The Factories Act, 1948, and the Indian Labor Act require all businesses in India to assess the risks and implications of manual handling, transport in the workplace, slips and trips, transporting goods and materials, and managing harmful substances.

1. Manual Handling and Slips and Trips

Failing to protect employees against the risks of manual-handling activities could lead to staff taking time off sick or a compensation claim. You're legally required to assess the risks that employees face when handling objects as part of your overall health and safety risk assessment.

You can reduce the risks of manual handling by:

- Providing handling equipment, such as trolleys or lifting aids

- Training employees to lift and carry correctly, including proper lifting techniques and body mechanics

- Avoiding manual handling where possible, such as by using mechanical aids or automating tasks

- Ensuring lifting equipment is safe and properly maintained

- Providing personal protective equipment, such as gloves or steel-toed boots

Avoid slips and trips by:

- Cleaning up spillages immediately

- Installing appropriate flooring, such as non-slip mats or coatings

- Issuing slip-resistant footwear to employees

- Ensuring the workplace is well lit, with adequate lighting and minimal shadows

- Using a cable tidy for loose wires and cords

- Providing personal protective equipment, such as safety glasses or hard hats

- Encouraging employee responsibility, such as reporting hazards or near misses

- Issuing employee safety guidelines, such as safe lifting techniques or emergency procedures

2. Transport in the Workplace

Almost every business in India uses transport, whether it's to make or receive deliveries or just to move goods around their premises. You must assess and manage the risks of any transport that you use.

Loading, unloading, and tipping:

- Ensure that the area where loading and unloading takes place is clear of other traffic and pedestrians.

- Source safety equipment, such as guard rails or plates, to prevent anything getting caught in machinery.

- Ensure that the vehicle is stable and safe with any brakes properly applied.

- Load the vehicle safely, spreading the load evenly and avoiding overloading.

Parking and reversing:

- Avoid the need for reversing or inappropriate parking, if possible.

- Where reversing is unavoidable, minimize the risks by using signaling equipment or signalers, and fitting vehicles with appropriate mirrors.

- Ensure that drivers are properly trained and experienced in reversing safely.

Manage vehicle movements to ensure safety in the workplace:

- Reassess your work practices to reduce vehicle movements within your premises.

- Plan safe traffic routes, including designated pedestrian zones and vehicle routes.

- Ensure that loads are safely secured, using proper tie-downs and restraints.

- Make sure route surfaces are constructed of suitable material and properly drained, with minimal slopes and curves.

3. Transporting Goods and Materials

There are specific legal duties you must comply with if you transport hazardous goods and certain other items, including food, animals, and wastes.

Minimize the risks of transporting goods:

- Ensure you use the most appropriate form of transport for your goods, considering factors such as weight, size, and fragility.

- Consider how best to protect large, heavy, or unusual loads, using proper packaging and restraint systems.

- Ensure loads are secure and weight is distributed evenly, using proper tie-downs and restraints.

- Consider whether you need goods-in-transit or marine insurance to protect goods being transported.

Food:

- Keep all food fresh and prevent it from becoming contaminated, using proper packaging and storage techniques.

- Transport food at the correct temperature to stop it deteriorating, using refrigerated vehicles or insulated containers.

- Ensure raw food is segregated from cooked food during transportation to prevent cross-contamination, using separate containers or vehicles.

Animals:

- Vehicles must be well maintained and designed to carry animals safely, with proper ventilation and sanitation systems.

- Animals should be handled by properly trained and experienced people, using gentle and humane techniques.

- There are limits to the amount of time animals spend being transported, depending on factors such as species, age, and health.

Waste:

- If you collect or transport waste or arrange for waste to be transported, disposed of, or recovered, you must register as a waste carrier with the Central Pollution Control Board.

- Ensure that waste is properly packaged and labelled, using designated waste containers and signage.

4. Manage Harmful Substances Safely

Every business in India has a responsibility to its workers, customers, and the public to protect them from harmful effects caused by hazardous substances.

The Ministry of Labor and Employment, Government of India, offers guidance on what you need to do to control hazardous substances in the workplace. There are special rules for:

- Lead

- Radioactive substances

- Flammable and explosive substances

If you manufacture or import chemicals, you may have to register them with the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIB&RC) or the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), depending on the type of chemical.

Additionally, you must comply with the following regulations:

- The Factories Act, 1948

- The Indian Labor Act

- The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986

- The Hazardous Substances (Handling, Management and Trans boundary Movement) Rules, 2003

Find guidance on storing goods and materials from:

- The Directorate General of Factory Advice Service and Labor Institutes (DGFASLI)

- The Indian Standards Institution (ISI)

- The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)