Rajasthan OSH Code Rules Become Operational with immediate effect
The OSH Rules prescribe detailed provisions governing amendment, transfer, suspension, cancellation, and revocation of licences, providing greater regulatory certainty throughout the lifecycle of industrial establishments. Employers must update any change in ownership or management within thirty days, display registration certificates prominently, quote registration numbers in statutory correspondence, and intimate commencement or cessation of operations electronically. This digital-first approach is designed to reduce manual interfaces, improve transparency, and strengthen accountability.
The Rajasthan State Government has formally notified the Rajasthan Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Rules, 2026 under the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020. Published in the Rajasthan Gazette on 30 June 2026, the Rules came into immediate effect, requiring establishments across the State to strengthen compliance systems without delay. These Rules consolidate regulatory requirements relating to registration, licensing, workplace safety, health surveillance, accident reporting, inspections, and statutory record maintenance, introducing a fully integrated digital compliance framework. Registration, licensing, renewals, amendments, and statutory submissions are now mandated to be carried out electronically through the State’s Official Portal, with provisions for deemed registration and auto-generated approvals where authorities fail to act within prescribed timelines.
The framework mandates online registration of establishments and factories, electronic issuance of registration certificates, mandatory updating of particulars upon any change in ownership or management, and display of registration certificates at workplaces. Existing establishments registered under earlier State labour legislations are required to migrate and update their particulars on the Official Portal within the transition period. Factory licences can now be obtained for up to ten years, with renewals processed through an auto-renewal mechanism upon payment of prescribed fees. Delayed renewals attract an additional fee of 25 percent. The deemed registration mechanism ensures that establishments are not left in limbo due to administrative delays, marking a decisive move towards technology-driven labour regulation.
The Rules prescribe detailed provisions governing amendment, transfer, suspension, cancellation, and revocation of licences, providing greater regulatory certainty throughout the lifecycle of industrial establishments. Employers must update any change in ownership or management within thirty days, display registration certificates prominently, quote registration numbers in statutory correspondence, and intimate commencement or cessation of operations electronically. This digital-first approach is designed to reduce manual interfaces, improve transparency, and strengthen accountability.
From a workplace compliance perspective, the Rules expand employer obligations significantly. Employers in factories, beedi and cigar establishments, and building and construction establishments must arrange annual medical examinations, free of cost, for employees aged forty years and above. These examinations must be conducted by qualified medical practitioners in prescribed formats, reinforcing preventive occupational health monitoring as a statutory obligation. Employers are also required to issue formal appointment letters containing prescribed particulars such as designation, wages, skill category, social security coverage, nature of duties, Labour Identification Number (LIN), and other employment details. Existing employees who have not previously received appointment letters conforming to the prescribed format must be issued such letters within the stipulated period, thereby strengthening employment documentation and reducing disputes.
Occupational safety reporting obligations have been reinforced. Employers must report fatal accidents immediately and notify accidents resulting in disability exceeding forty-eight hours within prescribed timeframes. The Rules provide an extensive schedule of dangerous occurrences requiring mandatory reporting, irrespective of whether injury has occurred. Prescribed procedures have also been introduced for reporting occupational diseases, ensuring closer regulatory oversight of workplace health risks and industrial accidents.
Institutional reforms include mandatory Safety Committees and Safety Officers. Establishments employing five hundred or more workers must constitute Safety Committees with equal representation of employers and workers, including adequate representation of women employees. These Committees are entrusted with functions extending beyond accident review to include safety audits, review of standard operating procedures, emergency preparedness, risk assessment, awareness programmes, and monitoring corrective measures. Safety Officers must be appointed based on workforce strength and the hazardous nature of operations. Separate norms apply to non-hazardous factories, hazardous process industries, Major Accident Hazard installations, and construction projects. The role of Safety Officers has been expanded to include proactive risk identification, accident investigation, safety training, occupational disease surveillance, and development of preventive safety systems.
The Rules establish the Rajasthan State Occupational Safety and Health Advisory Board, comprising representatives from government, industry, workers, technical institutions, and subject experts. The Board is tasked with advising the State Government on occupational safety and health matters and may constitute technical and site appraisal committees for specialised functions. This signals a more consultative and evidence-based approach to labour regulation.
On working conditions, the Rules reaffirm the statutory limit of forty-eight working hours per week, prescribe overtime wages at twice the ordinary rate, regulate compensatory holidays, and impose quarterly limits on overtime work, capped at 144 hours. Employers must display notices relating to weekly holidays and working hours in prescribed formats and maintain statutory registers electronically. These provisions harmonise traditional labour welfare obligations with the digital compliance ecosystem.
The emphasis on digital governance is a defining feature. Registration, licensing, amendments, notices, accident reporting, maintenance of records, and statutory returns are all to be managed electronically through the State’s Official Portal. This reduces paperwork, improves transparency, and enhances regulatory efficiency. Employers are required to adopt electronic systems for compliance, ensuring that statutory obligations are met seamlessly.
Immediate action points for employers include reviewing applicability of the Rules, verifying registration and licensing status on the Official Portal, updating appointment letter formats and issuing them within ninety days, establishing accident and occupational disease reporting protocols, arranging medical examinations for employees aged forty and above within 120 days, constituting Safety Committees where applicable, appointing qualified Safety Officers and welfare officers, updating internal safety policies and statutory registers, and imparting safety training to workers. Employers must also ensure that contract labour is not engaged in core activities and that contractors hold valid licences for supplying manpower or undertaking work.
The Rajasthan Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Rules, 2026 represent a comprehensive overhaul of workplace regulation in the State. By consolidating requirements under a digital compliance framework, expanding employer obligations, strengthening safety governance, and institutionalising worker participation, the Rules aim to create safer, healthier, and more transparent workplaces. They balance traditional welfare provisions with modern governance tools, reinforcing the State’s commitment to occupational safety and health while aligning with national reforms under the Code on Social Security, 2020. For employers, the Rules demand immediate compliance action and long-term adaptation to a digital-first regulatory environment. For employees, they promise stronger protections, clearer documentation, and improved workplace safety standards. Together, they mark a decisive step towards modernising labour regulation in Rajasthan. For further insights into the evolving workplace paradigm, visit
