Module-1

Introduction – concept and scope of occupational safety and environmental health, basic
requirements for healthy environment and environmental quality, human exposure and
impact of environment factors on health.
Occupational Safety and Health Occupational Health and Safety Administration- Laws
governing OSHA and Right to know, National safety Law, types of diseases and their
spread, Health Emergency.
 Introduction
 Occupational - Relating to job or profession
 Health – The condition of body or mind
 Safety – Not being exposed to danger or risks
 Accident- an unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly and unintentionally, typically
resulting in damage or injury.
 Hazards- A danger or Risk
In industry, health and safety means preventing accidents and work related ill health.
Work Related ill health is :
“ Any illness, disability or other physical problem which affects a person and is caused by their
working conditions ”
Ignoring health and safety has two types of cost :
• Human Cost
• Financial Cost
- to the organisation or to the individual
 Introduction
Why is occupational health and safety important?
 Work plays a central role in people's lives, since most workers spend at least eight
hours a day in the workplace, whether it is on a plant, in an office, factory, etc.
 Therefore, work environments should be safe and healthy. Yet this is not the case for
many workers.
 Every day workers all over the world are faced with a multitude of health hazards,
such as:
 dusts; gases; noise; vibration; extreme temperatures.
 Unfortunately some employers assume little responsibility for the protection of
workers' health and safety.
 In fact, some employers do not even know that they have the moral and often legal
responsibility to protect workers.
 As a result of the hazards and a lack of attention given to health and safety, work-
related accidents and diseases are common in all parts of the world.
 Introduction
Costs of occupational injury/disease
Work-related accidents or diseases are very
costly and can have many serious direct and
indirect effects on the lives of workers and their
families. For workers some of the direct costs
of an injury or illness are:
 the pain and suffering of the injury or illness;
 the loss of income;
 the possible loss of a job;
 health-care costs.
 Introduction
Costs of occupational injury/disease
It has been estimated that the indirect costs of an accident or illness can be four to ten
times greater than the direct costs, or even more.
 payment for work not performed;
 medical and compensation payments;
 repair or replacement of damaged machinery and equipment;
 reduction or a temporary halt in production;
 the injured/ill worker has to be replaced;
 a new worker has to be trained and given time to adjust;
 it takes time before the new worker is producing at the rate of the original worker;
 time must be devoted to obligatory investigations, to the writing of reports and filling out of
forms;
 accidents often arouse the concern of fellow workers and influence labour relations in a
negative way;
 poor health and safety conditions in the workplace can also result in poor public relations.
 negative effect on morale in other workers.
Concept and scope of occupational safety and environmental health

What is Occupational Health and Safety?

 Occupational health and safety is the science that deals with the anticipation, evaluation
and management of risks that arise in the workplace posing danger to the physical,
mental and social wellbeing of employees in all occupations.
 Occupational health and safety is possible only with the cooperation and participation
of both employees and employers.
 The issues that are addressed with more importance are the ones that are more difficult
to be defied such as industrial hygiene, toxicology, engineering safety, psychology,
ergonomics etc
Concept and scope of occupational safety and environmental health
The scope of occupational health and safety-brief background

 The scope of occupational safety and health has evolved gradually and continuously in
response to social, political, technological and economic changes.
 In recent years, globalization of the world’s economies and its repercussions have been
perceived as the greatest force for change in the world of work, and consequently in the
scope of occupational safety and health, in both positive and negative ways.
 Liberalization of world trade, rapid technological progress, significant developments in
transport and communication, shifting patterns of employment, changes in work
organization practices, the different employment patterns of men and women, and the
size, structure and life cycles of enterprises and of new technologies can all generate
new types and patterns of hazards, exposures and risks.
 Demographic changes and population movements, and the consequent pressures on the
global environment, can also affect safety and health in the world of work.
