Lok Sabha Question No. 1517 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-01
Subject: Occupational Safety and Health Hazards in Workplace
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Feroze Varun Gandhi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK  SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1517

TO BE ANSWERED ON 1 ST  JULY, 2019

## OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH HAZARDS IN WORKPLACE

1517. SHRI FEROZE VARUN GANDHI:

Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has any details on employment generationin the unorganised sector during the years 2014-15, 2015-16,2017-18 and the current year;
- (b) the details of actions, the Government is taking to curb the presence of occupational safety and health hazards in workplace and the status of implementation;
- (c) the  status  of  the  National  Occupational  Safety  and  Health  Advisory Board that the Government has proposed to set for the aforementioned purpose; and
- (d) the steps taken/being taken to rationalise and consolidate the 44 labour laws into 4 omnibus codes?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI SANTOSH KUMAR GANGWAR)

(a): As per the results of Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by National  Sample  Survey  Office,  Ministry  of  Statistics  and  Programme Implementation  during  2017-18,  the  percentage  of  workers  engaged  in informal  sector  (i.e.,  proprietary  and  partnership  enterprises)  in  usual status  basis  (principal  status+subsidiary)  engaged  in  non-agriculture  and AGEGC  sectors  (The  coverage  of  AGEGC  Sector  is  [Ag]riculture  sector [E]xcluding [G]rowing of [C]rops, market gardening, horticulture and growing of crops combined with farming of animals) was 68.4% in 2017-18 and 72.4% in 2011-12.

(b)  to  (d):  The  Government  of  India  has  declared  the  National  Policy  on Safety,  Health  and  Environment  at  Workplace  (NPSHEW)  which  aims  to establish  a  preventive  safety  and  health  culture  in  the  country  through elimination  of  the  incidence  of  work  related  injuries,  diseases,  fatalities, disasters and to enhance the well-being of employees in all the sectors of economic activity in the country. Several steps are taken for promoting and propagating the objective of safety and health by holding various conferences,  awareness  camps,  safety  weeks,  campaigns,  awards  and conducting of surveys etc.

A  comprehensive  legislation,  Mines  Act,  1952  has  been  enacted  by Central  Government  to  regulate  the  objectives  of  safety  and  health  of workers  in  mines.  The  Mines  Act,  1952  and  the  Rules  and  Regulations framed  thereunder  are  administered  by  the  Directorate  General  of  Mines Safety (DGMS) under the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

In respect of factories, a comprehensive legislation in the form of the Factories Act, 1948, for taking care of the occupational safety and health aspects of the workers  employed  in  factories registered under the Factories  Act,  1948  has  been  enacted.  The  Act  and  the  State  Factories Rules  framed  thereunder  are  being  enforced  by  the  respective  State/UT Governments  through  the  Chief Inspector of Factories/Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health.

Reforms  in  labour  laws  are  an  ongoing  process  to  update  the legislative  system  to  address  the  need  of  the  hour  so  as  to  make  them more effective, flexible and in sync with emerging economic and industrial scenario.  The  Ministry  has  taken  steps  for  drafting  four  labour  codes  on Wages,  Industrial  Relations,  Social  Security  &  Welfare,  and  Occupation Safety, Health and Working conditions respectively, by simplifying, amalgamating  and  rationalizing  the  relevant  provisions  of  the  existing Central Labour Laws. The Code on Occupational Safety, Health & Working Conditions  has  been  drafted  &  contains  provisions  for  setting  up  of  a National Occupational Safety, Health Advisory Board.

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