Safety Officers under the OSH Code, 2020 and the Central Rules, 2026
This article sets out when an establishment must appoint Safety Officers under Section 22 of the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (OSH Code), how many the Central Rules prescribe for dock work, construction and mines, and what the appointment must show if it is audited.
The Code came into force on 21 November 2025 and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (Central) Rules, 2026 were notified on 8 May 2026. Employers who treated the Safety Officer requirement as a matter of headcount alone now need to check the prescribed scale, qualification and duties, and to find out which Government's rules govern each establishment.
Provision by provision
The statutory thresholds: Section 22(2)
Section 22(2) of the OSH Code requires Safety Officers in the following establishments:
- a factory with 500 or more workers;
- a factory carrying on a hazardous process with 250 or more workers;
- building or other construction work with 250 or more workers; and
- a mine with 100 or more workers.
Safety Officers must hold the qualifications and perform the duties that the appropriate Government prescribes. The worker count therefore only triggers the obligation. The number of officers, their qualifications, duties and conditions of service are found in the Central or State Rules applicable to the establishment.
The scale for dock work: Rule 18 of the Central Rules, 2026
For dock work employing 500 or more workers, Rule 18 prescribes:
- up to 1,000 workers: 1 Safety Officer;
- up to 2,000 workers: 2;
- up to 5,000 workers: 3;
- up to 10,000 workers: 4; and
- one more for each additional 5,000 workers or part.
The scale for building and other construction work
- up to 500 workers: 1 Safety Officer;
- up to 1,000 workers: 2;
- up to 2,000 workers: 3;
- up to 5,000 workers: 4; and
- one more for each additional 2,000 workers or part.
The scale for mines
A mine employing 100 or more workers needs one Safety Officer for up to 500 workers and one more for every additional 500 workers or part.