SCHEDULE- VIII (See Rule 209 (1) & (2) NO. OF SAFETY OFFICERS, QUALIFICATION, DUTIES, ETC. Appointment of Safety Officers Number of Safety Officers.- Within six months of coming into operation of these rules, every establishment employing more than five hundred building workers and every other employer of building worker shall appoint safety officers, as laid down in the scale given below:- 1. Upto 1000 building workers - one safety officers 2. Upto 2000 building workers - two safety officers 3. Upto 5000 building workers - three safety officers 4. Upto 10000 building workers- four safety officers For every additional 5000 building workers or part thereof- one safety officer. Any appointment, when made shall be notified to the inspector having jurisdiction in the area, giving full details of the qualifications, terms and conditions of service of such safety officer. Qualification.- (a) A person shall not be eligible for appointment as a safety officer unless he: (i) possesses a recognised degree in any branch of engineering or technology or architecture and had a practical experience of working in a building or other construction work in a supervisory capacity for a period of not less than two years or possesses a recognised diploma in any branch of engineering or technology and has had practical experience of building or other construction work in a supervisory capacity for a period of not less than five years; (ii) possesses a recognised degree or diploma in industrial safety with at least one paper in construction safety (as an elective subject); (iii) has adequate knowledge of the language spoken by majority of building workers from the construction site in which he is to be appointed. (b) Not withstanding the provision contained in clause (a), any person who- (i) possesses a recognised degree or diploma in engineering or technology or architecture and has had experience of not less than five years in the field, dealing with the administration of Factories Act, 1948 or the Dock Workers (Safety, Health and Welfare) Act, 1986 or the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996. (ii) possesses a recognised degree or diploma in engineering or technology and has had experience of not less than five years or has undergone training in education, consultancy or research in the field of accident prevention in industry, port, or in any institution or an establishment dealing with building or other construction work, shall also be eligible for appointment as a safety officer. provided that, in case of person who has been working as safety officer in industry or port, institution or an establishment dealing with building or other construction work for a period of.- not less than three years on the date of commencement of these rules, the Chief Inspector of Inspections of Building and Construction may, subject to such conditions that he may specify, relax all or any of the above said qualification. Condition of Service.- (a) where number of safety officers appointed exceeds one, one of them shall be designated as Chief Safety Officer and shall have the status higher than the others. The Chief Safety Officer shall be in over all charge of the safety functions as envisaged in sub-clause (iv) and also other safety officers working under his control. (b) the Chief Safety Officer or Safety Officer, where only one safety officer is appointed, shall be given the status of a Senior Executive and he shall work directly under the control of his Chief Executive. All other safety officers shall be given appropriate status to enable them to dispatch their functions effectively. (c) the scale of pay and allowances to be granted to the safety officers including the Chief Safety Officer and the other conditions of their service shall be the same as those of the officers of corresponding status of the establishment in which they are employed. Duties of Safety Officer.- (a) The duties of a safety officer shall be to advise and assist the employer in the fulfillment of his obligations, statutory or otherwise concerning prevention of personal injuries and maintaining a safe working environment. These duties shall include the following, namely,- (i) to advise the building workers in planning and organising measures necessary for effective control of personal injuries; (ii) to advise on safety aspects in a building or other construction work and to carry out detailed safety studies of selected activities; (iii) to check and evaluate the effectiveness of action taken or proposed to be taken to prevent personal injuries; (iv) to advise purchasing and ensuring quality of personal protective equipment confirming to national standards; (v) to carry out safety inspections of building or other construction work in order to observe the physical conditions of work and the work practices and procedures followed by building workers and to render advice on measures to be adopted for removing unsafe physical conditions and preventing unsafe actions by building workers; (vi) to investigate all fatal and other selected accidents; (vii) to investigate the cases of occupational diseases contracted and reportable dangerous occurrences; (viii) to advise on the maintenance of such records as are necessary with regard to accidents, dangerous occurrences and occupational diseases; (ix) to promote the working of safety committees and to act as an advisor to such committees; (x) to organise, in association with concerned departments, campaigns, competitions, contests and other activities which will develop and maintain the interest of building workers in establishing and maintaining safe conditions of work and procedures; (xi) to design and conduct, either independently or in collaboration with other agencies, suitable training and educational programmes for prevention of accidents to building workers; (xii) to frame safe rules and safe working practices in consultation with senior officials of the establishment; (xiii) supervise and guide safety precautions to be taken in ports, building and other construction work of the establishment. Facilities to be provided to safety officers.- The employer shall provide each safety officer with such facilities, equipment and information that are necessary to enable him to dispatch his duties effectively. Prohibition of performance of other duties.- No safety officer shall be required or permitted to do any work which is unconnected to, inconsistent with or detrimental to the performance of the duties prescribed in this Schedule. Exemptions.- Director General may, in writing, exempt any employer or group of employers from any or all of the provisions of these rules subject to compliance with such alternative arrangements as may be approved and notified by him in the order or such exemption. | 
