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.

This information was given by Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar Union Minister of State (I/C) for Labour and Employment in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

****

RCJ/SKP/IA