Rules 20-21 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 20 requires a mine with one hundred or more workers ordinarily employed to appoint safety officers on a fixed scale and sets qualifications by type of mine. Rule 21 makes the officer the manager's adviser on safety and lists eleven specific duties.
A mine employing 100 or more workers appoints one safety officer for up to 500 workers and one more for every additional 500 or part. Coal and metalliferous mine officers need a First Class Manager's Certificate of Competency (with opencast variations) from the Directorate General of Mines Safety; oil mine officers need an engineering or safety qualification and five years' experience. The officer assists the manager, ensures an emergency plan is in place and keeps a record of work.
The Code and the rules
Section 22(2)(d) of the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (the OSH Code) requires the employer of a mine with one hundred workers or more to appoint safety officers with prescribed qualifications and duties. Rules 20 and 21 prescribe them for mines under the Central Government. Mines also have their own Safety Committee (rules 16 and 17); see our rules 16 and 17 explainer. Where the State Government is the appropriate Government, State rules apply.
The manager referred to is the mine manager under section 67 of the Code. Read the statutory role alongside our section 67 and 68 explainer. If you run or contract for mining operations and want a map of who must hold which certificate, our labour law compliance team can help.
Rule 20(1): scale
At every mine where one hundred or more workers are ordinarily employed, the employer appoints a safety officer "on a scale of one up to five hundred workers and an additional one for every additional five hundred workers or part thereof".
| Workers ordinarily employed | Safety officers |
|---|---|
| Under 100 | Not required under rule 20 |
| 100 to 500 | 1 |
| 501 to 1,000 | 2 |
| 1,001 to 1,500 | 3 |
The pattern continues at one more for each further block of 500 or part of a block.
Rule 20(2): qualifications
| Type of mine | Qualification |
|---|---|
| Coal, belowground | First Class Manager's Certificate of Competency (Coal) granted by the Directorate General of Mines Safety |
| Coal, opencast | First Class Manager's Certificate of Competency (Coal), or that certificate restricted to mines having opencast workings only, granted by the Directorate General of Mines Safety |
| Metalliferous, belowground | First Class Manager's Certificate of Competency (Metal) granted by the Directorate General of Mines Safety |
| Metalliferous, opencast | A Manager's Certificate of Competency (Metal), or that certificate restricted to mines having opencast workings only, granted by the Directorate General of Mines Safety |
| Coal and metalliferous, where more than one officer is appointed | A safety officer with a degree in mechanical engineering may also be appointed, reporting to the safety officer from mining engineering (rule 20(2)(c)) |
| Oil mines | Degree in engineering or in industrial safety from a recognised institution, or post-graduate diploma in industrial safety from the Central Labour Institute or Regional Labour Institutes, and not less than five years of experience in management or supervision of oil mine operations (rule 20(2)(d)) |
Note the difference in the opencast metalliferous row: the text there does not say "First Class" for the opencast officer. Follow the wording as it stands. Also, the mechanical engineer route in clause (c) applies only where more than one officer is required, and that person reports to the mining engineering officer.
Rule 21: duties
General, rule 21(1)-(4).
- The officer assists the manager in matters of safety in the mine.
- The officer ensures that an appropriate emergency plan is in place and that its requirements are implemented.
- Except in an emergency, no other duties beyond those in sub-rules (1) and (5) may be assigned.
- The officer maintains, in a bound paged book or in retrievable and non-editable electronic mode, a detailed record of the work performed.
The bar on other duties matters in practice. A mine cannot make its safety officer also the stores incharge or the dispatch supervisor, unless there is an emergency.
Specific duties, rule 21(5).
| Clause | Duty |
|---|---|
| (a) | Visit the surface, aboveground and underground parts of the mine and oil mine installations to meet employees on the spot, talk about safety and invite suggestions |
| (b) | Take charge of newly recruited staff and show them around, pointing out safe and unsafe acts |
| (c) | Investigate all types of accidents, dangerous occurrences and incidents, including minor accidents, and analyse them to pinpoint common causes |
| (d) | Maintain detailed statistics about mine accidents and analyse them |
| (e) | Study and apprise the manager of all possible sources of danger such as inundation, fire, coal dust and blowout in oil mines |
| (f) | Hold safety classes and give safety talks and lectures to supervisory staff |
| (g) | Organise safety weeks and other safety education programmes |
| (h) | See that concerned employees are fully conversant with standing orders, code of practice, support plan and similar matters |
| (i) | Assist in formulating mine-level training programmes, including vocational training, gas testing, fire-fighting and first aid |
| (j) | Report to the manager, after visits, whether the Code, rules and regulations are being complied with in the mine |
| (k) | Promote safe practices generally, support safety measures and follow up compliance |
How this differs from dock and construction work
The mine rules differ from rules 18 and 19 in several ways. The threshold is 100 workers, not 250 or 500. The scale is one officer for each 500 workers, rather than the stepped scale used for dock and construction work. Qualifications depend on DGMS manager's certificates, not on engineering degrees with supervisory years. Duties include investigation of all accidents, including minor ones, and continuous contact with workers on the spot. See our rules 18 and 19 explainer for the comparison.
Connections to other rules
- The officer is Secretary of the mine's Safety Committee under rule 16(2)(c), or the senior-most official next to the manager if there is no safety officer.
- The accident and dangerous-occurrence investigations feed the notices under rule 7; see our rule 7 explainer.
- For the older mines framework, see our guide to Mines Act safety provisions and the DGMS framework.
Consequences
Rules 20 and 21 state no penalty of their own. Contravention is handled under the Code's penalty provisions; see our section 94 explainer. An unqualified or overloaded safety officer is an obvious gap after any serious accident.
Practical examples
Example 1. An underground coal mine employs 1,100 workers. Under rule 20(1) it needs three safety officers (1 for up to 500, plus 1 for each additional 500 or part, so 501-1,000 gives two and 1,001-1,100 adds a third). Each holds a First Class Manager's Certificate of Competency (Coal) from DGMS. The employer also appoints a mechanical engineer who reports to the mining safety officer, under clause (c).
Example 2. A metalliferous opencast mine employs 140 workers. It needs one safety officer, who holds a Manager's Certificate of Competency (Metal) restricted to opencast workings. The employer assigns him only safety duties; he keeps a bound paged record of his visits and findings.
Need help with mine safety officer compliance?
Mapping DGMS certificates, worker counts and duty lists to each mine is precise work. Our labour law compliance team can check your appointments and record-keeping against rules 20 and 21.
Key takeaways
- Mines with 100 or more workers appoint one safety officer for up to 500 workers, plus one per additional 500 or part.
- Qualification depends on the type of mine and is tied to DGMS manager's certificates, or to an engineering or safety route for oil mines with five years' experience.
- A mechanical engineering officer may be added where more than one is needed, reporting to the mining engineering officer.
- The officer assists the manager, ensures an emergency plan and keeps a record of work.
- No other duties may be assigned except in an emergency.
- State rules apply where the State is the appropriate Government.
Read next
- Rules 16 and 17: safety committee in mines
- Rules 18 and 19: safety officers for dock work and construction work
- Sections 67 and 68 of the OSH Code: mine manager
- Mines Act: safety provisions and the DGMS framework
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.