Section 22 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.
Section 22 of the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (the OSH Code) has two parts. Sub-section (1) lets the appropriate Government require an establishment or class of establishments to set up a Safety Committee with worker representation at least equal to the employer's. Sub-section (2) fixes head-count thresholds at which the employer must also appoint safety officers.
The appropriate Government may, by general or special order, require an establishment or class of establishments to constitute a Safety Committee in which workers' representatives are not fewer than the employer's (section 22(1)). The employer must appoint safety officers in a factory with 500 or more workers, a hazardous-process factory with 250 or more, building or other construction work with 250 or more, or a mine with 100 or more workers ordinarily employed (22(2)). Qualifications and duties are as prescribed.
Section 22(1): the Safety Committee
The appropriate Government may, by general or special order, require any establishment or class of establishments to constitute, in the prescribed manner, a Safety Committee consisting of representatives of employers and workers engaged in the establishment.
- Worker majority or parity. The number of worker representatives must not be less than the number of employer representatives.
- Choice of workers' representatives. They are chosen in the manner and for the purpose prescribed by the appropriate Government.
The Safety Committee is the body through which an employee may make representations under section 14, "if constituted by the employer for such purpose".
Section 22(2): safety officer thresholds
| Establishment | Workers ordinarily employed | Employer must |
|---|---|---|
| Factory | 500 or more | Appoint safety officers |
| Factory carrying on a hazardous process | 250 or more | Appoint safety officers |
| Building or other construction work | 250 or more | Appoint safety officers |
| Mine | 100 or more | Appoint safety officers |
The number of safety officers, their qualifications and duties are "such as may be prescribed by the appropriate Government". The test is workers ordinarily employed, so count your regular head-count; check the definitions of worker, employee and contract labour in section 2 to confirm who counts in your case.
Employers whose head-count is close to a threshold, or which run several sites with different activities, can get help from our labour law compliance service in working out which establishments need safety officers.
What the Central Rules, 2026 prescribe
Where the Central Government is the appropriate Government, the Rules fill in the details. Where a State is the appropriate Government, State rules apply.
Rule 14: Safety Committee
- Every establishment employing 500 or more workers shall constitute a Safety Committee of employer and worker representatives (14(1)). The Central Government may specify varying thresholds for classes of establishments by order (14(2)).
- Tenure: three years; it shall meet at least once every quarter, and in mines at least once a month (14(3)).
- It must be informed of potential safety and health hazards and of data on accidents and surveillance of the working environment and employees' health (14(4)).
- The employer must act on its recommendations within fifteen days of receipt (14(5)).
Rule 15: composition (other than mines)
- Management side: a senior official as Chairman; a Safety Officer and qualified medical practitioner where available, with the Safety Officer as Secretary; and one representative each from production, maintenance and purchase departments.
- Equal numbers of employer and worker representatives, not exceeding twenty in all (15(2)). Note that Rule 15 makes the numbers equal, while section 22(1) says workers must not be fewer.
- Workers' representatives: nominated by the sole negotiating union or negotiating council (in proportion for a council), else chosen by the workers among themselves, with an option of an electronic process, adequate representation of women not less than their proportion in the workforce, and a dispute route to the Regional Labour Commissioner (Central) whose decision is final.
- Minutes must be recorded (15(5)); functions include assisting management with the safety and health policy, creating awareness, discussing audit and survey reports and reviewing implementation of its recommendations.
Rules 16 and 17: mines
Composition of the Safety Committee in mines is covered in Rule 16 (for example, the manager under section 67 as Chairman and the Safety Officer or the senior-most official next to the manager as Secretary). See Rules 16 and 17.
Rules 18 and 19: safety officers for dock work and construction
For dock work (500 or more workers) and building or other construction work (250 or more), Rule 18 sets a scale. For construction: up to 500 workers, one safety officer; up to 1,000, two; up to 2,000, three; up to 5,000, four; and one more for every additional 2,000 workers or part. For dock work: up to 1,000, one; up to 2,000, two; up to 5,000, three; up to 10,000, four; and one more for every additional 5,000 or part. Qualification options include an engineering degree with two years' supervisory experience, a physics or chemistry degree with five years, a diploma with five years, or an industrial safety degree or diploma. Rule 19 covers duties. See Rules 18 and 19; mines are in Rules 20 and 21.
Practical points
- The Code's threshold for a Safety Committee is an order-based power; the Central Rules set 500 workers for Central-sphere establishments. Check State rules where the State is the appropriate Government.
- A hazardous-process factory needs safety officers at 250 workers, well below the 500 for an ordinary factory. See hazardous process definitions.
- Keep minutes, attendance and action-taken records of each quarterly meeting, and diarise the 15-day implementation period.
Example. A construction contractor has 620 workers ordinarily employed at a site. Section 22(2)(c) requires safety officers, and under Rule 18 (where the Central Rules apply) the scale for up to 1,000 workers is two safety officers. The site also falls over the 500 threshold for a Safety Committee under Rule 14, which must meet quarterly and keep minutes.
Need help with safety committees and safety officers?
Getting thresholds, qualifications and committee composition right matters at inspection. Our labour law compliance team can help you check head-counts, draft committee constitutions and keep the meeting and action records in order.
Key takeaways
- Section 22(1) lets the appropriate Government require a Safety Committee with workers' representatives at least equal to the employer's.
- Section 22(2) sets safety officer thresholds: 500 (factory), 250 (hazardous-process factory), 250 (construction), 100 (mine).
- Under Rule 14 (Central Rules), a Safety Committee is required at 500 or more workers, meets quarterly (monthly in mines), and the employer acts on recommendations within 15 days.
- Rule 15 sets composition and a cap of twenty members.
- State rules apply where the State is the appropriate Government.
Read next
- Section 21: collection of statistics and portal for inter-State migrant workers
- Section 23: employer responsibility for health, safety and working conditions
- Rule 14: Safety Committee under the Central Rules
- Safety officers under the Factories Act
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.