Third Schedule 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.
The Third Schedule to the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (the OSH Code) is the "List of Notifiable Diseases". It has 29 numbered items, from lead poisoning to toxic nephritis, and is headed "". When a worker contracts a disease on this list, section 12 and rule 8 of the Central Rules, 2026 require notice. If you need help setting up the notice and health-monitoring routine, our labour law compliance team can assist.
The Third Schedule lists 29 notifiable diseases: poisonings (lead, phosphorus, mercury, manganese, arsenic, nitrous fumes, carbon bisulphide, benzene, beryllium, carbon monoxide, phosgene, isocyanates), dust diseases (silicosis, asbestosis, byssinosis, coal miners' pneumoconiosis), skin conditions, cancers, anthrax, noise induced hearing loss and toxic nephritis. If a worker contracts one, the employer must send notice; under the Central Rules the notice goes forthwith, electronically or by speed post, and a qualified medical practitioner must also report to the Chief Inspector-cum-Facilitator.
The Third Schedule at a glance
| No. | Disease (as printed) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Lead poisoning, including poisoning by any preparation or compound of lead or their sequelae |
| 2 | Lead-tetra-ethyl poisoning |
| 3 | Phosphorus poisoning or its sequelae |
| 4 | Mercury poisoning or its sequelae |
| 5 | Manganese poisoning or its sequelae |
| 6 | Arsenic poisoning or its sequelae |
| 7 | Poisoning by nitrous fumes |
| 8 | Carbon bisulphide poisoning |
| 9 | Benzene poisoning, including poisoning by any of its homologues, their nitro or amido derivatives or its sequelae |
| 10 | Chrome ulceration or its sequelae |
| 11 | Anthrax |
| 12 | Silicosis |
| 13 | Poisoning by halogens or halogen derivatives of the hydrocarbons of the aliphatic series |
| 14 | Pathological manifestations due to (a) radium or other radio-active substances; (b) X-rays |
| 15 | Primary epitheliomatous cancer of the skin |
| 16 | Toxic anaemia |
| 17 | Toxic jaundice due to poisonous substances |
| 18 | Oil acne or dermatitis due to mineral oils and compounds containing mineral oil base |
| 19 | Byssinosis |
| 20 | Asbestosis |
| 21 | Occupational or contact dermatitis caused by direct contact with chemicals and paints; of two types, primary irritants and allergic sensitizers |
| 22 | Noise induced hearing loss (exposure to high noise levels) |
| 23 | Beryllium poisoning |
| 24 | Carbon monoxide poisoning |
| 25 | Coal miners' pneumoconiosis |
| 26 | Phosgene poisoning |
| 27 | Occupational cancer |
| 28 | Isocyanates poisoning |
| 29 | Toxic nephritis |
The scan prints item 19 as "Byssionosis" and item 23 as "Beriyllium"; they are read here as byssinosis and beryllium.
What the list triggers
The heading refers to section 12(1). That section deals with notice of certain diseases (see section 12). The Third Schedule is the list of diseases to which it applies. Two other provisions use the same list:
- Section 121: an inquiry may be ordered where an occupational disease specified in the Third Schedule has been, or is suspected to have been, contracted in epidemic proportions (see sections 120 to 122).
- Rule 179 of the Central Rules, 2026: the competent person inquires where cases of an occupational disease specified in the Third Schedule have been reported or are suspected.
Rule 8 of the Central Rules: the notice
Rule 8(1) of the Central Rules, 2026: where a worker in any establishment contracts any disease specified in the Third Schedule, the employer must send notice forthwith, either electronically or by speed post, to the Inspector-cum-Facilitator or Chief Inspector-cum-Facilitator. The rule prints a notice format with these particulars:
- Name and address of the employer.
- Name and address of the establishment.
- Nature of the establishment.
- In case of mines, the name of the mineral.
- Details of the patient: name, worker number, address and precise occupation.
- Nature of disease.
- Date of detection.
- Details of the qualified medical practitioner.
- Whether the case has been reported to the Medical Officer.
It is signed by the employer with the date.
Rule 8(2) puts a separate duty on the qualified medical practitioner. Where the practitioner attends a person who is or has been employed in an establishment and is, or is believed to be, suffering from a Third Schedule disease, the practitioner must forthwith send a written report to the Chief Inspector-cum-Facilitator stating the patient's name and full postal address, the disease believed to be present and the name and address of the establishment where the patient is or was last employed. See our article on rule 8.
This applies where the Central Government is the appropriate Government. For State-sphere establishments, read the State's own rules for the form and time of the notice. The Code's rule-making power on the notice form and time is in section 133(2)(j) and (k).
Linking diseases to the work
Reading the list beside the First Schedule shows the pattern (see First Schedule). For example:
| Disease | Related process in the First Schedule |
|---|---|
| Benzene poisoning (9) | Manufacture, handling and use of benzene (item 26) |
| Asbestosis (20) | Manufacture, handling and processing of asbestos (item 24) |
| Carbon bisulphide poisoning (8) | Processes involving carbon disulphide (item 27) |
| Lead poisoning (1) | Lead and its compounds (item 17(f)); electro-plating and other processes |
| Pathological manifestations due to radium (14) | Usage of radium or radioactive substances (item 31) |
| Phosgene, isocyanates, beryllium, arsenic, mercury, manganese | Item 40 lists these substances |
This is our cross-reading of the two lists, not a legal rule; the Code does not say that a disease is notifiable only where the matching industry is listed.
Practical steps for employers
- Post-diagnosis, act at once. The Central Rules say "forthwith".
- Keep a disease register and medical records so the notice details, such as date of detection and precise occupation, can be filled quickly.
- Use the medical examination rules. Rule 5 of the Central Rules, 2026 requires an annual medical examination, at no cost to the employee, for employees of dock work and building or other construction work who have completed forty years of age (see rule 5). Mines are governed by rule 109 for additional tests.
- Brief the plant doctor. Give the medical practitioner the list and the rule 8(2) duty.
- Compensation is separate. For compensation on occupational disease, see our note on occupational disease compensation under Schedule III.
Example. A foundry worker is diagnosed by the company doctor with silicosis (item 12). The employer sends the rule 8(1) notice forthwith by email to the Inspector-cum-Facilitator. The doctor separately sends the written report to the Chief Inspector-cum-Facilitator under rule 8(2).
Need help with disease notices and monitoring?
If your operations use lead, benzene, asbestos, silica or noisy processes, our labour law compliance team can set up the notice format, the register and a medical examination schedule matched to the Third Schedule.
Key takeaways
- The Third Schedule lists 29 notifiable diseases and is headed "See section 12(1)".
- The employer must send notice of a listed disease forthwith under rule 8(1) of the Central Rules, and a qualified medical practitioner must report under rule 8(2).
- The same list triggers inquiry under section 121 where a disease occurs in epidemic proportions.
- The Central Government can amend the list by notification under section 131.
Read next
- Section 12: notice of certain diseases
- Rule 8: notice of disease under the Central Rules
- Sections 120-122: overriding effect, inquiry and publication of reports
- Occupational disease compensation: Schedule III
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.