Concept and scope of occupational safety and environmental health
Keeping these things following Scope of OH&S defined
 Promoting and maintaining overall wellbeing of workers in all occupations
 Preventing occupational health hazards among the workers
 Protecting workers from risks associated with their occupation
 Placing and maintaining workers in an occupational environment as per their physical
and mental needs
 Customization of work to workers
Concept and scope of occupational safety and environmental health
Core OH&S Principles
Occupational safety and health is an extensive multidisciplinary field, invariably touching
on issues related to scientific areas such as medicine – including physiology and
toxicology – ergonomics, physics and chemistry, as well as technology, economics, law
and other areas specific to various industries and activities.
1. All workers have rights. Workers, as well as employers and governments, must ensure that
these rights are protected and must strive to establish and maintain decent working conditions
and a decent working environment.
2. Occupational safety and health policies must be established. Such policies must be
implemented at both the national (governmental) and enterprise levels. They must be
effectively communicated to all parties concerned.
3. A national system for occupational safety and health must be established. Such a system must
include all the mechanisms and elements necessary to build and maintain a preventive safety
and health culture.
4. A national programme on occupational safety and health must be formulated. Once
formulated, it must be implemented, monitored, evaluated and periodically reviewed.
Concept and scope of occupational safety and environmental health
Core OH&S Principles
5. Social partners (that is, employers and workers) and other stakeholders must be consulted.
This should be done during formulation, implementation and review of all policies, systems
and programmes.
6. Occupational safety and health programmes and policies must aim at both prevention and
protection. Efforts must be focused above all on primary prevention at the workplace level.
7. Continuous improvement of occupational safety and health must be promoted. This is
necessary to ensure that national laws, regulations and technical standards to prevent
occupational injuries, diseases and deaths are adapted periodically to social, technical and
scientific progress and other changes in the world of work.
8. Information is vital for the development and implementation of effective programmes and
policies. The collection and dissemination of accurate information on hazards and hazardous
materials, surveillance of workplaces, monitoring of compliance with policies and good
practice, and other related activities are central to the establishment and enforcement of
effective policies.
Concept and scope of occupational safety and environmental health
Core OH&S Principles
9. Health promotion is a central element of occupational health practice. Efforts must be made
to enhance workers’ physical, mental and social well-being.
10. Occupational health services covering all workers should be established. Ideally, all workers
in all categories of economic activity should have access to such services, which aim to protect
and promote workers’ health and improve working conditions.
11. Compensation, rehabilitation and curative services must be made available to workers who
suffer occupational injuries, accidents and work related diseases. Action must be taken to
minimize the consequences of occupational hazards.
12. Education and training are vital components of safe, healthy working environments.
Workers and employers must be made aware of the importance of establishing safe working
procedures and of how to do so.
13. Policies must be enforced. A system of inspection must be in place to secure compliance with
occupational safety and health measures and other labour legislation.
Concept and scope of occupational safety and environmental health
Environmental Health
 Environmental health is the branch of public health that: focuses on the relationships
between people and their environment; promotes human health and well-being; and
fosters healthy and safe communities.
 Environmental health is a key part of any complete public health system.
 The field works to advance policies and programs to reduce chemical and other
environmental exposures in air, water, soil and food to protect people and provide
communities with healthier environments.
 The environment is a major determinant of health, estimated to account for almost 20%
of all deaths in the WHO European Region.
 In 1989, concerned about the growing evidence of the impact of hazardous
environments on human health, WHO/Europe initiated the first ever environment and
health process, towards a broad primary prevention public health approach, and to
facilitate intersectoral policy-making
Concept and scope of occupational safety and environmental health
Human exposure and impact of environment factors on health
 The health risks that are a result of the environment are starting to affect people around
the globe. There are several environmental factors that can contribute to health
including air quality, climate change, toxic drinking water, and toxic chemical
exposure. Following environmental factors shows how it affects on human health.
 It is estimated that the increasing temperatures over the past 30 years have resulted in
the deaths of 150,000 lives each year. Increasing rates of extreme temperature are
directly related to increased mortality. Some of the health risks that come with extreme
temperatures are heat stress, cardio vascular failure, Hypothermia, etc.
 One of the more common health risks that people encounter is a result of air pollutants
and air quality. Allergic Asthma is a chronic disease that affects individual's
inflammatory system when they are exposed to allergens resulting in shortness of
breath, wheezing, and coughing.
