Question : Occupational Safety and Health Hazards in Workplace

(a) whether the Government has any details on employment generationin the unorganised sector during the years 2014-15, 2015-16,2017-18 and the current year;

(b) the details of actions, the Government is taking to curb the presence of occupational safety and health hazards in workplace and the status of implementation;

(c) the status of the National Occupational Safety and Health Advisory Board that the Government has proposed to set for the aforementioned purpose; and

(d) the steps taken/being taken to rationalise and consolidate the 44 labour laws into 4 omnibus codes?

Answer given by the minister

MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
(SHRI SANTOSH KUMAR GANGWAR)

(a): As per the results of Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by National Sample Survey Office, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation during 2017-18, the percentage of workers engaged in informal sector (i.e., proprietary and partnership enterprises) in usual status basis (principal status+subsidiary) engaged in non-agriculture and AGEGC sectors (The coverage of AGEGC Sector is [Ag]riculture sector [E]xcluding [G]rowing of [C]rops, market gardening, horticulture and growing of crops combined with farming of animals) was 68.4% in 2017-18 and 72.4% in 2011-12.


(b) to (d): 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 there under 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.


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