirements shall include power to do so by reference to the approval of the chief inspector [F25or of the chief employment medical adviser or a deputy chief employment medical adviser.]

(7), (8). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F24

(9)Any regulations or order made by the Minister under this Act may be made for a limited period or without limit of period and may be made subject to such conditions as he thinks fit, and may contain such supplemental and consequential provisions as he considers necessary for giving full effect to the regulations or order.

(10). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F24

Textual Amendments

F24Ss. 1(5), 2(4), 3(3), 4(2), 5(2), 7(2), 9, 10, 14(3)(4)(6), 17(3)–(5), 18(5)(6), 25(4), 53–55, 58(2)–(4), 59(2)(3), 62, 66, 70, 71, 72(2), 73(2), 76, 81, 83, 121(7), 122(6), 124(2)(3), 129(1), 134, 137(5), 142, 145, 149, 150, 153(3), 159, 164(3), 174(2), 177, 179, 180(5)(7)(8)(10), 181(2), 182(5)(6), Schs. 3, 4 repealed by S.I. 1974/1941, reg. 7, Sch. 1

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C2Reference to chief employment medical adviser and deputy chief employment medical adviser to be construed as reference to a person appointed for the purposes of that provision by the authority responsible for maintaining the employment medical advisory service: Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (c. 37), s. 60(4)

Marginal Citations

181 Substitution of corresponding provisions for certain provisions of Factory and Workshop Act 1901.E+W+S

(1)The provisions contained in the Fifth Schedule to this Act (being provisions of the M11Factory and Workshop Act 1901 which do not apply in England . . . F26, set out with the necessary modifications) shall have effect in Scotland and . . . F26 in lieu of the corresponding provisions repealed by the M12Factories Act 1937 . . . F27

(2).. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F28

(3). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F29

Textual Amendments

F27Words repealed by S.I. 1977/746, Sch. 3

F28Ss. 1(5), 2(4), 3(3), 4(2), 5(2), 7(2), 9, 10, 14(3)(4)(6), 17(3)–(5), 18(5)(6), 25(4), 53–55, 58(2)–(4), 59(2)(3), 62, 66, 70, 71, 72(2), 73(2), 76, 81, 83, 121(7), 122(6), 124(2)(3), 129(1), 134, 137(5), 142, 145, 149, 150, 153(3), 159, 164(3), 174(2), 177, 179, 180(5)(7)(8)(10), 181(2), 182(5)(6), Schs. 3, 4 repealed by S.I. 1974/1941, reg. 7, Sch. 1

Marginal Citations

182 General application to Scotland.E+W+S

(1)The provisions of this section shall, in addition to any express provision for the application to Scotland of any provision of this Act, have effect for the general application of this Act to Scotland.

(2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F30

(3)All matters required by this Act to be published in the London Gazette shall, if they relate to Scotland, be published in the Edinburgh Gazette either in addition or in substitution, as the case may require.

(4)Any offence against this Act for which the maximum penalty that may be imposed does not exceed ten pounds may be prosecuted in any court of summary jurisdiction within the meaning of the [F31M13Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975] having jurisdiction in the place where the offence was committed.

(5), (6). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F32

(7)Every person convicted of an offence against this Act may be found liable in expenses.

(8)Section twenty-nine of the M14Public Health (Scotland) Act 1897 shall not apply in relation to any factory within the meaining of this Act.

[F33(9)Any powers exercisable by an inspector appointed by a county or town council (or, on or after 16th May 1975, by an islands or district council) under section 19 of the M15Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 shall, for the purposes of their duties under the Public Health (Scotland) Act 1897, extend to factories within the meaning of that Act.]

Textual Amendments

F32Ss. 1(5), 2(4), 3(3), 4(2), 5(2), 7(2), 9, 10, 14(3)(4)(6), 17(3)–(5), 18(5)(6), 25(4), 53–55, 58(2)–(4), 59(2)(3), 62, 66, 70, 71, 72(2), 73(2), 76, 81, 83, 121(7), 122(6), 124(2)(3), 129(1), 134, 137(5), 142, 145, 149, 150, 153(3), 159, 164(3), 174(2), 177, 179, 180(5)(7)(8)(10), 181(2), 182(5)(6), Schs. 3, 4 repealed by S.I. 1974/1941, reg. 7, Sch. 1

F33S. 182(9) substituted by S.I. 1974/1941, Sch. 2 para. 14

Marginal Citations

183 Transitional provisions and repeals.E+W+S

(1)This Act shall have effect subject to the provisions of the Sixth Schedule to this Act.

(2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F34

Textual Amendments

184 Construction of references in other enactments to factories and workshops, etc. and exclusion of certain provisions of Public Health (London) Act 1936.E+W+S

(1)Nothing in this Act shall affect the definition of the expressions “factory” and “workshop” for the purposes of the M16Rating and Valuation (Apportionment) Act 1928 but save as aforesaid references in any enactment to a factory or workshop within the meaning of the Factory and Workshop Acts 1901 to 1929, or any of those Acts, shall be construed as references to a factory within the meaning of this Act.

(2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F35

(3). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F36

Textual Amendments

Marginal Citations

185 Short title, commencement and extent.E+W+S

(1)This Act may be cited as the Factories Act 1961.

(2)This Act shall come into force on the first day of April, nineteen hundred and sixty-two.

(3)This Act, except subsections (1) and (2) of section seventy-seven . . . F37, does not extend to Northern Ireland.

Textual Amendments