Rule 23. Safety officers under Section 22

(1) A person shall not be eligible for appointment as a safety officer relating to a factory or building or other construction work unless he/she possesses–

(a) a recognized degree in any branch of engineering or technology and has had practical experience in a supervisory capacity for a period of not less than two (2) years; or

(b) a recognised degree in physics or chemistry and has had practical experience in a supervisory capacity for a period of not less than five (5) years; or

(c) a recognised diploma in any branch of engineering or technology and has had practical experience in a supervisory capacity for a period of not less than five (5) years; and

(d) possesses any Diploma in Industrial Safety conducted by any Institute under Director General, Occupational Safety and health (DGOSH), Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India (or) possesses a degree (or) a Diploma in Industrial Safety with equivalent syllabus and duration of not less than one (1) year awarded by any university incorporated under the Central or State Acts or Department of Technical Education or Board of Technical Education of any State / Union Territories / Government of India; and

(e) has adequate knowledge of the Telugu Language.

Provided that the employer shall ensure that the safety officer appointed shall acquire adequate knowledge of the language spoken by the majority of workers within one year from the date of such appointment.

(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-rule (1), any person who –

(a) possesses a recognised degree or diploma in engineering or technology and has had experience of not less than 5years in a department of the Central or State Government which deals with the administration of OSH & WC Code pertaining to Safety in Factories or

(b) Possesses a recognised degree or diploma in engineering or technology and has had experience of not less than 5 years, full time, on training, education, consultancy, or research in the field of accident prevention in industry or in any institution; shall also be eligible for appointment as a safety officer.

(3) Number of safety officers and Conditions of Service: The number of Safety Officers shall be appointed in an establishment as per the scale appended hereto:

Employment of persons in the Establishment No of Safety Officers required Factories of Hazardous Factories other than to be appointed Process & Building and Hazardous Process Other Construction Workers 1 500 to 1000 persons 250 to 500 persons 2 1001 to 2000 persons 501 to 1000 persons 3 2001 to 3000 persons 1001 to 1500 persons 4 3001 to 4000 persons 1501 to 2000 persons 1 additional Every additional 2000 Every additional 1000 persons or fraction safety officer for persons or fraction thereof thereof

(4) Duties of safety officer: The duties of the safety officers shall be to advise and assist the establishment in fulfillment of its obligations, statutory or otherwise, concerning the prevention of personal injuries and maintaining a safe working environment. These duties shall include the following, namely: -

(a) to advise the concerned departments in planning and organising measures necessary for the effective control of personal injuries;

(b) to advise on safety aspects in all job studies and to carryout detailed job safety studies of selected jobs;

(c) to check and evaluate the effectiveness of the action taken or proposed to be taken to prevent personal injuries;

(d) to advise the purchasing and stores departments in ensuring high quality and availability of personal protective equipment;

(e) to advise on matters relating to carrying out plant safety inspections;

(f) to carry out plant safety inspections in order to observe the physical conditions of work and the work practices and procedures followed by workers and to render advice on measures to be adopted for removing the unsafe physical conditions and preventing unsafe actions by workers;

(g) to render assistance on matters relating to reporting and investigation of industrial accidents and occupational diseases;

(h) to investigate all accidents and near-miss incidents;

(i) to render assistance for the cases of industrial diseases contracted and in respect of dangerous occurrences reportable under Rule 10.

(j) to render assistance on the maintenance of such records as are necessary relating to accidents, dangerous occurrences and industrial diseases;

(k)to promote the setting up of safety committees and act as adviser and catalyst to such committees;

(l) to organise, in association with the concerned departments, campaigns, competitions, contests and other activities which will develop and maintain the interest of the workers in establishing and maintaining safe conditions of work and procedure; and

(m) to design and conduct either independently or in collaboration with the training department, suitable training and educational programmes for the prevention of personal injuries and for the propagation of safety awareness.

(5) Facilities to be provided to safety officer:- An employer of the establishment shallprovide each Safety Officer with adequate technical and secretarial staff and other facilities, equipment and information as are necessary to enable him to discharge his duties effectively and efficiently.

(6) Safety Officer’s Report: Every Chief Safety officer or Safety officer where there is no Chief safety officer, working in a Factory as required under this rule, shall submit through the occupier of his factory, a report in writing with all relevant details to the Chief Inspector cum Facilitator, in the month of January and July every year in FORM-XXXI, on the activities/initiatives taken up during the preceding half year and the progress achieved in the prescribed pro-forma

(7) Prohibition of performance of other duties:No Safety Officer shall be required or permitted to do any work which is inconsistent with or detrimental to the performance of the duties prescribed in sub-rule (3)