Concept and scope of occupational safety and environmental health
Human exposure and impact of environment factors on health
 Environmental factors such as, air pollutants, tobacco smoke, emission fumes, and
other allergens in the air when absorbed through the body are said to have an influence
on allergic asthma
 Rising sea levels is another environmental factor that affects the health of individuals in
a given region. One of the reasons why sea levels begin to rise is due to the melting of
large glacier ice.
 Climate change can affect humans' respiratory health by aggravating respiratory disease
or increasing exposure to potential risks of the disease. Climate change can affect the
respiratory system by the amount of pollen and allergens in the air, mold proliferation,
and the effects of the ozone layer.
Concept and scope of occupational safety and environmental health
Basic requirements for healthy environment and environmental quality

 The environment directly affects health status and plays a major role in quality of life,
years of healthy life lived, and health differences.
 The environment plays a crucial role in people’s physical, mental and social well-being.
 Poor air quality contributes to cancers, cardiovascular disease, asthma, and other
illnesses.
 Poor water quality can lead to gastrointestinal illness and a range of other conditions,
including neurological problems and cancer.
 Some chemicals in and around homes and workplaces can contribute to acute
poisonings and other toxic effects.
 Safe air, land, and water are fundamental to a healthy community environment
Occupational Safety And Health Administration
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is a large
regulatory agency of the United States Department of Labor that originally had
federal visitorial powers to inspect and examine workplaces.
Congress established the agency under the Occupational Safety and Health
Act (OSH Act), which President Richard M. Nixon signed into law on December
29, 1970.
OSHA's mission is to "assure safe and healthy working conditions for working men
and women by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach,
education and assistance.
It also provides free on-site support to identify and correct hazards and provides
assistance in setting up OHS programs.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• NIOSH was established to help ensure safe and healthful working conditions by
providing research, information, education, and training in the field
of occupational safety and health.
• NIOSH and OSHA often work together toward the goal of protecting worker
safety and health.
• NIOSH is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) within
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
• NIOSH provides national and world leadership to prevent work-related illness,
injury, disability, and death by gathering information, conducting scientific
research, and translating the knowledge gained into products and services.
• NIOSH is not a regulatory agency. It does not issue safety and health standards
that are enforceable under U.S. law. Rather, NIOSH's authority under
the Occupational Safety and Health Act is to "develop recommendations for health
and safety standards", to "develop information on safe levels of exposure to toxic
materials and harmful physical agents and substances", and to "conduct research
on new safety and health problems".
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
NIOSH may also "conduct on-site investigations (Health Hazard Evaluations) to
determine the toxicity of materials used in workplaces" and "fund research by
other agencies or private organizations through grants, contracts, and other
arrangements.
NIOSH abides by a strategic plan for meeting institutional goals and allocating
resources. The institute has seven overarching goals
• Reduce occupational cancer, cardiovascular disease, adverse reproductive
outcomes, and other chronic diseases.
• Reduce occupational hearing loss.
• Reduce occupational immune, infectious, and dermal disease.
• Reduce occupational musculoskeletal disorders.
• Reduce occupational respiratory disease.
• Improve workplace safety to reduce traumatic injuries.
• Promote safe and healthy work design and well-being.
What Is the Occupational Safety And Health Act?
• Congress found that workplace personal injuries and illnesses contributed to a
decline in production and wages, plus an increase in medical expenses and
disability compensation.
• The Occupational Safety and Health Act is a law passed by Congress in 1970 to
ensure safer workplace conditions in the United States.
• The law was Signed by President Richard Nixon in December 29, 1970
• Its main goal is to ensure that employers provide employees with an environment
free from recognized hazards, such as exposure to toxic chemicals, excessive
noise levels, mechanical dangers, heat or cold stress, or unsanitary conditions.
• The act created the agencies which administer OSH, the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA), and the National Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health (NIOSH).
• The Occupational Safety and Health Act established the federal Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which sets and enforces workplace
health and safety standards.
