Govt. Appoints Authorities and Officers Under OSHWC Code 2020

The Ministry of Labour and Employment has issued multiple notifications appointing Chief Inspector-cum-Facilitators, Inspector-cum-Facilitators, officers to impose penalties, officers for composition of offences and appellate authorities under various provisions of the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSHWC) Code, 2020.

The appointments relate to mines, dock work and other establishments and apply to establishments where the Central Government is the appropriate Government under the Code.

1. Appointment of Chief Inspector-cum-Facilitators

The Ministry has appointed Chief Inspector-cum-Facilitators for sectors covered under the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020, including mines and other notified establishments.

These authorities will exercise supervisory and regulatory powers relating to occupational safety, health, inspection and enforcement under the Code.

2. Appointment of Inspector-cum-Facilitators

The notifications also designate Inspector-cum-Facilitators for implementation and enforcement of provisions under the Code.

The appointed officers will undertake functions such as:

• Inspection of establishments
• Compliance verification
• Inquiry and examination of records
• Monitoring workplace safety and welfare measures
• Facilitation of statutory compliance

The appointments cover sector-specific and territorial jurisdictions across regions.

3. Officers Appointed to Impose Penalties

The Ministry has further notified designated officers authorised to impose penalties under applicable provisions of the OSHWC Code, 2020.

These authorities will exercise powers for enforcement actions and imposition of penalties in cases of contravention of statutory obligations relating to occupational safety, health and working conditions.

4. Officers for Composition of Offences

The notifications also appoint officers for compounding of offences under the Code.

Such officers will deal with settlement of specified offences through the prescribed composition mechanism, thereby facilitating administrative resolution of eligible contraventions under the occupational safety framework.

5. Appointment of Appellate Authorities

Additional Chief Labour Commissioners and Deputy Chief Labour Commissioners (Central), among other designated officers, have been appointed as appellate authorities for hearing appeals under the Code.

The notifications specify jurisdiction-wise allocation of appellate powers to ensure decentralised and efficient dispute resolution.

6. Jurisdiction-Wise and Sector-Specific Powers

The Ministry has specified territorial and sector-wise jurisdiction of the appointed authorities across:

• Mines
• Dock work
• Factories and establishments
• Other sectors governed under the Code

Different officers have been entrusted with powers over specific regions, States and Union Territories for effective administration and enforcement.

7. Objective of the Notifications

The notifications aim to operationalise the institutional and enforcement framework under the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 by appointing competent authorities for inspection, adjudication, penalties, appeals and composition of offences.

The move seeks to strengthen occupational safety governance, improve compliance monitoring and ensure effective enforcement of labour welfare and workplace safety standards across sectors.