Government of India
Ministry of Labour and Employment

NATIONAL POLICY ON SAFETY, HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT AT WORK
PLACE

1.

PREAMBLE

1.1

The Constitution of India provide detailed provisions for the rights of thecitizens and also lays down the Directive Principles of State Policy which set
an aim to which the activities of the state are to be guided.

1.2

These Directive Principles provide(a) for securing the health and strength of employees, men and women;b) that the tender age of children are not abused;c) that citizens are not forced by economic necessity to enter avocations
unsuited to their age or strength;d) just and humane conditions of work and maternity relief are provided;ande) that the Government shall take steps, by suitable legislation or in any
other way, to secure the participation of employee in the management ofundertakings, establishments or other organisations engaged in any industry.

1.3

On the basis of these Directive Principles as well as international
instruments, Government is committed to regulate all economic activities for
management of safety and health risks at workplaces and to provide
measures so as to ensure safe and healthy working conditions for every
working man and woman in the nation. Government recognizes that safety
and health of workers has a positive impact on productivity and economic
and social development. Prevention is an integral part of economic activities
1as high safety and health standard at work is as important as good businessperformance for new as well as existing industries.
1.4

The formulation of policy, priorities and strategies in occupational safety,
health and environment at work places, is undertaken by national authorities
in consultation with social partners for fulfilling such objectives. A criticalrole is played by the Government and the social partners, professional safety
and health organizations in ensuring prevention and in also providing
treatment, support and rehabilitation services.

1.5

Government of India firmly believes that without safe, clean environment aswell as healthy working conditions, social justice and economic growthcannot be achieved and that safe and healthy working environment isrecognized as a fundamental human right. Education, training, consultationand exchange of information and good practices are essential for prevention
and promotion of such measures.

1.6

The changing job patterns and working relationships, the rise in self
employment, greater sub-contracting, outsourcing of work, homework andthe increasing number of employees working away from their establishment,pose problems to management of occupational safety and health risks atworkplaces. New safety hazards and health risks will be appearing alongwith the transfer and adoption of new technologies. In addition, many of thewell known conventional hazards will continue to be present at theworkplace till the risks arising from exposure to these hazards are brought
under adequate control. While advancements in technology have minimized
or eliminated some hazards at workplace, new risks can emerge in their place
which needs to be addressed.

1.7

Particular attention needs to be paid to the hazardous operations and ofemployees in risk prone conditions such as migrant employees and various
vulnerable groups of employees arising out of greater mobility in the2

workforce with more people working for a number of employers, either
consecutively or simultaneously.
1.8

The increasing use of chemicals, exposure to physical, chemical andbiological agents with hazard potential unknown to people; theindiscriminate use of agro-chemicals including pesticides, agriculturalmachineries and equipment; industries with major accident risks; effects ofcomputer controlled technologies and alarming influence of stress at workin many modern jobs pose serious safety, health and environmental risks.

1.9

The fundamental purpose of this National Policy on Safety,HealthandEnvironment at workplace, is not only to eliminate the incidence of work
related injuries, diseases, fatalities, disaster and loss of national assets andensuring achievement of a high level of occupational safety, health andenvironment performance through proactive approaches but also to enhance
the well-being of the employee andchanges in this area will besociety,atlarge.

Thenecessary

based on a co-ordinated national effort

focused on clear national goals and objectives.
1.10

Every Ministry or Department may work out their detailed policy relevant totheir working environment as per the guidelines on the National Policy.

2.

GOALS:The Government firmly believes that building and maintaining national
preventive safety and health culture is the need of the hour. With a view todevelop such a culture and to improve the safety, health and environment atwork place, it is essential to meet the following requirements:-

2.1

providing a statutory framework on Occupational Safety and Health inrespect of all sectors of industrial activities including the construction sector,
designing suitable control systems of compliance, enforcement andincentives for better compliance.

2.2

providing administrative and technical support services.
3

2.3.

providing a system of incentives to employers and employees to achieve
higher health and safety standards .

2.4

providing for a system of non-financial incentives for improvement in safety
and health.

2.5.

establishing and developing the research and development capability inemerging areas of risk and providing for effective control measures.

2.6.

Focusing on prevention strategies and monitoring performance throughimproved data collection system on work related injuries and diseases.

2.7

Developing and providing required technical manpower and knowledge in
the areas of safety, health and environment at workplaces in different sectors.

2.8

Promoting inclusion of safety, health and environment, improvement atworkplaces as an important component in other relevant national policy
documents.

2.9

Including safety and occupational health as an integral part of every
operation.

3.

