Rule 144: Duties of manager etc. in emergency
Reviewed by Finin2min Editorial Desk · Last reviewed 30 August 2026
Rule 144 — Governs duties of manager etc. in emergency and the rights, duties, powers or procedure expressly stated in this rule. Key operative text: (1) On receiving information of any emergency likely to require the services of a rescue team, the manager or in absence of manager, the principal official present at the surface, shall immediately- (i) inform the rescue room…
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) On receiving information of any emergency likely to require the services of a rescue team, the manager or in absence of manager, the principal official present at the surface, shall immediately- (i) inform the rescue room or the rescue stations serving the mine for necessary assistance;
- (iii)inform the owner, agent or manager of nearby mines to make available the services of rescue trained persons employed therein if so required;
- (2) All rescue and recovery work at a below ground mine shall be conducted under the control, direction and supervision of the manager of the mine or in absence of the manager, the principal official present at the surface:
Provisos / explanations
- Provided that in the event of a major emergency, such as ignition, explosion, underground fire or an accident involving a number of persons, the manager or the principal official shall, in taking decisions regarding rescue and recovery operations, take guidance from a group consisting of a senior official of the management , a representative each from…
Thresholds & timelines
- No explicit day/month/year/hour/percentage/rupee expression was detected in this rule text.
Mapped Code sections
Full notified text — Rule 144
144. Duties of manager etc. in emergency.- (1) On receiving information of any emergency
likely to require the services of a rescue team, the manager or in absence of manager, the principal
official present at the surface, shall immediately-
(i) inform the rescue room or the rescue stations serving the mine for necessary assistance;
(ii) summon rescue trained person employed in the mine;
(iii)inform the owner, agent or manager of nearby mines to make available the services of rescue
trained persons employed therein if so required;
(iv) inform the rescue station about the nature of the occurrence; stating whether assistance would be
needed from the rescue station;
(v) summon medical assistance; and
(vi) send information of the occurrence to the Inspector-cum-Facilitator.
(2) All rescue and recovery work at a below ground mine shall be conducted under the control,
direction and supervision of the manager of the mine or in absence of the manager, the principal
official present at the surface:
Provided that in the event of a major emergency, such as ignition, explosion, underground
fire or an accident involving a number of persons, the manager or the principal official shall, in taking
decisions regarding rescue and recovery operations, take guidance from a group consisting of a senior
official of the management , a representative each from the Director General of Mines Safety,
concerned rescue station and the recognised Union of the Workers, so however manager or the
principal official must take necessary decisions and direct the operations as the situation warrants,
without waiting for the constitution or deliberations of the said group.Application and evidence
- Primary statutory test — (1) On receiving information of any emergency likely to require the services of a rescue team, the manager or in absence of manager, the principal official present at the surface, shall immediately- (i) inform the rescue room or the rescue stations serving the mine for necessary assistance;
- Additional operative limb — (iii)inform the owner, agent or manager of nearby mines to make available the services of rescue trained persons employed therein if so required;
- Qualification / exception to test — Provided that in the event of a major emergency, such as ignition, explosion, underground fire or an accident involving a number of persons, the manager or the principal official shall, in taking decisions regarding rescue and recovery operations, take guidance from a group consisting of a senior official of the management , a representative each from…
- Code Section mapping — 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73. 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: Worker, Inspector-cum-Facilitator.
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 duties of manager etc. in emergency, 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: “(1) On receiving information of any emergency likely to require the services of a rescue team, the manager or in absence of manager, the principal official present at the surface, shall immediately- (i) inform the rescue room or the rescue stations serving the mine for necessary ” Also test the express qualification/proviso before concluding the result. Reconcile the mapped Code Section(s) 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73.
Illustrative only. Use the exact notified rule, prescribed form and competent authority.
Q&A — Rule 144
What is Rule 144 of the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (Central) Rules, 2026?
Rule 144 — Governs duties of manager etc. in emergency and the rights, duties, powers or procedure expressly stated in this rule. Key operative text: (1) On receiving information of any emergency likely to require the services of a rescue team, the manager or in absence of manager, the principal official present at the surface, shall immediately- (i) inform the rescue room…
What does Rule 144 require or permit?
A principal operative clause extracted from the notified rule is: “(1) On receiving information of any emergency likely to require the services of a rescue team, the manager or in absence of manager, the principal official present at the surface, shall immediately- (i) inform the rescue room or the rescue stations serving the mine for necessary assistance;” Read it with all sub-rules and provisos below.
Does Rule 144 contain a proviso or explanation?
Yes. One extracted qualification is: “Provided that in the event of a major emergency, such as ignition, explosion, underground fire or an accident involving a number of persons, the manager or the principal official shall, in taking decisions regarding rescue and recovery operations, take guidance from a group consisting of a senior official of the management , a representative each from…”
What deadline, period, percentage or amount appears in Rule 144?
No explicit day/month/year/hour/percentage/rupee expression was detected in this rule text.
Which Code sections are linked to Rule 144?
The current concordance maps Rule 144 to Section(s) 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73.
When did Rule 144 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.
Primary sources
Primary sources & verification — Rule 144 — current Central-rule application gate
Reviewed: 22 August 2026.
The existing rule analysis is retained. Before operational reliance, re-check the notified 2026 Central Rules, later corrigenda/orders and whether the establishment falls under the Central Government’s rule-making/jurisdictional layer. Where the appropriate government is a State, use the separately sourced State rules/implementation overlay.
The four Labour Codes were brought into effect from 21 November 2025, but operational compliance can depend on the relevant Code, Central or State rules, establishment category, appropriate-government jurisdiction, later orders and portal implementation. Treat a Central-rule page as a Central-rule control, not as a substitute for the applicable State overlay.
Practical verification checklist
- Identify the appropriate government and establishment/worker category.
- Keep the current Code/rule/notification used for the decision.
- Record notices, registers, approvals and inspection evidence relevant to the obligation.
Primary-source checkpoint
Use the controlling statute, notified rule/instrument, official portal and later authoritative treatment for the relevant date. This page remains an educational/professional reference.