They are all colleagues at Gujarat's only basic chromium sulphate factory, Hema Chemicals, which employs over 250 workers. Continuous exposure to hazardous emissions has punctured their noses. Factory owner Mahendra Patel coolly admitted, ``Yes, our workers have nasal holes, but even vehicular pollution can drill them; and you know some workers have made holes themselves.''

Punctured noses is only one of the several medical problems afflicting the workers of this unit, which manufactures about 6,000 kg basic chromium sulphate, over 2,000 kg sodium bichromate and as much sodium sulphate every day under hazardous conditions.

Ram Kailash Saroj has a rotting right toe, awaiting amputation. Many others have ulcers elsewhere. At least 27 workers have dermatitis. Shyam, Buddhdev and Ganpat (names changed) have become physical and mental wrecks, and scores of others have weak lungs, affected kidneys, combined with a variety of sufferings.

The only ventilation the factory had till a week ago was the gate. But it was closed, according to factory owner Patel, to enforce discipline. The workers used to file out of the gate to breathe some fresh air when the emissions became too much to bear. Now they do not have this luxury.

``There is absolutely no ventilation, and no room for natural light; mercury lights glow 24 hours,'' says Kunwarji Kilotara, who has nasal perforation, and was suspended for protesting. But owner Patel says: ``Who says there is no ventilation? They work under an open sky''. But one visit is enough to expose his claim.

Ventilation, proper bathing showers, fire exits, safety caps and stock of soda bottles are absent. But Patel says there were two bathrooms. ``Now I will be building five-star bathrooms for workers. And safety caps are not required,'' he said. Till some months ago, the workers used their handkerchiefs for masks, ``but now we have given nose-masks to them,'' Patel said, adding ``we will give everything they ask for.''

Relentless demands by workers, right since 1990, forced Dr S K Verma, the certifying surgeon at the Vadodara Factories Inspectorate, to conduct a health check-up, lasting a year, before a report came recently. He found 43 cases of nasal septum perforation and 27 of dermatitis. Many workers are yet to be checked up.

Under the Factories Act, it is mandatory for hazardous units to maintain proper health histories, based on regular check-up, and have a medical officer. Workers have to be informed of the perils of the material and machinery they handle. Hema Chemicals never had a full-time medical officer, nor regular check-ups. Ergo, no medical history files.

But Patel claimed the factory had a medical officer for the last eight months, ``who comes regularly to examine the workers'' daily. Contacted separately, factory manager Gautam Patel said, ``medical officer...well...I do not think we have one. But I am not sure, I joined only 15-20 days ago. Maybe, he came in my absence.''

But Radheshyam Kahar, Kilotara, Parasnath Saroj, Pandit G. Chitte and others with nasal perforations have not seen any medical officer. ``Why did we have to struggle for so many years just for a check-up, if the factory had employed a full-time medical officer?'' said Sudhir Biniwale of Vadodara Kamdar Union, whose efforts finally moved the Factories Inspectorate.

But that is not enough. The Factories Act requires that the ``threshold limit value'' (TLV) of the emissions should be measured regularly to ensure safety. This was never done. Over a year ago, the Factories Inspectorate asked its Industrial Hygiene Laboratory to measure the TLV. But the report is yet to come.

There are other problems as well. Sources said the inspectorate had only one doctor for over one lakh workers in over 3,000 units in and around Vadodara. The local ESIS Hospital does have an occupational health centre, which was opened a little over a year ago, but a senior doctor said hardly a few industries adhered to the law calling for regular check-ups.

After Dr Verma's report, the Hema Chemicals has submitted details of the workers to the ESIS hospital but, says Biniwale, ``no worker has yet been declared an occupational hazard case, making him eligible for compensation''. At ESIS, workers are referred to the general government hospital for treatment, he said. ESIS sources confirmed this. Sources in the Factories Inspectorate said as many as 16 health and related cases were pending against Hema Chemicals in courts.