Karnataka Government issues Draft Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (Karnataka) Rules, 2026

The Government of Karnataka has issued the Draft Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (Karnataka) Rules, 2026 (“Draft Rules”) under the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2019 (“Code”) inviting comments.

Objections and suggestions to the Draft Rules may be addressed to Secretary to Government, Labour Department, Vikasa Soudha, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Veedhi, Bengaluru, by 9thMarch 2026.  

Key Proposals under the Draft Rules:

1. Detailed provisions pertaining to registration of establishments, followed by payment of fees and late fees.  

2. Provisions laying down the duties of employer which includes annual health examination of employees, notice of accidents and dangerous occurrences, notice of disease etc.

3. Establish Safety Committee for every establishment and the duties of Safety Officers of such Committee.

4. Provisions pertaining to daily and weekly working hours, hours of rest, compensatory holidays, etc.

5. Procedures for maintenance of registers, records and filing of periodic returns.

6. Provisions governing the appointment, qualifications and power of the Inspector-cum-Facilitator.

7. Specify conditions for employing women during night shifts and provide sufficient safety safeguards for their participation in dangerous operations.

8. Mandate overtime compensation in case a worker works under the following conditions:

• for more than nine hours in any day or for more than forty-eight hours in any week, working for six days in any week;
• for more than ten hours in any day or for more than forty-eight hours in any week, working for five days in any week;
• for more than eleven and a half hours in any day working for four days in any week or works on paid holidays.

9. Qualification and criteria of a contractor for applying for licence, along with the terms and conditions of such licence have been specified.

10. Provisions have been specified for the payment of journey allowance to Inter-State Migrant Workers and for mandating agreements for audio-visual workers.

11. Provisions governing licencing conditions for employment of Beedi and Cigar Workers, followed by payment of fees, maintenance of registers, etc.

12. Detailed provisions governing registration of factories by making an online application and giving details about factories along with building plans along with setting up of Occupational Health Centres (“OHC”).

13. Provisions specifying standard housing accommodation for plantation workers, along with adequate facilities including drinking water, creche, and other amenities.

14. Specification of offences, penalties, appeals and miscellaneous provisions.

Source: Government of Karnataka