SAFETY & WELFARE OF WORKERS
- The Factories Act, 1948 is the principal legislation for regulating various aspects relating to safety, health and welfare of workers employed in factories.
- The Directorate General, Factory Advice Service and Labour Institute (DGFASLI), Mumbai, an attached office of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, renders technical advice to the States with regard to administration and enforcement of the Factories Act, 1948.
- With five regional labour institutes at Mumbai, Kolkata, Kanpur, Chennai and Faridabad under its control, the DGFASLI also undertakes support research
- The Directorate General also reviews the position regarding implementation and enforcement of the Act.
- Factories employing over 30 women workers are required to provide a creche for their children shelters.
- Restrooms and lunch-rooms are required to be provided by factories employing over 250 workers. Factories with 250 workers or more have to appoint welfare officers.
- DGFASLI, Mumbai is the Chief Inspector of Docks is also entrusted with the responsibility of enforcing in major ports the Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules, 1989 framed under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
- Directorate General of Mines Safety has its headquarters at
- The National Safety Council was set up in 1966 to promote safety consciousness among workers to prevent accidents, minimize dangers.
- National Safety Day is celebrated on 4th March of every year.
AWARDS
- The Prime Minister’s Shram Awards are given to workmen working in the departmental undertakings and public sector undertakings of the Central Government and State Governments in recognition of their outstanding contribution.
- These awards are also given to the workmen working in the manufacturing units in the private sector employing 500 or more workers.
- The awards, in order of precedence are: Shram Ratna, Shram Bhushan, Shram Vir/ Shram Veerangana and Shram Shree/Shram Devi.
- The awards carry presentation of a Sanad and cash prize of Rs.2 lakhs, Rs.1 lakh, Rs.60000 and Rs.40000 respectively. The total number of awards is 33.
- Government instituted the National Safety Awards in 1965. This is applicable to factories, docks and Nuclear‘Power Projects and Nuclear Power Stations.
- The National Safety Awards for mines were instituted in 1983. It is meant for giving recognition to outstanding safety performances of mines of national level, which comes within the purview of the Mines Act, 1952.
- Shram Vir Awards, now known as Vishwakarma Rashtriya Puraskar were instituted in 1965.