• The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NOSH), the federal
agency that conducts research and recommends solutions for the prevention of
work-related illnesses and injuries.
What Is the Occupational Safety And Health Act?
• The 1970 legislation gave the Occupational Safety and Health Administration the
authority to create industry-specific guidelines.
• The Occupational Safety and Health Act applies to most private and public
employers.
• Section 5 of the Act contains the "general duty clause." The "general duty clause"
requires employers to 1) Maintain conditions or adopt practices reasonably
necessary and appropriate to protect workers on the job; 2) Be familiar with and
comply with standards applicable to their establishments; and 3) Ensure that
employees have and use personal protective equipment when required for safety
and health.
• Section 8 of the Act covers reporting requirements. All employers must report to
OSHA within eight hours if an employee dies from a work-related incident, or
three or more employees are hospitalized as a result of a work-related incident.
Additionally, all fatal on-the-job heart attacks must also be reported. Section 8
permits OSHA inspectors to enter, inspect and investigate, during regular working
hours, any workplace covered by the Act.
What Is the Occupational Safety And Health Act?
• Section 11(c) of the Act bans any employer from discharging, reacting or
discriminating against any employee because the worker has exercised rights
under the Act. These rights include complaining to OSHA and seeking an OSHA
inspection, participating in an OSHA inspection, and participating or testifying in
any proceeding related to an OSHA inspection
• Section 18 of the Act permits and encourages states to adopt their own
occupational safety and health plans, so long as the state standards and
enforcement "are or will be at least as effective in providing safe and healthful
employment" as the federal OSH Act.
• The OSH Act does not cover the self-employed, immediate family members of
farm employers, or workplace hazards regulated by another federal agency (for
example, the Mine Safety and Health Administration, the Department of Energy,
or Coast Guard
• The OSH Act covers most private sector employers and their workers, in addition
to some public sector employers and workers in the 50 states and certain territories
and jurisdictions under federal authority.
Rights and Responsibilities under OSHA Law (Employer Responsibilities)
Employers have the responsibility to provide a safe workplace. Employers MUST provide
their workers with a workplace that does not have serious hazards and must follow all
OSHA safety and health standards.
• Inform workers about chemical hazards through training, labels, alarms, color-coded
systems, chemical information sheets and other methods.
• Provide safety training to workers in a language and vocabulary they can understand.
• Keep accurate records of work-related injuries and illnesses.
• Perform tests in the workplace, such as air sampling, required by some OSHA standards.
• Provide required personal protective equipment at no cost to workers.
• Provide hearing exams or other medical tests required by OSHA standards.
• Post OSHA citations and injury and illness data where workers can see them.
• Notify OSHA within 8 hours of a workplace fatality or within 24 hours of any work-
related inpatient hospitalization, amputation or loss of an eye.
• Not react against workers for using their rights under the law, including their right to
report a work-related injury or illness
Rights and Responsibilities under OSHA Law (Employer Rights)
Seek advice and free consultation as needed from OSHA.
Be active in industry association’s involvement in job safety and health.
File a Notice of Contest with the OSHA area director within 15 working days of
receipt of a notice of citation and proposed penalty.
Apply to OSHA for a temporary or permanent variance from a standard.
Take an active role in developing safety and health standards.
Be confident of the in secret of any trade secrets observed by an OSHA
compliance officer during an inspection.
Submit a written request to NIOSH for information on whether any substance in
your workplace has potentially toxic effects.
Rights and Responsibilities under OSHA Law (Employee Rights)
File a confidential complaint with OSHA to have their workplace inspected.
Receive information and training about hazards, methods to prevent harm, and the
OSHA standards that apply to their workplace. The training must be done in a
language and vocabulary workers can understand.
Receive copies of records of work-related injuries and illnesses that occur in their
workplace.
Receive copies of the results from tests and monitoring done to find and measure
hazards in their workplace.
Receive copies of their workplace medical records.
Participate in an OSHA inspection and speak in private with the inspector.
File a complaint with OSHA if they have been reacted against by their employer
as the result of requesting an inspection or using any of their other rights under the
OSH Act.
