Rules 160-162 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.
Rules 160, 161 and 162 finish the mine-training scheme begun in rules 157-159. They say how refresher training is to be arranged, what a mine employer must do before new technology or a new system of work is introduced, and when a person must be retrained before going back to work in a mine.
Rule 160: refresher training is arranged during normal working hours on a full day release system, unless the Chief Inspector-cum-Facilitator exempts a mine. Rule 161: for new technology, equipment or system of work, the employer must submit a training module at least sixty days before its introduction. Rule 162: a person returning after more than one year's absence, after a serious accident or dangerous occurrence, or put on a different job, must be trained before employment.
Where these rules sit
These rules belong to the mines part of the OSH (Central) Rules, 2026, made under the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (the OSH Code). Rule 159 fixes the refresher cycle at least once in four years, and the Chief Inspector-cum-Facilitator may lengthen or shorten that interval for a mine by written order. Our explainer on rules 157-159 covers the scheme and the vocational standard. Rules 160-162 are the operating layer: when, how and for whom the training must be organised.
The Central Rules apply where the Central Government is the appropriate Government. Where the State Government is the appropriate Government, the State's own OSH rules apply. Mine employers who want their training plan checked against these three rules can look at our labour law compliance service.
Rule 160: arranging refresher training
| Element | Rule 160 |
|---|---|
| Which training | Refresher training under rule 159 |
| Arrangement | Persons undergo it during normal working hours on a full day release system |
| Exemption | Chief Inspector-cum-Facilitator, by general or special order in writing, subject to conditions specified |
| Who is exempted | Any mine, from the provisions of the rule |
The point of "full day release" is that training is not squeezed into a break or done after the shift. The worker is released for the whole day, during working hours. The text does not say how many days a refresher course lasts or what it covers; that comes from the training scheme under rule 157. The text also does not say whether the day is paid, so read the wage provisions of the Code and the scheme before assuming either way.
The exemption is by order of the Chief Inspector-cum-Facilitator, in writing, and may carry conditions. A mine that believes full-day release is not workable should apply for the order and keep it on file, not simply change the schedule.
Rule 161: special training for new technology
Rule 161 deals with change. Sub-rule (1) applies when "new technology, equipment and system of work" is introduced in a mine. The employer then must:
- prepare a training module;
- submit it to the Chief Inspector-cum-Facilitator at least sixty days before the introduction; and
- accept that the Chief Inspector-cum-Facilitator may at any time, by written order, require such modification in the module as the order specifies.
Sub-rule (2) says the persons who will be employed in that technology, equipment or system must undergo training as per the training scheme under the Rules, based on the training module.
Two practical consequences follow. First, the sixty days run backward from the date the technology goes live, so procurement and commissioning schedules must carry a training-module milestone. Second, the power to require changes is not limited to the first sixty days. The words "at any time" mean a module already in use can be reopened.
The text does not say what format the module takes, whether the Chief Inspector-cum-Facilitator must approve it before introduction, or what happens if no reply comes within sixty days. It says only that the module is to be submitted. Do not treat silence as approval; keep proof of submission and follow any later order.
Rule 162: retraining after absence, accident or change of job
Rule 162 names three situations in which a person must undergo training before employment, as per the training scheme:
| Situation | What the rule says |
|---|---|
| Long absence | The person returns to employment in a mine after an absence from work for a period exceeding one year |
| After an incident | The person returns to work after being involved in a serious accident or in a dangerous occurrence which could have resulted in threat to life and safety |
| Change of job | The person is re-employed on a job different from what they had been performing earlier |
The absence limit is "exceeding one year". An absence of exactly one year is not within the words. The text does not define "serious accident" or "dangerous occurrence" for this rule, so look to the definitions and notification rules elsewhere in the Rules and the Code, and do not guess a threshold.
The requirement is that training takes place before employment, meaning before the person resumes work. A mine that lets a returning worker start on the afternoon shift and sends them to training next week is outside the text.
One drafting point: the rule speaks of a person who "is re-employed on a job which is different from what such person had been performing earlier". It does not say whether a promotion inside the same section counts. Where in doubt, treat a change of work category as a change of job and train.
What a mine employer should put in place
- A calendar showing each person's last refresher date, so the four-year cycle in rule 159 is visible and day-release can be planned.
- A copy of any exemption order from the Chief Inspector-cum-Facilitator under rule 160.
- A change-control step in project plans: any new technology, equipment or system of work triggers a training module and a submission at least sixty days before start.
- A return-to-work check: leave records, accident and dangerous-occurrence records and job-change records compared at the gate, so rule 162 training is not missed.
- Training records kept by the training officer under rule 166, covered in our rules 163-166 article.
Practical examples
Example 1. A mine schedules four-year refresher training for night-shift drivers on Sundays. Rule 160 expects training during normal working hours on full day release. Unless the Chief Inspector-cum-Facilitator has exempted the mine, the schedule should be changed.
Example 2. A mine plans to bring in a new conveyor system on 1 April. The training module must reach the Chief Inspector-cum-Facilitator at least sixty days earlier. A later order may require changes to the module.
Example 3. A loader operator comes back after fourteen months of absence and is also being moved to a different job. Both rule 162 triggers are met, and training is needed before employment.
Need help with mine training compliance?
A training calendar, module submission and return-to-work checks are easier to run when someone owns them from the start. Our team can map your mine's workforce against rules 159-162 and set up the records. Begin with our labour law compliance service.
Key takeaways
- Refresher training is held in normal working hours on a full day release system, unless exempted in writing.
- New technology, equipment or a new system of work needs a training module submitted at least sixty days before introduction.
- The Chief Inspector-cum-Facilitator may require changes to the module at any time.
- Training before employment is required after an absence exceeding one year, after a serious accident or dangerous occurrence, and on a change of job.
- The text does not define the terms "serious accident" or "dangerous occurrence" for rule 162; do not assume thresholds.
Read next
- Rules 157-159: training scheme, vocational training and refresher training
- Rules 163-166: training centre, staff and training officer
- Rules 167-172: instructors, trainers and training allowance
- Mines Act safety provisions and DGMS
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.