OBJECTIVES:

3.1

The policy seeks to bring the national objectives into focus as a step towards

improvement in safety, health and environment at workplace. The objectives are toachieve:a)Continuous reduction in the incidence of work related injuries,
fatalities, diseases, disasters and loss of national assets.

b)

Improved coverage of work related injuries, fatalities and diseases andprovide for a more comprehensive data base for facilitating better
performance and monitoring.

c)Continuous enhancement of community awareness regarding safety,
health and environment at workplace related areas.

d)Continually increasing community expectation of workplace healthand safety standards.
4e)Improving safety, health and environment at workplace by creation of“green jobs” contributing to sustainable enterprise development.

4.

ACTION PROGRAMMEFor the purpose of achieving the goals and objectives mentioned inparagraphs 2 and 3 above, the following action programme is drawn up andwhere necessary time bound action programme would be initiated, namely:-

4.1.

Enforcement

4.1.1 by providing an effective enforcement machinery as well as suitableprovisions for compensation and rehabilitation of affected persons;
4.1.2 by effectively enforcing all applicable laws and regulations concerning
safety, health and environment at workplaces in all economic activities
through an adequate and effective labour inspection system;
4.1.3 By establishing suitable schemes for subsidy and provision of loans to enableeffective implementation of the policy;
4.1.4 by ensuring that employers, employees and others have separate but
complementary responsibilities and rights with respect to achieving safe andhealthy working conditions;4.1.5 by amending expeditiously existing laws relating to safety, health andenvironment and bring them in line with the relevant internationalinstruments;
4.1.6 by monitoring the adoption of national standards through regulatory
authorities;
4.1.7 by facilitating the sharing of best practices and experiences between national
and international regulatory authorities;
4.1.8 by developing new and innovative enforcement methods including financial
incentives that encourage and ensure improved workplace performance;
4.1.9 by making an enabling legislation on Safety, Health and Environment atWorkplaces;54.1.10 by setting up safety and health committees wherever deemed appropriate;

4.2 National Standards
4.2.1 by developing appropriate standards, codes of practices and manuals on
safety, health and environment for uniformity at the national level in all
economic

activities

consistentwithinternational

standards

andimplementation by the stake holders in true spirit;
4.2.2 by ensuring stakeholders awareness of and accessibility to applicable policy,documents, codes, regulations and standards;
4.3

Compliance4.3.1 by encouraging the appropriate Government

to assume the fullest

responsibility for the administration and enforcement of occupational safety,
health and environment at workplace, provide assistance in identifying theirneeds and responsibilities in the area of safety, health and environment atworkplace, to develop plans and programmes in accordance with theprovisions of the applicable Acts and to conduct experimental anddemonstration projects in connection therewith;
4.3.2 by calling upon the co-operation of social partners in the supervision ofapplication of legislations and regulations relating to safety, health andenvironment at work place;
4.3.3 by continuous improvement of Occupational Safety and Health by systems
approach to the management of Occupational Safety and Health including
developing guidance on Occupational Safety and Health management
systems, strengthening voluntary actions, including mechanisms for selfregulatory concept and establishing auditing mechanisms which can test andauthenticate occupational safety and health management systems;

6

4.3.4 by providing specific measures to prevent catastrophes, and to co-ordinate
and specify the actions to be taken at different levels, particularly in theindustrial zones with high potential risks;
4.3.5 by recognising the best safety and health practices and providing facilitation
for their adoption.
4.3.6 by providing adequate penal provisions as deterrent for violation of laws forthe time being in force;
4.3.7 by encouraging all concerned to adopt and commit to “Responsible Care”
and / or “Corporate Social Responsibility” to improve safety, health andenvironment at workplace performance;
4.3.8 by ensuring a suitable accreditation machinery to recognise institutions,professionals and services relating to safety, health and environment at
workplace for uniformity and greater coverage as also authenticating safe
management system;
4.3.9 by encouraging employers to ensure occupational safety and healthmanagement systems, establish them in efficient manner to improve
workplace safety and health;4.3.10 by specifically focusing on such occupational diseases like pneumoconiosis
and silicosis; developing a framework for its prevention and control as well
as develop technical standards and guidelines for the same;
4.3.11 by promoting safe and clean technology and progressively replacing
materials hazardous to human health and environment;
4.4 Awareness4.4.1 by increasing awareness on safety, health and environment at workplacethrough appropriate means;
4.4.2 by providing forums for consultations with employers’ representatives,employees representatives and community on matters of national concern

