OSH&WC Central Rules 2026: Complete Compliance Guide

01OSH&WC Central Rules 2026: Overview

OSH&WC Central Rules 2026 is the operational rulebook for the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020. On 8 May 2026, the Ministry of Labour and Employment notified G.S.R. 345(E), consolidating registration, safety governance, welfare amenities and reporting duties that were previously spread across 15 separate rule-books.

If you run HR, safety or compliance for a factory, mine, construction site, dock, plantation, beedi/cigar unit or motor transport undertaking, this is now your primary reference for registration, safety committees, safety officers, welfare facilities and accident/disease reporting.

02Legislative Background

The Rules are made under Sections 133 and 134 of the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (37 of 2020). A draft had earlier been published for public comment via G.S.R. 934(E) dated 30 December 2025, with a 45-day objection window; the final Rules incorporate the Central Government's consideration of stakeholder responses.

03What These Rules Replace and Who They Cover

In supersession of the corresponding earlier rules, the notification consolidates the following:

The Rules apply, through sector-specific chapters, to factories, mines (coal, metalliferous, oil, opencast and belowground), building/construction work, beedi and cigar manufacturing, motor transport undertakings, dock work and plantations — plus common obligations that cut across all sectors.

04Key Definitions

05Chapter II: Registration of Establishments (Rules 3–4)

Registration moves fully online, through the Shram Suvidha Portal or a Central Government-designated portal.

06Chapter III: Duties of Employer and Employee (Rules 5–10)

• Annual health examination (Rule 5): Free medical exam for dock and building/construction employees aged 40+, certified in FORM-VIII; mines follow the separate regime under Rule 109.
• Appointment letter (Rule 6): Mandatory written appointment letter covering identity, LIN/UAN, wages, social-security applicability, and maternity benefits for women employees.
• Employee reporting duty (Rule 9): Report unsafe/unhealthy conditions as soon as practicable to the employer, safety representative, safety officer or manager.
• Employee rights (Rule 10): On an imminent-danger report, the employer must take immediate remedial action and report it to the Inspector-cum-Facilitator.

07Accident, Dangerous Occurrence and Disease Reporting (Rules 7–8)

08Chapter IV: OSH Governance — Committees and Safety Officers (Rules 11–21)

Safety Committees (Rules 14–17)

Safety Officers (Rules 18–21)

09Chapter V: Health, Safety and Working Conditions by Sector (Rules 22–48)

Chapter V repeats a common structure — cleanliness/hygiene, ventilation/temperature/humidity, dust/gas/fume precautions — separately for seven sectors, followed by common rules applying across all.

Heat stress provisions (Rules 25, 31)

Where heat-stress risk can't be eliminated: risk assessment, work-rest cycles in shaded/air-conditioned rest spaces, hydration with electrolytes, symptom supervision, trained first-aid staff, and worker training to recognise heat-stress symptoms.

Common rules across sectors (Rules 44–48)

• Potable water: clean, accessible; common cups prohibited except with a rising jet; unsafe sources marked in Hindi/English/local language.
• Overcrowding: adequate floor space; permitted-occupancy signage; separated pedestrian/vehicle paths.
• Lighting: adequate natural/artificial lighting; automatic emergency lighting where a failure creates risk.
• Latrine/urinal: separate for male/female/transgender/disabled; 1 latrine per 25 male / 15 female workers; free sanitary napkins with lidded disposal.
• Waste/effluent: risk-assessed handling, PPE and training.

10Chapter VI: Welfare Provisions (Rules 49–63)

Mock drills and sector-specific welfare

• Mock drills (Rule 59): quarterly for factories/mines/BOCW/beedi-cigar/motor transport/dock; annual for plantations.
• Mines (Rules 60–61): pre-employment/annual medical exams for all workers incl. contract; accommodation kept a safe distance from active workings.
• BOCW (Rule 62): free temporary accommodation for distant-site workers.
• Motor transport (Rule 63): medical facility room at every operating centre/halting station.

11Chapter VII: Hours of Work and Annual Leave with Wages (Rules 64–71)

• General limit (Rule 64): max 48 hours/week; transport vehicles get a 15-minute route-interruption allowance.
• Working journalists (Rule 65): normal working day 6 hrs (day shift) / 5.5 hrs (night shift); overtime compensated with equal rest or double wages; no continuous night-shift beyond 1 week.
• Holidays & leave (Rule 66): 10 paid holidays/year; earned leave 1 month per 11 months on duty (cap 120 days); medical-certificate leave at half wages, 1 month per 18 months (cap 90 days); quarantine leave up to 21–30 days; casual leave 15 days/year.
• Overtime wages (Rule 69): double the ordinary rate, capped at 144 hours/quarter for dock/mine/BOCW work in listed circumstances.
• Notice of periods of work (Rule 71): FORM-XII, displayed and copied to the Inspector-cum-Facilitator.

12Chapter VIII: Registers, Records and Returns (Rules 72–76)

All registers are preservable for 5 years, producible on demand, and — where already maintained under the Code on Wages, 2019 rules — deemed compliant here too. Notice boards (Rule 73) must display establishment details, wage/payment dates, 5-year accident history and jurisdictional Inspector-cum-Facilitator contact.

