Occupational Health Legislation in India

There are presently 16 laws related to working hours, conditions at work and employment. There are two acts containing the main provisions for legal measures for the protection of health and safety of workers; they are the Factories Act (1948) and the Mines Act (1952). The Factories Act was amended in 1987 and stipulates pre-employment examination as a pre-placement procedure, statutory periodic medical examination for job in hazardous areas. In India, occupational health is under two ministries: 1) Labour and 2) Health and Family Welfare. The Ministry of Labour and the labour departments of the states and union territories are mainly responsible for health and safety of workers. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is responsible for providing health and medical care to workers through its facilities. The DGMS (Directorate General of Mines Safety) and the DGFASLI (Directorate General