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Labour › OSHWC Code › Sections › Section 22
OSHWC Code · Chapter IV

Section 22 — Safety Committee and safety officers

Detailed statutory control map with Central Rule, form, authority, evidence and State-jurisdiction checks.

Legal status: In force from 21 November 2025, subject to provision-specific notifications, Central/State jurisdiction and saved actions under section 143.

Statutory identity

Chapter

IV — Occupational safety and health

Part

General chapter provision

Provision owner

Governance and competent-person control

Applicable rules

Rule 14, Rule 15, Rule 16, Rule 17, Rule 18, Rule 19, Rule 20, Rule 21

Forms

No direct prescribed form identified

Last source review

2026-07-17

Provision-by-provision analytical map

This page does not replace the statutory text. It separates the operative legal transaction into controls so that each subsection, proviso, exception and delegated instrument can be checked against the official India Code source before use.

  1. Control 1. Test the establishment/sector threshold and identify the appointing authority or employer obligation.
  2. Control 2. Document balanced composition, competency, independence, tenure and replacement arrangements.
  3. Control 3. Set a meeting calendar and agenda covering incidents, risk assessment, worker concerns and corrective actions.
  4. Control 4. Record dissent, action owners, due dates and escalation of unresolved imminent risks.
  5. Control 5. Retain appointment, qualification, minutes and follow-up evidence for inspection and audit.

Actor, trigger and jurisdiction

Primary actor

Employer, occupier, owner, agent, manager, contractor, employee or statutory authority according to the text of section 22.

Trigger

The facts engage “Safety Committee and safety officers”. Coverage, sector and appropriate-Government analysis must be recorded before action.

Central/State split

The 2026 Central Rules apply where the Central Government is the appropriate Government. State rules and notifications must be checked separately.

Technical overlay

Applicable standards, mine/dock regulations, Schedule limits and authority orders may add more specific requirements.

Linked Central Rules and forms

Central Rule 14Safety CommitteeCentral Rule 15Composition of Safety CommitteeCentral Rule 16Composition of Safety Committee in minesCentral Rule 17Functions of Safety Committee in case of MinesCentral Rule 18Safety officer for Dock Work and Building or Other Construction WorkCentral Rule 19Duties of Safety Officers in case of dock work and building or other construction workCentral Rule 20Safety officer in case of minesCentral Rule 21Duties of Safety Officer in case of mines

Implementation workflow

  1. Coverage memo: identify establishment, sector, headcount, worker status, location and appropriate Government.
  2. Legal decomposition: mark each subsection, proviso, explanation, exception and delegated power in the official text.
  3. Control design: assign a process owner, system trigger, time limit, reviewer and escalation path.
  4. Evidence: preserve the source transaction, decision, communication and acknowledgement.
  5. Freshness check: verify later Gazette notifications, authority appointments, State rules and technical orders.

Evidence checklist

Non-compliance and remedy

A paper-only committee or unqualified appointment does not discharge the substantive safety duty.

Read sections 94–114 for the offence, adjudication, prosecution, composition and court route. A continuing unsafe condition should be corrected immediately; retrospective records must never be fabricated.

Worked control example

A covered establishment converts “Safety Committee and safety officers” into a control with a named owner, trigger, deadline, prescribed evidence, reviewer and escalation path. A sample transaction is tested before the policy is treated as operational.

Practical questions

Is the Central Rule automatically applicable to every establishment?

No. Determine the appropriate Government and sector. State rules may govern establishments outside the Central sphere.

Does a policy prove compliance?

No. Transaction evidence, prescribed records, competent appointments, measurements and acknowledgements are ordinarily required.

What should be checked before relying on this page?

Read the exact India Code section, mapped Rule, Schedule, authority notification and any later Central or State instrument.

Official sources

India Code — complete CodeRead the exact statutory provision and related subordinate instruments.Ministry Labour Codes libraryCode, final Central Rules, notifications, FAQs and implementation material.Official Gazette — Central Rules, 2026G.S.R. 345(E), 8 May 2026; Gazette ID CG-DL-E-09052026-272379