India is a growing economy and is the world’s largest
democracy with population of around 1.4 billion people, of which 63.6% are in
the working age group, out of which females are 32.8% and males are 77.1% as on
for 2024. However, more than 90% of the working age group are engaged in the
informal economy, with the balance in the organized sector. This formal and
informal distribution, makes it all the more importance to maintain
Occupational Safety and Health in India (OSH).
The OSH scenario in India is complex because we need to take
care of Labor Welfare along with Economic Growth. There are challenges
such as huge workforce in unorganized sector, availability of minimum wages,
meager public spending on health, inadequate implementation of existing
legislation, lack of reliable OSH data, shortage of OSH professionals,
multiplicity of statutory controls, apathy of stakeholders and infrastructure
problems. Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) is a multidisciplinary field
focusing on worker safety, health, and welfare. It's crucial to prevent
accidents and diseases which will prevent the global GDP loss (around 4%) due
to the issue.
Indian industry is actively enhancing workplace safety
through a combination of legal frameworks, Government initiatives, training
programs, and the adoption of new technologies which includes implementing
standards like ISO 45001(Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems) to
enhance workplace safety, promoting a culture of safety awareness, and
utilizing AI-powered solutions , like AI & IOT for advanced risk
assessment, hazard detection, and real-time monitoring of workplace conditions,
using Data Analytics to predict accidents based on historical patterns,
replacing humans by Robots in dangerous tasks to eliminate occupational
accidents .
Indian Government is also playing an active role in
Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) regulations that are governed by the OHS
Working Conditions Code, 2020, which consolidates 13 labor laws, including the
Factories Act, 1948, and the Mines Act, 1952 with an aims to ensure safe and
healthy working conditions for all workers.
With a concerted effort from the Government, Industry, and
Society, India can build a robust OSH framework that not only protects workers
but also enhances productivity, sustainability, and global competitiveness. The
next decade will be critical in ensuring that workplace safety becomes a
cornerstone of industrial development in India.
Indian Chamber of Commerce has been working closely with
various Government Bodies for implementation of OHS measures across different
Industry sectors. The Chamber has been taking up initiatives in Environment
Management and Sustainable Development initiatives to balance Growth with
Environment and Human Care among various stakeholders through undertaking
various activities and key policy recommendations and workshops and conclaves
and more.
