(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires-

"article" includes any solid, liquid or gas, or any combination thereof;

"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;

"class" of factories, offices or shops includes a group of factories, offices or shops described by reference to locality;

"driving-belt" includes any driving strap or rope;

"fumes" include gas or vapour;

"lifting machine" means a crane, crab, winch, teagle, pulley, block, gin wheel, transporter or runway;

"lifting tackle" means chain slings, ropeslings, rings, hooks, shackles and swivels;

"local authority" means a council established under any enactment for the time being in force relating to local government;

"machinery" means every mechanical contrivance whether operated by hand or by automatic power, and includes driving belts, flywheels, prime movers, transmission machinery, water wheels, water turbines, electric generators motor or rotary converters, and shaftings;

"maintained" means maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order, and in good repair;

"mine" includes any place, excavation, or working whereon, wherein, or whereby any operation in connection with mining is carried on;

"Minister" means the Minister responsible for Labour;

"occupier" means the person who runs the factory, office, shop or other premises in question, and who regulates and controls the work that is done there;

"offence" means an offence under this Act;

"owner" means the person for the time being receiving the rents or profits of the premises in connection with which the word is used, whether on his own account or as agent or trustee for any other person, or who would so receive the same if the premises were leased;

"prescribed" means prescribed by the Minister under section 8(2);

"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 used in connection with and for the purposes of the railway;

"sanitary convenience" includes urinals, waterclosets, earth closets, privies, ashpits, and any similar conveniences;

"steam boiler" means any closed vessel in which for any purposes steam is generated under pressure greater than atmospheric pressure, and includes any economiser used to heat water being fed to any such vessel, and any superheater used for heating steam;

"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;

"work of engineering construction" means the construction of any road, airfield, sea defence works or river works, railway line or siding, and the construction, structural alteration or repair (including re-pointing and re-painting) or the demolition of any dock, habour, inland, navigation, tunnel, bridge, viaduct, waterworks, reservoir, pipeline, aqueduct, sewer, sewage works, or gas holder, and shall include such other works as may be prescribed;

"young person" means a person under the age of eighteen years.

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

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