File a complaint if punished or retaliated against for acting as a “whistleblower”
under the more than 20 federal laws for which OSHA has jurisdiction.
• NATIONAL POLICY ON OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH
• In order to ensure that a national OSH policy is complete, measures should be
taken to ensure tripartite participation, which is to say participation by
government, employers’ and workers’ organizations, in its formulation, practical
implementation and review.
• There must be logic in terms of policy content, as well as during implementation.
• It should also be borne in mind that if a policy is to be successfully implemented,
local conditions and practices must be taken into account when the policy is being
formulated.
• Key features of a national policy on occupational safety and health
• The formulation of the policy should reflect tripartite participation, i.e. there
should be inputs from employers’ and workers’ organizations as well as from
government and others involved in the area of occupational safety and health.
• The policy should be consistent with national development objectives and policies
as a whole.
• Key features of a national policy on occupational safety and health
• The policy should promote the right of workers to decent, safe and healthy
working conditions and environment.
• The policy should include ways of promoting adequate public awareness and
producing political authorization at the highest level of government.
• The policy should promote the development of a national preventive safety and
health culture that includes information, consultation and training.
• The policy should include a plan for mobilizing the necessary institutional and
financial resources.
• Coordination among all concerned institutions should be adopted as an essential
element of the policy.
• All available means of action should be used consistently.
• The policy should encourage voluntary compliance at enterprise level.
• The policy should be reviewed regularly.
• National Policy on Safety, Health and Environment at Workplace
(NPSHEW) -India
On the basis of Directive Principles as well as international instruments the
Government of India, Ministry of Labour & Employment, had declared the
National Policy on Safety, Health and Environment at Workplace (NPSHEW) on
20th February, 2009 and the policy document has been posted in the website of the
Ministry of Labour and Employment.
The purpose of this National Policy is to establish a preventive safety and health
culture in the country through elimination of the incidents of work related injuries,
diseases, fatalities, disasters and to enhance the well being of employees in all the
sectors of economic activity in the country.
• National Policy on Safety, Health and Environment at Workplace
(NPSHEW)
• The salient features of the Policy are as below:-
• It recognizes safe and healthy working environment as a fundamental human right.
• It aims at enhancing the well-being of the employees and the society at large by
eliminating work related injuries, diseases, etc.
• It enumerates the goals to be achieved and brings into focus the objective of
continuous reduction in the incidence of work related injurious and diseases.
Major OSH Laws & Regulations in India
The Government of India has enacted the laws relating to Occupational
Safety and Health (OSH) at workplaces. At present, comprehensive safety
and health laws for regulating Occupational Safety and Health at
workplaces mainly exist in respect of the four sectors namely,
manufacturing, mining, ports, and construction.
There are four main legislations that cover Occupational Safety and Health
at workplace.
(i) The Factories Act, 1948 , covering factories wherein the enforcement of
safety at workplace is by the Chief Inspector of Factories in the
respective states,
(ii) The Mines Act, 1952 and Mines Rules, 1955 for mining industry where
the enforcement is by the Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS)
under Ministry of Labour & Employment , Government of India,
Major OSH Laws & Regulations in India
There are four main legislations that cover Occupational Safety and Health
at workplace.
(iii) The Dock Workers (Safety, Health and Welfare) Act, 1986 followed by
notification of the Dock Workers (Safety, Health and Welfare) Regulations,
1990 dealing with the major ports of India and the enforcement is by the
Directorate General of Factory Advice Service & Labour Institutes
(DGFASLI), under Ministry of Labour & Employment , Government of
India,
(iv) The Building & Other Construction Workers (Regulations of
Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996 , covering construction
workers at construction sites wherein the enforcement is by the Directorate
General Labour Welfare in the central sphere and by the Labour
Commissioners/Factory Inspectorates in the States/UTs.
• Major OSH Laws & Regulations in India
• The Factories Act, 1948
• The First Factories Act in India was passed in 1881. Though this legislation was
initiated to promote the interest of the producers in Lancashire and Manchester in
United Kingdom, it has since then steadily developed into a welfare measure of
wide contents and coverage through innumerable amendments and re-enactments.
