Rule 14 explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
Rule 14 requires every establishment employing five hundred or more workers to constitute a Safety Committee of representatives of employers and workers. It fixes a three-year tenure, at least one meeting every quarter (monthly in mines), a duty to keep the committee informed of hazards and accident data, and fifteen days for the employer to act on its recommendations.
Five hundred or more workers means a Safety Committee of employer and worker representatives. Tenure is three years; meetings are at least once in every quarter and monthly in mines. The committee must be informed of hazards and accident and surveillance data. The employer must act on its recommendations within fifteen days of receipt. The Central Government may set a different threshold for classes of establishments by order.
Code source: section 22
Section 22(1) of the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (the OSH Code) lets the appropriate Government, by general or special order, require an establishment or class of establishments to constitute a Safety Committee of employer and worker representatives, with workers' representatives not fewer than the employer's, chosen as prescribed. Section 22(2) separately requires safety officers in a factory with 500 workers or more, a hazardous-process factory with 250 or more, a building or construction work with 250 or more, and a mine with 100 or more. See our section 22 explainer.
Rule 14 turns the Central Government's power into a standing rule for establishments under its jurisdiction: a fixed threshold of five hundred, with room for the Central Government to vary it. Where the State Government is the appropriate Government, the State's own rules and orders decide whether and when a committee is needed. If you run several units under different regimes, a labour law compliance review can tell you which units need a committee and on what terms.
What rule 14 says
| Sub-rule | Content |
|---|---|
| 14(1) | Every establishment employing five hundred or more workers constitutes a Safety Committee of representatives of employers and workers |
| 14(2) | The Central Government may by general or special order specify a varying threshold for different classes of establishments |
| 14(3) | Tenure of three years; meets at least once every quarter; proviso: mines at least once a month |
| 14(4) | Committee to be adequately and suitably informed of (a) potential safety and health hazards to which workers may be exposed at the workplace, and (b) data on accidents and data from surveillance of the working environment and of the health of employees |
| 14(5) | Employer to take action to implement the recommendations within fifteen days from the date of receipt |
Point by point
The threshold. The count is of "workers" employed in the establishment. Rule 14(1) uses the word "workers", not "employees". Whether contract labour counts toward five hundred depends on the Code's definitions of worker, contract labour and establishment; check them before you conclude that you are below the line. The Central Government can change the threshold for a class of establishments by an order under rule 14(2), so keep an eye out for such orders for your sector.
Committee composition. Rule 14 does not itself say who sits on the committee. Rule 15 gives the composition (management side, worker side, a cap of twenty members and equal numbers), and rules 16 and 17 give the mines version; see our rule 15 explainer and rules 16 and 17 explainer.
Tenure and meetings. Three years is the tenure. The committee must meet at least once every quarter; in a mine, at least once a month. "At least" sets a floor. A large plant with continuous hazardous processes may reasonably meet more often.
Information. Rule 14(4) gives the committee a right to be "adequately and suitably informed" about hazards and data. Practically, this means the employer should tabulate accident and near-miss figures, results of workplace and health surveillance, and the hazard register, and circulate them before meetings. A committee that never sees the data cannot advise on it.
The fifteen-day clock. Rule 14(5) gives the employer "fifteen days from the date of receipt" of the committee's recommendations to take action to implement them. The rule does not say what happens if the employer disagrees or if implementation needs a long lead time. The text asks for action within fifteen days, so a written response showing what has been started, by whom and by when is the safest record. The rule does not provide a formal appeal or escalation route for the committee.
Rule 14 and section 22 compared
| Point | Section 22 (Code) | Rule 14 (Central Rules) |
|---|---|---|
| Who requires the committee | Appropriate Government by general or special order | Rule itself, for establishments with 500 or more workers |
| Varying thresholds | By order of the appropriate Government | By order of the Central Government, rule 14(2) |
| Workers' share | Not less than the employer's representatives | Equal numbers under rule 15(2) |
| Safety officers | Section 22(2), by establishment type | See rules 18 to 21 |
The Code says workers' representatives "shall not be less than" the employer's; rule 15(2) fixes equal numbers. Both point towards genuine worker participation.
Practical checklist
- Count workers at each establishment, including contract workers where the Code's definitions bring them in.
- Constitute the committee on rule 15's composition and record the date for the three-year tenure.
- Fix a quarterly calendar (monthly for a mine) and circulate the hazard and accident data in advance.
- Keep minutes; rule 15(5) requires them to be recorded.
- Log the date each recommendation is received and the action taken within fifteen days.
- Check for any order from the Central Government that varies the threshold for your class of establishment.
Consequences
Rule 14 sets no penalty of its own. Contravention of a rule is dealt with under the Code's penalty provisions; see our section 94 explainer. Apart from penalty, an Inspector-cum-Facilitator will look at minutes and action records after an accident, and an absent or inactive committee is an easy finding.
Practical examples
Example 1. A manufacturing plant employs 620 workers. It must constitute a Safety Committee under rule 14(1). It schedules meetings in March, June, September and December, records the dates, and acts on a June recommendation to guard a conveyor within fifteen days of receipt.
Example 2. A coal mine employs 900 workers. The committee meets monthly, as the proviso to rule 14(3) requires, and the manager places the monthly accident and dangerous-occurrence data before it.
Need help setting up a safety committee?
Forming the committee, electing worker representatives and keeping the minutes and fifteen-day action log are routine tasks that are easy to miss. Our labour law compliance team can help you set up the framework and check it against the Code and the Central Rules.
Key takeaways
- Five hundred or more workers: constitute a Safety Committee of employer and worker representatives.
- The Central Government may set a different threshold for classes of establishments.
- Tenure is three years; meetings at least quarterly, monthly in mines.
- The committee must be informed of hazards and of accident and surveillance data.
- The employer acts on recommendations within fifteen days of receipt.
- State rules apply where the State is the appropriate Government.
Read next
- Section 22 of the OSH Code: safety committee and safety officers
- Rule 15: composition of the Safety Committee
- Rules 16 and 17: safety committee in mines
- Rules 18 and 19: safety officers for dock work and construction work
Disclaimer: Based on the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (as enacted) and, where noted, the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (Central) Rules, 2026 (G.S.R. 345(E), 8 May 2026), as on 30 September 2026. The Code is in force from 21 November 2025; some provisions may be notified later, and State Governments make their own rules for establishments where the State is the appropriate Government. Verify the current position before acting.