Draft Occupational Safety, Health And Working Conditions (Central) Rules, 2025 Propose Unified, Digital-First Safety Compliance Regime

Continuing the rollout of the new labour law framework, the Central Government has notified the Draft Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (Central) Rules, 2025 through Notification G.S.R. 934(E) dated 30 December 2025, issued under the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020. The draft rules mark a significant regulatory milestone and are intended to replace a wide array of existing central rules governing workplace safety, health and welfare. Stakeholders have been invited to submit objections and suggestions within 45 days from the date of publication in the Official Gazette, reflecting the scale and impact of the proposed reforms.

At the heart of the Draft OSH (Central) Rules lies a clear policy objective of consolidation and simplification. As proposed, no fewer than thirteen legacy rule frameworks spanning factories, mines, building and construction workers, contract labour, dock workers, working journalists, cine-workers and sales promotion employees are to be subsumed into a single, harmonised compliance regime. For employers operating across sectors or multiple establishments, this consolidation promises reduced fragmentation and greater clarity in navigating occupational safety obligations.

The draft rules also signal a decisive shift towards digitally driven compliance. Employers will be required to undertake registration through the Shram Suvidha Portal, with provisions for auto-generated and deemed registration built in to prevent administrative bottlenecks. This digital-first approach is aimed at ensuring faster onboarding into the compliance framework while limiting procedural delays that have historically plagued registration and licensing processes. In a move reinforcing formalisation of employment, the draft rules further mandate the issuance of appointment letters to all employees, strengthening transparency and documentation in employer–employee relationships.

From a safety and governance perspective, the draft rules significantly enhance employer obligations. They introduce clearer and more stringent requirements relating to the reporting of workplace accidents and occupational diseases, mandate the constitution of safety committees and appointment of safety officers in specified large establishments, and establish a more structured institutional framework for occupational safety and health oversight. These provisions aim to move compliance beyond formality and towards measurable safety outcomes at the workplace.

Inspection and enforcement mechanisms under the draft rules are aligned with the broader philosophy of the new labour codes. A risk-based, inspection-cum-facilitation model has been proposed, balancing regulatory oversight with ease of doing business. While the emphasis remains on worker protection and hazard prevention, the framework seeks to replace routine, blanket inspections with targeted interventions based on risk assessment and compliance history.

Overall, the Draft Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (Central) Rules, 2025 represent a major step in streamlining India’s occupational safety and health framework under the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020. For employers, the draft rules offer the promise of unified compliance and digital efficiency, while simultaneously raising the bar on workplace safety governance. Given their wide-ranging impact across sectors, establishments would be well advised to closely examine the draft provisions and participate actively in the consultation process.