• Under the present Act, factory means any premises in which 20 or more workers
are working and a manufacturing process is carried on with the aid of power; any
premises in which 40 or more workers are working and a manufacturing process is
carried on without the aid of power.
• Chapter II of the Act deals with The Inspection Staff, Chapter III of the Act deals
with Health and Chapter IV deals with Safety.
• Chapter IV A (Provisions Relating to Hazardous Processes) was added to the
present Act in 1988 after Bhopal Gas tragedy
• Major OSH Laws & Regulations in India
• The Factories Act, 1948
• Chapter VII of the Act deals with employment of young persons and prohibits the
employment of any person below the age of 14 years.
• Section 87– Dealing with Dangerous operations, wherein the State Government is of
opinion that any manufacturing process or operations carried out in a factory is dangerous
then it can restrict employment of women, provide for periodical medical examination ,
prohibit / restrict / control use of any specified material / process
• Section 88– Dealing with notice of certain accidents
• Section 88 A– Dealing with notice of certain dangerous occurrences
• Section 89– Dealing with notice of certain diseases
• Section 90– Dealing with Power to direct enquiry into cases of accidents and certain
disease
• Section 91– Dealing with Power to take samples
• Section 91A– Dealing with safety and occupational health surveys.
• Major OSH Laws & Regulations in India
• Dock Workers (Safety, Health & Welfare) Act, 1986 & The Dock
Workers (Safety, Health & Welfare) Regulations, 1990
• Indian Dock Labourers Act, 1934 was enacted to give effect to ILO Agreement
viz., "Protection Against Accidents (Dockers) Agreement (Revised), 1932
(No.32)". The main objective of the Act was to make the working places and
working procedures safe.
• In order to approve the ILO Agreements 152 and also to implement the
recommendation of the National Commission on Labour, a unified Act, viz., the
Dock Workers (Safety, Health and Welfare) Act, 1986 was enacted and the
detailed Dock Workers (Safety, Health and Welfare) Regulations were framed in
1990.
• The enforcement of the Act and the Regulations is carried out by the Inspectorates
Dock Safety functioning in all the major ports under the administrative control of
the Director General, DGFASLI, Ministry of Labour, Government of India.
• Major OSH Laws & Regulations in India
• Dock Workers (Safety, Health & Welfare) Act, 1986 & The Dock
Workers (Safety, Health & Welfare) Regulations, 1990
• The Director General, DGFASLI as Chief Inspector of Dock Safety is also
responsible for enforcement of the Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous
Chemicals Rules, 1989 framed under the Environment (Protection) Act 1996 in
the Major Ports.
• The Dock Workers (Safety, Health and Welfare) Regulations, 1990 was framed
under the Section 20 of the Dock Workers (Safety, Health and Welfare) Act, 1986.
• Regulations 9 to 94 in Part III of the Dock Workers(Safety, Health and
Welfare)Regulations, 1990 are covering safety aspects in the working places,
warehouses and storage places, decks and Hatch ways etc., Lifting Appliances and
Gear, Transport Equipment and Operations, Handling of Cargo, Handling of
Dangerous Goods, Freight Container Terminals, Miscellaneous.
• Major OSH Laws & Regulations in India
• Dock Workers (Safety, Health & Welfare) Act, 1986 & The Dock
Workers (Safety, Health & Welfare) Regulations, 1990
• Regulations 95 to 99 in Part IV of - 5 - the Dock Workers (Safety, Health and
Welfare) Regulations, 1990 are covering health aspects like cleanliness, drinking
water, latrines and urinals, ventilation and temperature in dock area.
• Regulations 100 to 109 in Part V of the Dock Workers (Safety, Health and
Welfare)Regulations, 1990 are covering welfare facilities like washing facilities,
First-Aid boxes, ambulance room, ambulance carriage, stretchers, shelters or rest
rooms and lunch rooms, canteens, medical examination of dock workers, notices,
welfare officers.
