Yes as you say parts of it are still in force- see http://www.legislation.g.../Eliz2/9-10/34/section/1 which should tell you what bits are still relevant and what has been repealed.
I don't think much is left.

Looking back at the link I sent and remembering something from a course a few years ago the Factories Act still applies because it deals with the management of Factories (not just employees in factories). By contrast current H&S law such as Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 describes the duties of employers to employees and others. I suppose that there might be a situation where someone is in a factory but they are not an employee under the terms of Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 but are still covered under the Factories Act.
It sounds a bit theoretical to me.

Thanks for the responses, gives me a direction to look in.
NeilB

I doubt that the Factories Act 1961 was more effective than COSHH.

The COSHH Regulations apply to :-

Any substance which is listed in Table 3.2 of part 3 of Annex VI of the CLP Regulation and for which an indication of danger specified for the substance is very toxic, toxic, harmful, corrosive or irritant.
Any preparation (mixture) that is dangerous for supply, as above.

Any substance which has a Workplace Exposure Limit (WEL).

Any biological agents used at work.

Any dust other than one with a WEL at a concentration in air above 10 mg/m3 averaged over 8 hours, or any such respirable dust above 4 mg/m3 over 8 hours.

Any other substance that creates a risk to health because of its properties and the way it is used or is present in the workplace

Jay

To avoid any misunderstanding I didn't suggest that Section 63 of the Factories Act was more effective (whatever that means) than COSHH. One of my comments was that IN SOME WAYS it neatly encapsulated the aims of COSHH. However, along with all or nearly all the other parts of the Act, it was only intended to protect people employed in factories. Thus, it seems that a dust extraction system installed in compliance with the Act to protect employees in a factory could legally discharge a hazardous substance outside the factory and harm non-employees such as neighbours. According to various sources this was the case with asbestos dust emitted by one or more vents at the notorious former Acre Mill asbestos factory above Hebden Bridge in Yorkshire. Sufficient quantities of dust were emitted and landed in the playground of a nearby school that pupils could make "snowballs" from it. Also, it became sadly evident that little heed was given by Cape Asbestos and factory inspectors to protecting the employees as required by both Section 63 and the asbestos regulations of 1931.

The need to protect non-employees from harm posed by work activities and premises generally was highlighted among other matters by the Robens Committee and rightly incorporated in the Health and Safety at Work Etc Act 1974.