13Chapter IX: Inspector-cum-Facilitator and Other Authority (Rules 77–82)

• Sampling (Rule 77): three-way split sample — employer's copy, Government Analyst/NABL lab, court-production copy.
• Improvement notices (Rule 78): issued in FORM-XXV after inspection.
• Third-party auditors (Rule 80): empanelment scheme notified separately.
• Medical Officer (Rules 81–82): NMC-recognised qualification, Occupational Health training including ILO chest-radiograph classification; duties include age/fitness certification and hazardous-process health surveillance.

14Chapter X: Special Provisions for Employment of Women (Rules 83–84)

Conditions for employing women at night or outside 6:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. (Rule 83):

Also required: no employment against Code on Social Security maternity-benefit provisions, at least 3 women on duty at any below-ground mine location, and full compliance with the POSH Act, 2013.

15Chapter XI, Part I: Contract Labour Licensing (Rules 85–101)

• Eligibility (Rule 85): not an undischarged insolvent, no conviction (last 2 years) for an offence punishable with 3+ months' imprisonment.
• Application (Rule 87): electronic, Shram Suvidha Portal, FORM-XXI; single/multi-state licences approved within 45 days (Rule 88), valid 5 years.
• Security deposit (Rule 90): ₹1,000/worker as bank guarantee, scaling to ₹10–20 crore for large engagements.
• Wage responsibility (Rule 98): max 1-month wage period; paid within 7 days of period-end; principal employer steps in on default.
• Grievance redressal (Rule 184, Chapter XIV): joint committee resolves within 30 days; escalates to Inspector-cum-Facilitator (60-day resolution) if unresolved.

16Chapter XI, Parts II–III: Migrant and Audio-Visual Workers (Rules 102–106)

• Journey allowance (Rule 102): lump-sum to-and-fro fare for migrant workers with 180+ days' service in the preceding 12 months, once every 12 months.
• Toll-free helpline (Rule 103): established by the Director General, Labour Welfare Organisation.
• Audio-visual worker agreements (Rule 105): registered in FORM-XXIV between producer and worker.

17Chapter XI, Part IV: Mines — Managers, Medical Exams, Rescue, Training (Rules 107–176)

The largest single part of the Rules (70 rules), covering four broad areas:

18Chapter XII: Offences and Penalty — Enquiry Procedure (Rules 177–182)

• Enquiry (Rule 177): summons on complaint; guilty plea → direct penalty; contested case → evidence, cross-examination, reasoned order; appeal within 60 days, decided within 60 days.
• Accident/disease inquiry (Rule 179): competent persons appointed to inquire into fatal accidents, dangerous occurrences or suspected occupational disease, with a written report on causes and prevention.
• Safety surveys (Rule 181): DGOSH/DGMS may be directed to survey workplace safety and health.
• Compounding (Rule 182): FORM-XXVI application → FORM-XXVII notice → 15-day payment window → composition certificate within 10 days.

19Chapter XIII–XIV: Social Security Fund and Miscellaneous (Rules 183–186)

• Social Security Fund (Rule 183): the fund under Section 141 of the Code on Social Security, 2020 is deemed set up under Section 115 of the OSH Code, for unorganised-worker welfare.
• Grievance redressal for contract labour (Rule 184): 30-day committee resolution, escalating to 60-day Inspector-cum-Facilitator resolution.
• Annual increment (Rule 185): regular contractor workers get at least 2% annual wage increment.
• Hazardous substance/income thresholds (Rule 186): specified by Central Government order from time to time.

20Forms Prescribed Under the Rules (Annexure VII)

27 standard forms cover every registration, reporting, licensing and compliance action referenced in these Rules:

21Annexures I–VII: Equipment Lists and Forms Index

22Regulatory Timeline

23Practical Compliance Checklist

• Establishment registered/migrated on Shram Suvidha Portal (FORM-I), FORM-III certificate displayed
• Appointment letters issued in the Rule 6 format, including social-security and maternity-benefit fields
• Annual free health check-up for dock/BOCW employees aged 40+, FORM-VIII on file
• Accident/dangerous-occurrence/disease reporting workflow mapped to FORM-XI and Rule 8 timelines
• Safety Committee constituted if headcount crosses 500, with 15-day response cycle documented
• Safety Officer(s) appointed at the correct scale where the sector threshold is met
• Latrine/urinal ratios, sanitary napkin provision and washing facilities checked against Rule 44–50 ratios
• Canteen, first-aid, ambulance-room and Welfare Officer thresholds checked against current headcount
• Crèche facility (if 50+ workers) audited for CCTV, staff police verification and POCSO-compliant hand-over
• Employee/attendance/wage/accident/leave registers maintained in the correct FORM and preserved 5 years
• Contract labour: licence obtained/renewed in FORM-XXI, correct security deposit slab applied
• Night-shift conditions for women verified against Rule 83 (consent, transport, CCTV, emergency numbers)

24Frequently Asked Questions

25Quick Reference

26Key Takeaway

The OSH&WC Central Rules 2026 replace a patchwork of 15 sector-specific rulebooks with one integrated framework spanning registration, safety governance, welfare, working hours, records, and enforcement. For HR, safety and compliance teams, the practical step is to map your establishment's sector(s) against the relevant chapters, verify headcount-linked thresholds (Safety Committee, Safety Officer, canteen, crèche, Welfare Officer), and align registers and forms with the FORM-I to FORM-XXVII list.

27Source Document