Rule 20: Safety officer in case of mines
Reviewed by Finin2min Editorial Desk · Last reviewed 30 August 2026
Rule 20 — Governs safety officer in case of mines and the rights, duties, powers or procedure expressly stated in this rule. Key operative text: (1) At every mine, wherein one hundred or more workers are ordinarily employed, the employer shall appoint safety officer on a scale of one up to five hundred workers and an additional one for every additional five hundred…
Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (Central) Rules, 2026 were finally notified under G.S.R. 345(E), 8 May 2026. The Central Rules must be read with the Code and any later amendment/corrigendum.
Finin2min analysis — operative rule mechanics
Operative clauses
- (1) At every mine, wherein one hundred or more workers are ordinarily employed, the employer shall appoint safety officer on a scale of one up to five hundred workers and an additional one for every additional five hundred workers or part thereof.
- (2) The Safety Officers shall possess the qualifications, namely:- (a) in case of coal mine- (i) for belowground mines, person holding First Class Manager’s Certificate of Competency (Coal), granted by Directorate General of Mines Safety;
- (c) in coal and metalliferous mines wherein more than one safety officer is appointed under sub-rule (1), a safety officer with degree in mechanical engineering may also be appointed, who shall report to the safety officer from mining engineering.
- (d) In case of oil mines, a safety officer shall have a degree in engineering or in industrial safety from an educational institution recognised by the Central or State Government or post-graduate diploma in industrial safety from the Central Labour Institute or the Regional Labour Institutes under Directorate General of Occupational Safety and Health and having experience in the management or supervision of…
Provisos / explanations
- No proviso/explanation was separately extracted from this rule.
Thresholds & timelines
- (d) In case of oil mines, a safety officer shall have a degree in engineering or in industrial safety from an educational institution recognised by the Central or State Government or post-graduate diploma in industrial safety from the Central Labour Institute or the Regional Labour Institutes under Directorate General of Occupational Safety and Health…
Mapped Code sections
Full notified text — Rule 20
20. Safety officer in case of mines.- (1) At every mine, wherein one hundred or more workers are
ordinarily employed, the employer shall appoint safety officer on a scale of one up to five
hundred workers and an additional one for every additional five hundred workers or part thereof.
(2) The Safety Officers shall possess the qualifications, namely:-
(a) in case of coal mine-
(i) for belowground mines, person holding First Class Manager’s Certificate of Competency
(Coal), granted by Directorate General of Mines Safety;
(ii) for opencast mines, person holding First Class Manager’s Certificate of Competency (Coal)
or First Class Manager’s Certificate of Competency (Coal) restricted to mines having
opencast workings only, granted by Directorate General of Mines Safety;
(b) in case of metalliferous mines-
(i) for belowground mines, person holding First Class Manager’s Certificate of Competency
(Metal), granted by Directorate General of Mines Safety;
(ii) for opencast mines, a person holding a Manager’s Certificate of Competency (Metal) or a
Manager’s Certificate of Competency (Metal) restricted to mines having opencast workings
only, granted by the Directorate General of Mines Safety;
(c) in coal and metalliferous mines wherein more than one safety officer is appointed under sub-rule
(1), a safety officer with degree in mechanical engineering may also be appointed, who shall report to
the safety officer from mining engineering.
(d) In case of oil mines, a safety officer shall have a degree in engineering or in industrial safety from
an educational institution recognised by the Central or State Government or post-graduate diploma in
industrial safety from the Central Labour Institute or the Regional Labour Institutes under Directorate
General of Occupational Safety and Health and having experience in the management or supervision
of operations in oil mines for a period of not less than five years.Application and evidence
- Primary statutory test — (1) At every mine, wherein one hundred or more workers are ordinarily employed, the employer shall appoint safety officer on a scale of one up to five hundred workers and an additional one for every additional five hundred workers or part thereof.
- Additional operative limb — (2) The Safety Officers shall possess the qualifications, namely:- (a) in case of coal mine- (i) for belowground mines, person holding First Class Manager’s Certificate of Competency (Coal), granted by Directorate General of Mines Safety;
- Numerical or timing control — (d) In case of oil mines, a safety officer shall have a degree in engineering or in industrial safety from an educational institution recognised by the Central or State Government or post-graduate diploma in industrial safety from the Central Labour Institute or the Regional Labour Institutes under Directorate General of Occupational Safety and Health…
- Code Section mapping — 22. Read the mapped provision together with this text rather than treating the concordance as a substitute for it.
- Evidence file — retain facts and records proving the role/status of: Employer, Worker, State Government.
Cross-references & prescribed forms
Sections cited/mapped
Forms
No form is directly mapped in the current rule register.
Worked example
For an establishment affected by safety officer in case of mines, the compliance owner should identify the applicable sector and authority, document the prescribed control/notice/record and retain inspection or training evidence. A text point to test is: “(d) In case of oil mines, a safety officer shall have a degree in engineering or in industrial safety from an educational institution recognised by the Central or State Government or post-graduate diploma in industrial safety from the Central Labour Institute or the Regional Labo” Reconcile the mapped Code Section(s) 22.
Illustrative only. Use the exact notified rule, prescribed form and competent authority.
Q&A — Rule 20
What is Rule 20 of the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (Central) Rules, 2026?
Rule 20 — Governs safety officer in case of mines and the rights, duties, powers or procedure expressly stated in this rule. Key operative text: (1) At every mine, wherein one hundred or more workers are ordinarily employed, the employer shall appoint safety officer on a scale of one up to five hundred workers and an additional one for every additional five hundred…
What does Rule 20 require or permit?
A principal operative clause extracted from the notified rule is: “(1) At every mine, wherein one hundred or more workers are ordinarily employed, the employer shall appoint safety officer on a scale of one up to five hundred workers and an additional one for every additional five hundred workers or part thereof.” Read it with all sub-rules and provisos below.
Does Rule 20 contain a proviso or explanation?
No standalone proviso or explanation was extracted from this rule text. Check the complete rule below for clause-level conditions.
What deadline, period, percentage or amount appears in Rule 20?
The rule contains this numerical/time expression: “(d) In case of oil mines, a safety officer shall have a degree in engineering or in industrial safety from an educational institution recognised by the Central or State Government or post-graduate diploma in industrial safety from the Central Labour Institute or the Regional Labour Institutes under Directorate General of Occupational Safety and Health…” Apply it only in its notified context.
Which Code sections are linked to Rule 20?
The current concordance maps Rule 20 to Section(s) 22.
When did Rule 20 come into force?
The final Central Rules were notified as G.S.R. 345(E), 8 May 2026; Rule 1 states that the Rules come into force on publication. Check any later amendment or corrigendum before reliance.