34:6-136.10. Home worker's certificate

(a) Every person desiring to engage in industrial home work within this State must procure from the commissioner a home worker's certificate which shall be issued without cost and which shall be valid for a period of one year from the date of its issuance, unless sooner revoked or suspended. Application for such certificate shall be made in such form as the commissioner may by regulation prescribe. No home worker's certificate shall be issued: (1) To any person under the age of sixteen years; or (2) To any person suffering from an infectious, contagious, or communicable disease or living in a home that is not clean, sanitary and free from infectious, contagious or communicable disease.

(b) The commissioner may, upon reasonable notice and opportunity to be heard, revoke or suspend any home worker's certificate if he finds that the holder is performing industrial home work contrary to the conditions under which the certificate was issued or to any provision of this act or has permitted any person not holding a valid home worker's certificate to assist him in performing his industrial home work. The commissioner may also revoke a home worker's certificate if the health of the community or the persons in the home requires it, or if it appears that the home to which such certificate relates is not in a healthy and proper sanitary condition.

(c) Before any application for a home worker's certificate is approved and such certificate is issued, the commissioner shall cause an inspection of the home to be made. If the home is in a clean and proper sanitary condition and if the articles or materials may be manufactured therein under clean and healthful conditions, the commissioner shall issue the certificate permitting the use of such home for performing industrial home work by the home worker. Home worker's certificates shall not be transferable, because of a change in address of a home worker and a new application shall be made and certificate issued subject to the above inspection.

(d) The home worker's certificate must be posted in a conspicuous place in the room or rooms where the industrial home work is being manufactured.

(e) Every room in a home where articles or materials are being manufactured shall be kept in a clean and sanitary condition and shall be subject to examination and inspection by the commissioner, local boards of health or tenement house inspectors for the purpose of ascertaining whether said articles or materials are clean and free from vermin and every matter of infectious or contagious nature.

(f) Any person holding a home worker's certificate shall immediately report to the commissioner any case of infectious or contagious disease occurring in the home. If the commissioner, local board of health or tenement house inspector shall find evidence of infectious or contagious disease present in any home where industrial home work is being carried on, premises where industrial home work is being distributed, the commissioner, local board of health or tenement house inspector shall issue such orders as the public health may require and shall condemn and destroy such infectious and contagious goods and such local board or inspector shall forward a copy of such order to the commissioner.

(g) The commissioner may, when he deems it necessary, require that any and all rooms in a home used for industrial home work or the distribution thereof, shall be separate from and have no door, window or other opening into any living or sleeping room.

(h) In addition to the other requirements of this act, no home workers' certificate shall be issued for the manufacture of dolls' clothing nor shall a permit be issued for the distribution of dolls' clothing for manufacture unless the applicant thereof shall first secure the approval of the local board of health.

L.1941, c. 308, p. 836, s. 10.