Archive · 25 Nov 2025
Labour Code Mandates Safety Committees Only for Large Enterprises
The new Labour Code in India says that only big companies with 500 or more workers must have safety committees.
Before, smaller companies with 250 or more workers also had to do this.
The new rule also makes it harder for bosses to be punished for some mistakes.
There will be one big board to make rules about safety for everyone.
Some people worry that this might not be as good as having separate boards for different jobs.
The rule also says that if someone does something wrong, they can only be punished if it is reported within six months.
Safety committees are now mandatory only for establishments with 500 or more workers, up from 250 under the Factories Act, 1948.
Medium enterprises with less than 500 workers are exempt from mandatorily forming safety committees, unless they employ 250 or more construction workers or 100 or more mine workers.
A new National Occupational Safety & Health Advisory Board will replace six earlier boards to set national safety and health standards.
Prosecution of employers for offences is made tougher, requiring approval from the Chief Inspector-cum-Facilitator for mine-related offences.
Complaints about offences must be made within six months of the alleged offence coming to the knowledge of the Inspector-cum-Facilitator.
- Who
- Employers and workers in large enterprises with 500 or more workers
- What
- Mandatory safety committees and tougher prosecution for offences
- When
- Under the new Labour Code
- Where
- India
- Why
- To ensure safety and health standards across sectors, but exempting medium enterprises from mandatory safety committees
- Applicability
- Establishments with 500 or more workers
- Previous Threshold
- 250 or more workers under Factories Act, 1948
- Construction Workers
- 250 or more building or other construction workers
- Mine Workers
- 100 or more mine workers
- New Advisory Board
- National Occupational Safety & Health Advisory Board
- Prosecution Approval
- Requires approval from Chief Inspector-cum-Facilitator for mine-related offences
- Complaint Timeframe
- Within six months of the alleged offence coming to the knowledge of the Inspector-cum-Facilitator
