Section 4: Appeal
Reviewed by Finin2min Editorial Desk · Last reviewed 30 August 2026
Section 4 — Governs appeal and the rights, duties, powers or procedure expressly stated in this section. Key operative text: — (1) Any person aggrieved by an order made under section 3 may, within thirty days from the date on which the order is communicated to him, prefer an appeal to an appellate officer who shall be a person notified in this…
All provisions were brought into force from 21 November 2025 under S.O. 5321(E), subject to the Central/State appropriate-Government split and provision-specific appointments/notifications.
Provision / India Code ↗ · Official Act PDF ↗ · 2026 Central Rules ↗
Finin2min analysis — what the section actually does
Operative clauses
- — (1) Any person aggrieved by an order made under section 3 may, within thirty days from the date on which the order is communicated to him, prefer an appeal to an appellate officer who shall be a person notified in this behalf by the appropriate Government:
- Provided that the appellate officer may entertain the appeal after the expiry of the said period of thirty days, if he is satisfied that the appellant was prevented by sufficient cause from filing the appeal in time.
Provisos, explanations & qualifications
- Provided that the appellate officer may entertain the appeal after the expiry of the said period of thirty days, if he is satisfied that the appellant was prevented by sufficient cause from filing the appeal in time.
Thresholds and timelines in the text
- Appeal. — (1) Any person aggrieved by an order made under section 3 may, within thirty days from the date on which the order is communicated to him, prefer an appeal to an appellate officer who shall be a person notified in this behalf by the appropriate Government:
- Provided that the appellate officer may entertain the appeal after the expiry of the said period of thirty days, if he is satisfied that the appellant was prevented by sufficient cause from filing the appeal in time.
- (2) On receipt of an appeal under sub-section (1), the appellate officer shall, after giving the appellant an opportunity of being heard, dispose of the appeal within a period of thirty days from the date of receipt of such appeal.
Actors expressly appearing in the text
Appropriate Government
Full statutory text — Section 4
4. Appeal. — (1) Any person aggrieved by an order made under section 3 may, within thirty days
from the date on which the order is communicated to him, prefer an appeal to an appellate officer who
shall be a person notified in this behalf by the appropriate Government:
Provided that the appellate officer may entertain the appeal after the expiry of the said period of thirty
days, if he is satisfied that the appellant was prevented by sufficient cause from filing the appeal in time.
(2) On receipt of an appeal under sub-section (1), the appellate officer shall, after giving the appellant
an opportunity of being heard, dispose of the appeal within a period of thirty days from the date of receipt
of such appeal.How to apply this provision
- Primary statutory test — — (1) Any person aggrieved by an order made under section 3 may, within thirty days from the date on which the order is communicated to him, prefer an appeal to an appellate officer who shall be a person notified in this behalf by the appropriate Government:
- Additional operative limb — Provided that the appellate officer may entertain the appeal after the expiry of the said period of thirty days, if he is satisfied that the appellant was prevented by sufficient cause from filing the appeal in time.
- Qualification / exception to test — Provided that the appellate officer may entertain the appeal after the expiry of the said period of thirty days, if he is satisfied that the appellant was prevented by sufficient cause from filing the appeal in time.
- Numerical or timing control — Appeal. — (1) Any person aggrieved by an order made under section 3 may, within thirty days from the date on which the order is communicated to him, prefer an appeal to an appellate officer who shall be a person notified in this behalf by the appropriate Government:
- Central Rule mapping — 3. 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: Appropriate Government.
Rules, forms and cross-references
Direct 2026 Central Rule mapping
Forms mapped
No prescribed form is directly mapped in the current concordance.
Other sections cited in this text
Related Labour Hub resources
A direct concordance is not exhaustive. Central/State jurisdiction, schemes, authority appointments, saved instruments and later notifications may change the practical route without changing the section wording.
Worked example
When an event triggers appeal, record the trigger date, competent authority, prescribed rule/form, filing or decision step, service/acknowledgement and final outcome. A statutory point to test is: “Appeal. — (1) Any person aggrieved by an order made under section 3 may, within thirty days from the date on which the order is communicated to him, prefer an appeal to an appellate officer who shall be a person notified in this behalf by the appropriate Government:” Also test the express qualification/proviso before concluding the result. Read the mapped Central Rule(s) 3.
Illustration only; it is not statutory text or a substitute for applying the actual facts, jurisdiction, current rule/scheme and official instrument.
Q&A — Section 4
What does Section 4 of the OSHWC Code cover?
Section 4 — Governs appeal and the rights, duties, powers or procedure expressly stated in this section. Key operative text: — (1) Any person aggrieved by an order made under section 3 may, within thirty days from the date on which the order is communicated to him, prefer an appeal to an appellate officer who shall be a person notified in this…
What is the main legal requirement or power in Section 4?
The first operative clause identified from the official text is: “— (1) Any person aggrieved by an order made under section 3 may, within thirty days from the date on which the order is communicated to him, prefer an appeal to an appellate officer who shall be a person notified in this behalf by the appropriate Government:” Read it with the remaining subsections and any proviso below.
Does Section 4 contain a proviso or explanation?
Yes. A qualification extracted from the official text is: “Provided that the appellate officer may entertain the appeal after the expiry of the said period of thirty days, if he is satisfied that the appellant was prevented by sufficient cause from filing the appeal in time.”
What time limit, percentage or amount appears in Section 4?
The provision contains this numerical/time expression: “Appeal. — (1) Any person aggrieved by an order made under section 3 may, within thirty days from the date on which the order is communicated to him, prefer an appeal to an appellate officer who shall be a person notified in this behalf by the appropriate Government:” Apply it only in the clause and context in which it appears.
Which 2026 Central Rules are linked to Section 4?
The current concordance maps Section 4 to Central Rule(s) 3.
Is Section 4 currently operative?
All provisions were brought into force from 21 November 2025 under S.O. 5321(E), subject to the Central/State appropriate-Government split and provision-specific appointments/notifications.
Source & verification trail
Act: Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 — official India Code PDF ↗
Central Rules: Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (Central) Rules, 2026 — G.S.R. 345(E), 8 May 2026 ↗
Official library: Ministry of Labour & Employment — Labour Codes ↗
Source check: 20 August 2026. Individual professional interpretation should be re-reviewed when the section, rules, notification, scheme, State overlay or controlling judgment changes.