7relating to safety, health and environment at work place with the overall
objective of creating awareness and enhancing national productivity;
4.4.3 by encouraging joint labour-management efforts to preserve, protect andpromote national assets and to eliminate injuries and diseases arising out ofemployment;
4.4.4 by raising community awareness through structured, audience specificapproach;
4.4.5 by continuously evaluating the impact of such awareness and information
initiatives;
4.4.6 by maximizing gains from the substantial investment in awarenesscampaigns by sharing experience and learning;
4.4.7 by suitably incorporating teaching inputs on safety, health and environment
at work place in schools, technical, medical, professional and vocationalcourses and distance education programme;
4.4.8 by securing good liaison arrangements with the International organisations;4.4.9 by providing medical criteria wherever necessary which will assure insofar
as practicable that no employee will suffer diminished health, functional
capacity, or life expectancy as a result of his work place activities and that in
the event of such occupational diseases having been contracted, is suitablycompensated;
4.4.10 by providing practical guidance and encouraging employers and employees
in their efforts to reduce the incidence of occupational safety and health risks
at their places of employment and to impress upon employers and employees
to institute new programmes and to improve existing programmes forproviding safe and healthful working conditions, requiring

employers toensure that workers and their representatives are consulted, trained, informed
and involved in all measures related to their safety and health at work;
4.5

Research and Development
8

4.5.1 by providing for research in the field of safety, health and environment atworkplace, including the social and psychological factors involved, and bydeveloping innovative methods, techniques including computer aided Risk
Assessment Tools, and approaches for dealing with safety, health andenvironment at workplace problems which will help in establishingstandards;
4.5.2 by exploring ways to discover latent diseases, establishing causal
connections between diseases and work environmental conditions, updating
list of occupational diseases and conducting other research relating to safety,
health and environmental problems at workplace;
4.5.3 by establishing research priorities as per national requirements; exploring
partnerships and improving communications with various national andinternational research bodies;4.5.4 by ensuring a coordinated research approach and an optimal allocation ofresources in Occupational Safety and Health sector for such purposes;
4.6 Occupational safety and health skills development
4.6.1 by building upon advances already made through employer and employee
initiative for providing safe and healthy working conditions;
4.6.2 by providing for training programmes to increase the number andcompetence of personnel engaged in the field of occupational safety, healthand environment at workplace;
4.6.3 by providing

information and advice, in an appropriate manner, toemployers and employees organisations, with a view to eliminating hazards
or reducing them as far as practicable;.
4.6.4 by establishing occupational health services aimed at protection andpromotion of health of employee and improvement of working conditions
and by providing employee access to these services in different sectors ofeconomic activities;
94.6.5 by integrating health and safety into vocational, professional and labour
related training programmes as also management training including small
business practices;
4.6.6 by adopting Occupational Safety and Health training curricula in workplaceand industry programmes;
4.7 Data collection
4.7.1 by compiling statistics relating to safety, health and environment at work
places, prioritising key issues for action, conducting national studies orsurveys

orprojects

throughgovernmental

andnon-governmentalorganisations;4.7.2 by reinforcing and sharing of information and data on national occupationalsafety, health and environment at work place information amongst different
stake holders through a national network system on Occupational Safety andHealth;4.7.3 by extending data coverage relevant to work-related injury and disease,including measures of exposure, and occupational groups that are currently
excluded, such as self-employed people;
4.7.4 by extending data systems to allow timely reporting and provision ofinformation;
4.7.5 by developing the means for improved access to information;
4.8

Review

4.8.1 An initial review and analysis shall be carried out to ascertain the current
status of safety, health and environment at workplace and building a national
Occupational Safety and Health profile.
4.8.2 National Policy and the action programme shall be reviewed at least once infive years or earlier if felt necessary to assess relevance of the national goals
and objectives.

105. Conclusion
5.1

There is a need to develop close involvement of social partners to meet thechallenges ahead in the assessment and control of workplace risks bymobilising local resources and extending protection to such working
population and vulnerable groups where social protection is not adequate.

5.2

Government stands committed to review the National Policy on Safety,
Health and Environment at Workplace and legislations through tripartiteconsultation, improve enforcement, compilation and analysis of statistics;
develop special programmes for hazardous operations and other focus
sectors, set up training mechanisms, create nation-wide awareness, arrange
for the mobilisation of available resources and expertise.

5.3

The National Policy and programme envisages total commitment anddemonstration by all concerned stake holders such as Government and socialpartners. Our goals and objectives will be that through dedicated andconcerted efforts consistent with the requirements of safety, health andenvironment at work place and thereby improving the quality of work andworking life.

---------------00000000-------------

11