Occupational Health and Safety – OHS Legislation in India

This article provides the list of OHS legislation in India for the benefit of Offices and Industries. The Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India has framed various acts and rules related to occupational health and safety applicable in India. It is important for professionals and organisations to know these acts and rules and implement them at their workplaces to be compliant with the laws. 

The main purpose of the Occupational Health and Safety laws and regulations in India is to specify the National standards on health and safety.

These legislations are framed to protect the Workers from unsafe Working conditions and avoid workplace health & safety incidents. The safety and welfare of the Workers is the main essence in these acts & rules.

Below is list of occupational health and safety legislations brought out by the Honorable Government of India. These OHS legislation in India are the Acts and Rules passed by the Central Government of India through the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

List of OHS Legislation in India (Laws in India) related to Industrial Safety & Health

1. The Factories Act, 1948
2. The Mines Act, 1952
3. The Dock Workers (Safety, Health & Welfare) Act, 1986

List of OHS Laws related to welfare and protection of Women at Work

1. The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 which is now amended as the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017
2. Equal Remuneration Act, 1976
3. Equal Remuneration Rules, 1976
4. Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013

List of OHS Laws related to welfare and protection of Children at Work

1. The Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976
2. Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986. This was amended in 2016. It is now called as the The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 2016
3. The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Rules, 1988. This is now amended and is called as the The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Rules, 2017

List of OHS Laws related to Social Security

1. The Employees Compensation Act, 1923 amended in the year 2017
2. Employees liability Act, 1938 (Pre-independence act)
3. The Employees State Insurance Act, 1948
4. The Personal Injuries (Emergency) Provisions Act, 1962
5. The Personal Injuries (Compensation Insurance) Act, 1963
6. The Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972. This is now amended as Payment of Gratuity (Amendment) Act, 2018
7. The Payment of Gratuity Rules, 1972
8. The Sales Promotion Employees (Conditions of Service) Act, 1976
9. The Sales Promotion Employees (Conditions of Service) Rules, 1976
10. Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Amendment Act, 1995
11. The Employees’ Provident Fund & Miscellaneous Provisions (Amendment) Act, 1996 amended on the previous act titled “The Employees Provident Fund & Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952”
12. Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Amendment Rules, 2009
13. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016
14. Employees Compensation (Amendment) Act, 2017
15. The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 which is now amended as the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017

List of OHS Laws related to Wages

1. The Payment of Wages Act, 1936. This was amended in 2005 and 2017 and the latest act is called The Payment of Wages (Amendment) Act, 2017
2. The Payment of Wages (Procedure) Rules, 1937
3. The Minimum Wages Act, 1948
4. The Minimum Wages (Central) Rules, 1950
5. The Working Journalists and Other Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1955
6. Working Journalist (Conditions of service) and Miscellaneous Provisions Rules, 1957
7. The Working Journalist (Fixation of Rates of Wages) Act, 1958
8. Working Journalists (Fixation of Rates of Wages) Rules, 1958
9. The Payment of Bonus Act, 1965. This is amended to form The Payment of Bonus (Amendment) Act, 2015
10. The Payment of Bonus Rules, 1975. This is amended to form The Payment of Bonus (Amendment) Rules, 2016
11. The Payment of Bonus (Amendment) Ordinance, 2007

List of OHS Laws related to Labour Welfare

1. The Mica Mines Labour Welfare Fund Act, 1946
2. The Beedi & Cigar Workers (Conditions of Employment) Act, 1966
3. The Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act, 1970
4. The Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) 
   Central Rules, 1971
5. The Limestone & Dolomite Mines Labour Welfare Fund Act, 1972
6. The Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976
7. The Iron Ore Mines, Manganese Ore Mines & Chrome Ore Mines Labour Welfare Fund Act, 1976
8. The Beedi Workers Welfare Cess Act, 1976
9. The Beedi Workers Welfare Cess Act Rules, 1977
10. The Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979
11. The Cine Workers’ Welfare Fund Act, 1981
12. The Cine Workers and Cinema Theatre Workers (Regulation of Employment) Act, 1981
13. The Cine Workers Welfare Cess Act, 1981
14. The Cine Workers and Cinema Theatre Workers (Regulation of Employment) Rules, 1984
15. The Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry latrines Prohibition Act, 1993
16. The Unorganised Workers Social Security Act, 2008
17. Unorganised Workers Social Security Rules, 2009

List of OHS Laws related to Employment & Training

1. The Employment Exchanges (Compulsory Notification of Vacancies) Act, 1959
2. The Employment Exchanges (Compulsory Notification of Vacancies) Rule, 1960
3. Apprentices Act, 1961 which is now amended to form The Apprentices (Amendment) Act, 2014

List of OHS Laws for Labour Reforms

1. The Code on Wages, 2019 No. 29 of 2019
2. The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2019
3. The Code on Social Security, 2019

List of OHS Laws related to Industrial Relations

1. The Trade Unions Act, 1926
2. The Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946
3. The Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Rules, 1946
4. The Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. This is now amended to The Industrial Disputes Amendment Act, 2010
5. The Plantation Labour Act, 1951. This is amended to The Plantations Labour (Amendment) Act, 2010
6. The Industrial Disputes (Central) Rules,1957
7. The Trade Unions (Amendments) Act, 2001

List of other Miscellaneous OHS Legislation in India

1. The Fatal Accidents Act, 1855
2. The Explosives Act, 1884 (This was amended in 1983)
3. Poisons Act, 1919
4. The Weekly Holidays Act, 1942
5. The War Injuries (Compensation Insurance) Act, 1943
6. The Indian Electricity Rules, 1956
7. Mines Creche Rules, 1966
8. The Insecticides Act, 1968
9. The Insecticides Rules, 1971
10. The Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979
11. The Static and Mobile Pressure Vessels (unfired) Rules, 1981 (This was amended in 2002)
12. The Dangerous Machines (Regulation) Act, 1983
13. The Mines Rescue Rules, 1985
14. The Electricity Act, 2003
15. The Gas Cylinders Rules, 2004 (This was amended in 2010)
16. The Dangerous Machines (Regulation) Rules, 2007
17. The Indian Boilers Amendment Act, 2007
18. The Explosives Rules, 2008
19. The Ammonium Nitrate Rules, 2012
20. Oil Mines Regulations, 2017

The above OHS legislation in India is collated with the help of Government websites and internet sources. The above list may not be exhaustive. But the list helps Organizations to plan for the achievement of compliance to the Occupational Health & Safety laws that helps protect the health, safety and welfare of employees and contractors.