Chap. 228.—An ACT to require owners and agents of peanut cleaning establish-
ments and cotton factories to furnish employees or operatives with a suit-
able sponge shield to protect such employee or operative from inhaling the
dust or floating particles in the air, and fixing a penalty for failure so to do.

Approved March 12, 1908.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That every
owner or agent of a peanut cleaning establishment operated for the
purpose of cleaning peanuts, and every owner or agent operating a cot-
ton factory in this Commonwealth be, and the same are hereby required
to furnish each employee or operative employed in any such peanut
cleaning establishment or cotton factory, who may wish to use the same,
a suitable sponge shield to protect such operative or employee from
inhaling the dust and floating particles in the air while employed in
such peanut cleaning establishment or cotton factory. Said shield to
be supplied by the owner or agent of said peanut cleaning establishment
or cotton factory at actual cost and to be paid for by each operative or
employee.

2. Any owner or agent of said peanut cleaning establishment or cot-
ton factory who shall fail to provide such shield upon application after
a reasonable time shall be subject to a fine of not less than.one dollar
nor more than five dollars, and every day’s failure to comply with such
request shall constitute a separate offense.