The Labour Department, Gujarat (“Department”) has notified the Gujarat Factories (Occupational Health and Safety Audit) Rules, 2025 (“Rules”) as a framework for occupational safety and health related audits across factories in the State. This is effective immediately.

Key Highlights:

1. The Rules are applicable to three categories of factories:
   1. Category I Factories- factories involving Major Accident Hazard (MAH) installations as defined under clause (ja) of Rule 2* of the Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemicals Rules, 1989, as amended from time to time;
   2. Category II Factories-
      1. factories wherein the “hazardous process” defined under (cb) of Section 2** of the Factories Act is involved or carried out; or clause;
      2. factories involving isolated storage and industrial activity at a site handling (including transport through carrier or pipeline) of hazardous chemicals less than the threshold quantities specified in column 3 of Schedules 2 and 3 under Rule 68J of the Gujarat Factories Rules, 1963 but greater than 100 litres or kg at a time; or factories involving isolated storage and industrial activity at a site handling (including transport through carrier or pipeline) of hazardous chemicals less than the threshold quantities specified in column 3 of Schedules 2 and 3 of the Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemicals Rules, 1989 but greater than 100 litres or kg at a time;
   3. Category III Factories which are factories other than Category 1 Factories and Category II Factories and licensed to employ more than 100 workers on any day.
2. Factory occupiers are mandated to arrange occupational safety and health audits as a measure for ensuring workplace safety in the following manner:
   1. Internal: Once in a year by factory staff
   2. External audit by Chief Inspector at the following intervals:
      1. Once in 2 years for Category I Factories;
      2. Once in 3 years for Category II Factories;
      3. Once in 4 years for Category III Factories.
3. In the event an external audit is conducted in a year, an internal audit is not mandatory.
4. Carry out an occupational safety and health audit as per the timeline given below from the commencement of these Rules:
   1. Internal: Within six months by factory staff;
   2. External: Within 1 year by an Occupational Health and Safety Auditor recognized by the Chief Inspector.
5. The safety audit must be carried out as per relevant Indian standards, the Indian Standard Code of Practice on Occupational Health and Safety Audit as updated from time to time.
6. The occupier of factory is required to forward the safety audit report in the prescribed format to Chief Inspector or Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health along with action taken report on recommendations made in the safety audit report.
7. If during safety audit, auditor finds any hazard posing danger of causing an accident, he will immediately communicate in writing to the occupier as well as to the Chief Inspector. In such case, take immediate corrective action.
8. If there are any changes in manufacturing process or plant or storage of hazardous chemicals in factory, the occupier is required to carry out fresh occupational health and safety audit.

Please note that while the Notification is dated 1st March, 2025, it has been made available in the public domain recently.

Source: Gujarat Labour Department

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*Rule 2(ja)- “major accident hazards (MAH) installations” means – isolated storage and industrial activity at a site handling (including transport through carrier or pipeline) of hazardous chemicals equal to or, in excess of the threshold quantities specified in, Column 3 of schedule 2 and 3 respectively.

**Section 2(cb)- “hazardous process” means any process or activity in relation to an industry specified in the First Schedule where, unless special care is taken, raw materials used therein or the intermediate or finished products, bye-products, wastes or effluents thereof would—

(i) cause material impairment to the health of the persons engaged in or connected therewith, or

(ii) result in the pollution or the general environment: Provided that the State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, amend the First Schedule by way of addition, omission or variation of any industry specified in the said Schedule.

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