• Major OSH Laws & Regulations in India
• The Mines Act, 1952 and other laws pertaining to Mines
• In 1897 first major disaster in mining hit the Kolar Goldfields killing 52 persons,
to be soon followed by the Khost Coal Mine disaster in Baluchistan (now in
Pakistan) killing 47 persons. The disaster hastened the process of formulation of
safety laws and the first Mines Act was enacted in 1901.
• The Mines Act, 1952 deals with the matters relating to safety, health and welfare
of persons employed in mines including oil mines.
• The Act specifies the provisions for regulating employment of persons, leave with
wages, duties and responsibilities of owner, agent and manager, drinking water,
First-Aid and rest shelters, medical examinations and occupational health surveys,
notice of accidents and occupational diseases in addition to framing of rules,
regulations and byelaws on specific subjects including the penalty provisions for
violations of this Act.
• Major OSH Laws & Regulations in India
• The Mines Act, 1952 and other laws pertaining to Mines
• The following Laws dealing with OSH are applicable to Mines:
• Mines Act, 1952
• Coal Mines Regulations, 1957
• Metalliferous Mines Regulations, 1961
• Oil Mines Regulations, 1984
• Mines Rules, 1955
• Mines Vocational Training Rules, 1966
• Mines Rescue Rules, 1985
• Electricity Act, 2003
• Factories Act, 1948: Chapter III & IV
• Manufacture, Storage & Import of Hazardous Chemicals Rules, 1989 – under
Environmental Protection Act, 1986
• Land Acquisition (Mines) Act, 1885
• The Coal Mines (Conservation & Development) Act, 1974
• Major OSH Laws & Regulations in India
• The Building & Other Construction Workers (Regulations of
Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996
• The Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulations of Employment and
Conditions of Service) Act, 1996 aims at regulating the employment and
conditions of services of building and other construction workers and providing
for their safety, health and welfare measures
• The BOCW Act, 1996 in Chapter VII under Safety & Health Measures in Section
38 deals with Safety Committee and safety officers in every establishment wherein
five hundred or more building workers are ordinarily employed;
• Section 39 deals with Notice of certain accidents, where in any establishment an
accident occurs which causes death or which causes any bodily injury by reason of
which the person injured is prevented from working for a period of forty-eight
hours or more immediately following the accident, or which is of such a nature as
may be prescribed, the employer shall give notice thereof to such authority, in
such form and within such time as may be prescribed;
• Major OSH Laws & Regulations in India
• Other related legislations on Safety, Health and Environment
• Apart from the four main legislations mentioned above, there are legislations relating to
certain substances, machinery, environment which also addresses certain issue of safety
and health
The Indian Boilers Act, 1923 (amended2007)
An Act is to consolidate and amend the law relating to steam boilers, The Indian Boilers
Regulations, 1950 (amended2010) and The Boilers Rules of respective States
The Dangerous Machines (Regulation) Act, 1983
An Act to provide for the regulation of trade and commerce in production, supply,
distribution and use of the product of any industry producing dangerous machines with a
view to securing the welfare of labour, operating any such machine and for payment of
compensation for death or bodily injury suffered by any labourer while operating any such a
machine and for matters connected there with or incidental there to. The act is
supplemented by the Dangerous Machines (Regulation) Rules, 1984 (amended2007).
• Major OSH Laws & Regulations in India
• Other related legislations on Safety, Health and Environment
The Plantation Labour Act, 1951 (amended 2010) and Rules there under
This act provides for the welfare of labours and to regulate the conditions of work in
plantations.
The Beedi Cigar Workers (Conditions of Employment) Act, 1966 (amended 1993)
This act provides for the welfare of the workers in beedi and cigar establishments
and to regulate the conditions of their work and for matters connected there with.
The respective State Governments have notified the State Rules under the Act.
The Explosives Act, 1884 (amended 1983)
This act provides for regulating the manufacture, possession, use, sale, transport,
import and export of Explosives. Also there are The Explosives Rules, 2008
(amended 2011), The Static and Mobile Pressure Vessels (unfired) Rules, 1981 &
2016, The Gas Cylinders Rules, 1981 & 2016 and The Ammonium Nitrate Rules,
2012.
