Jaipur, 1 July 2026: Rajasthan State Govt has notified Rajasthan Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Rules, 2026, framed under the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020. The Rules were notified in the Rajasthan Gazette on 30 June 2026 and legally came into force upon publication, requiring establishments across the State to immediately review and strengthen their compliance systems.
The Rules consolidate regulatory requirements relating to registration, licensing, workplace safety, health surveillance, working conditions, accident reporting, inspections, and maintenance of statutory records through an integrated digital compliance framework. Registration, licensing, renewals, amendments and statutory submissions are to be made electronically through the State’s Official Portal, with provisions for deemed registration and auto-generated approvals in specified cases where timelines are not met.
Key Compliance Requirements
The Rules mandate online registration of establishments and factories, electronic issuance of registration certificates, mandatory updating of registration particulars upon any change in ownership or management, and display of registration certificates at the workplace. Existing establishments registered under earlier State Shops Act are also required to migrate and update their particulars on the Official Portal within the prescribed period.
Establishments/ Factories already registered under previous Factories Act and continuing need not require to get themselves register under under these Rules. A factory licence can be obtained up to ten years. Applications for licence renewal are processed through an auto-renewal mechanism upon payment of the prescribed fee, while delayed renewals attract an additional fee of 25 percent.
One of the most significant features of the new framework is the transition to a fully digital compliance architecture. Registration of establishments, grant and renewal of licences, amendment applications, submission of statutory notices, maintenance of prescribed records and filing of returns are all to be carried out electronically through the State’s Official Portal. The Rules also incorporate a deemed registration mechanism whereby, if the prescribed authority fails to act within the stipulated timeline, the establishment is deemed to have been registered and the registration certificate is automatically generated. This marks a decisive move towards technology-driven labour .
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The Rules also prescribe detailed provisions governing amendment, transfer, suspension, cancellation and revocation of licences, providing greater regulatory certainty throughout the lifecycle of an industrial establishment.
Employers are required to update any change in ownership, management or registration particulars within thirty days, display registration certificates at the workplace, quote the registration number in all statutory correspondence and intimate commencement or cessation of operations through the electronic portal. Existing establishments registered under earlier labour legislations are also required to migrate and update their particulars on the Official Portal within the prescribed transition period.
From a workplace compliance perspective, the Rules considerably expand employer obligations relating to employee welfare and occupational health. Employers in factories, beedi and cigar establishments and building and construction establishments must arrange annual medical examinations, free of cost, for employees who have completed forty years of age. The medical examination is to be conducted by a qualified medical practitioner in the prescribed format, reinforcing preventive occupational health monitoring as an integral compliance obligation rather than a voluntary welfare measure.
The Rules also introduce a statutory requirement that every employee must receive a formal appointment letter containing prescribed particulars including 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 also be issued such letters within the stipulated period, thereby strengthening employment documentation and reducing disputes relating to service conditions.
Occupational safety reporting obligations have likewise been significantly strengthened. Employers are now under an express duty to report fatal accidents immediately and notify accidents resulting in disability exceeding forty-eight hours within the prescribed timeframe. The Rules also provide an extensive schedule of dangerous occurrences requiring mandatory reporting irrespective of whether any injury has occurred. Further, prescribed procedures have been introduced for reporting occupational diseases, ensuring closer regulatory oversight of workplace health risks and industrial accidents.
A major institutional reform under the Rules is the strengthening of workplace safety governance through mandatory Safety Committees and Safety Officers. Every establishment or factory employing five hundred or more workers is required to constitute a Safety Committee comprising equal representation of employers and workers, with adequate representation of women employees. The Committee has been entrusted with functions extending beyond accident review to include safety audits, review of standard operating procedures, emergency preparedness, risk assessment, awareness programmes and monitoring implementation of corrective measures, thereby institutionalising worker participation in occupational safety management.
Complementing the Safety Committee framework, the Rules prescribe detailed thresholds for appointment of qualified Safety Officers based upon workforce strength ( 500 workers) and the hazardous nature of operations. Separate norms have been notified for non-hazardous factories, hazardous process industries, Major Accident Hazard installations and building and construction projects, together with detailed educational qualifications and statutory duties. The role of the Safety Officer has been expanded from regulatory compliance to proactive risk identification, accident investigation, safety training, occupational disease surveillance and development of preventive safety systems within establishments.
The Rules also establish the Rajasthan State Occupational Safety and Health Advisory Board, comprising representatives from the Government, industry, workers, technical institutions and subject experts. The Board has been entrusted with advising the State Government on occupational safety and health matters and may constitute technical and site appraisal committees for specialised functions, signalling a more consultative and evidence-based approach to labour regulation.
On the working conditions front, the Rules reaffirm the statutory limit of forty-eight working hours per week while prescribing payment of overtime wages at twice the ordinary rate, regulation of compensatory holidays, display of notices relating to weekly holidays and working hours, and maintenance of statutory registers in prescribed electronic formats. These provisions seek to harmonise traditional labour welfare obligations with the digital compliance ecosystem introduced under the Code.
Enhanced Employer Responsibilities
The Rules significantly expand employer obligations relating to occupational safety and employee welfare. Key requirements include:
- Annual medical examination, free of cost, for employees aged 40 years and above in factories, beedi and cigar establishments, and building and construction establishments.
- Mandatory issuance of appointment letters containing prescribed employment particulars to every employee.
- Immediate electronic reporting of fatal accidents, dangerous occurrences and occupational diseases to designated authorities.
- Prompt corrective action where workers report imminent safety or health hazards.
Safety Governance Strengthened
Large establishments employing 500 or more workers are required to constitute Safety Committees with equal representation of employers and workers. The Rules also prescribe the appointment of Safety Officers based on workforce strength and the nature of operations, particularly for hazardous industries and major construction projects. Detailed qualifications and statutory duties have been prescribed for Safety Officers to strengthen workplace risk management and accident prevention.
In addition, the State has provided for the constitution of the Rajasthan State Occupational Safety and Health Advisory Board to advise the Government on occupational safety and health matters and support implementation of the Code.
Working Time and Overtime Compliance
The Rules reaffirm the statutory ceiling of 48 working hours per week, prescribe overtime wages at twice the ordinary rate, regulate compensatory holidays, and impose quarterly limits on overtime work. Employers are also required to display notices relating to weekly holidays and periods of work in prescribed formats. Maximum limit of OT hours in a quarter is 144 hours.
Digital Compliance Ecosystem
A notable feature of the Rules is the emphasis on digital governance. Registration, licensing, amendments, notices, accident reporting, maintenance of records and statutory returns are intended to be managed electronically through the State’s Official Portal, thereby reducing manual interfaces and improving regulatory transparency.
Immediate Action Points for Employers
Organisations operating in Rajasthan should immediately:
- Review applicability of the Rajasthan OSH Rules, 2026.
- Verify registration and licensing status on the Official Portal.
- Update appointment letter formats and employee records and issue within 90 days.
- Establish accident and occupational disease reporting protocols.
- Get employees of 40 years of age medically examined within 120 days and maintain records.
- Constitute Safety Committees wherever applicable.
- Assess the requirement for appointment of qualified Safety Officers and welfare officers and appoint if applicable.
- Update internal safety policies, SOPs and statutory registers to align with the new Rules.
- Make workers aware about safety rules and protocols and impart safety trainings.
- Do not engage contract labour in core activity and ensure that contractor valid licence for supplying manpower or undertake work from Principal employer establishment.