• Major OSH Laws & Regulations in India
• Other related legislations on Safety, Health and Environment
 The Petroleum Act, 1934
An Act to consolidate and amend the law relating to the import, transport, storage, production,
refining and blending of petroleum. Also there are The Petroleum Rules, 2002 (amended 2011) and
The Calcium Carbide Rules, 1987.
 The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (amended 1991)
An Act to provide for the protection and improvement of environment and matters connected
therewith. There are also various Rules which are listed below
 The Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986 (amended 2010)
 The Manufacture Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemicals Rules, 1989 (amended 2000)
 The Rules for Manufacture, Use, Import, Export and Storage of Hazardous Micro Organisms,
Genetically Engineered Organisms or Cells, 1989 (amended 2010)
 The Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016
[Suppressed the Hazardous Wastes (Management, Handling and Transboundry Movement) Rules,
2008]
 The Chemical Accidents (Emergency Planning, Preparedness and Response) Rules, 1996
 The Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016 [Suppressed the Bio-Medical Waste
(Management & Handling) Rules, 1998]
 The Recycled Plastics Manufacture and Usage Rules, 1999 (amended 2003)
• Authority or Body Responsible for OSH in India
• The Ministry of Labour & Employment (MoL&E) , Government of India and
Labour Departments of the State Governments and Union Territories are
responsible for Occupational Safety and Health of workers, as the subject of
“Welfare of Labour including conditions of work” is a subject listed in the
concurrent list of the constitution.
• A separate division on industrial safety and health exists in the MoL&E. The
Industrial Safety and Health division of the Ministry discharges the overall
functions relating to policy decisions and laying down guidelines for countrywide
adoption in the above sectors.
• The Ministry also carries out liaison with the International Labour Organisation
(ILO) and other countries. The Ministry undertakes co-ordination at the national
level by periodically convening the State Labour Ministers Conference and State
Labour Secretaries Conference, in which policy matters and issues on uniformity
in labour laws are discussed.
• Directorate General Factory Advice Service & Labour Institutes (DGFASLI) and
Directorate General of Mine Safety (DGMS) assist the Ministry in the technical
aspects of occupational safety and health in the above sectors
• Right to Know
"Right to know", in the context of United States workplace and
community environmental law, is the legal principle that the individual has the right
to know the chemicals to which they may be exposed in their daily living.
Right-to-know laws are a group of rules and regulations at the state and national
levels that mandate that employers share scientific information with workers and
local communities about the toxicity and other characteristics of chemicals and
materials used in business processes.
This information encompasses all substances to which workers might be exposed in
the workplace, including materials and chemicals utilized in producing goods or
providing services, chemical releases into the environment, waste management, and
long-term exposure to substances.
Right-to-know laws place special emphasis on maintaining and disseminating
information on the potential long-term health effects (cancer, infertility, etc.)
sometimes associated with longtime work exposure to high concentrations of
industrial materials.
• Right to Know
Experts in the fields of risk management and hazardous materials management
generally separate employer obligations under "right-to-know" (RTK) into four
broad categories:
1. obligation to compile and retain relevant records
2. obligation to disclose any available information to workers, community
members, or organizations on any potentially hazardous materials and processes
used
3. obligation to provide adequate training to employees working with potentially
dangerous materials
4. obligation to disclose information on sudden health risks.
This information, which must be presented even if it is not formally requested,
should cover the potential risks of sudden and accidental chemical releases, explain
the scope of the company's technological and human resources to effectively address
such events; and identify other options that could also be considered.
• Role of safety and Health Professional
The biggest responsibility of a safety and health professional is to keep employees,
the company, and the surrounding community safe from safety and environmental
hazards.
Following are the duties to be performed as safety and health professional
1. Creating and reviewing safety plans
2. Providing ongoing training for all employees
3. Documenting work observations
4. Analyzing safety data
5. Managing incidents and associated reporting
6. Maintaining company and government compliance
7. Preventing workplace health and safety hazards
8. Creating sustainable practices for better environmental impact