Section 62 of the Factories Act 1948 - Register of Adult Workers
Section 62 formerly required every factory manager to maintain a register of adult workers and prohibited an adult worker from being required or allowed to work unless the worker's particulars had been entered in that register.
Former Section 62: Register of Adult Workers
Under the Factories Act, 1948, Section 62 dealt specifically with the register of adult workers. Its purpose was to ensure that a factory maintained an identifiable working record showing who was employed, the nature of the work, and relevant group or shift particulars.
Section 62(1). The manager of every factory was required to maintain a register of adult workers. The register had to be available to the Inspector during working hours or whenever work was being carried on in the factory. It was required to show:
- the name of each adult worker in the factory;
- the nature of the worker's work;
- the group, if any, in which the worker was included;
- where the group worked on shifts, the relay to which the worker was allotted; and
- such other particulars as might be prescribed.
The proviso permitted the Inspector, by written order, to allow a muster roll or another routine factory register containing the required particulars to be maintained and treated, to the corresponding extent, as the register of adult workers.
Section 62(1A). No adult worker could be required or allowed to work in a factory unless the worker's name and other particulars had been entered in the register of adult workers.
Section 62(2). The State Government could prescribe the form of the register, the manner of maintenance and the period for which it had to be preserved.
Current Law: Section 33 of the OSHWC Code 2020
The present statutory record-keeping framework is broader. Section 33 of the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 requires an employer of an establishment to maintain a prescribed register, electronically or otherwise, containing prescribed particulars of workers. These include the work performed, normal working hours, weekly rest, wages and receipts, leave and leave wages, overtime, attendance, dangerous occurrences and employment of adolescents.
The Code also requires prescribed workplace notices, wage slips in electronic or other permitted form, and prescribed returns to the Inspector-cum-Facilitator.
Central Rules 2026: Registers and Records
For establishments governed by the Central Government rules, Rule 72 of the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (Central) Rules, 2026 provides for an employee register in Form XIII, an attendance register-cum-muster roll in Form XIV, and a register for wages, overtime and deductions in Form XV. The registers may be maintained electronically or otherwise. The rules also provide for production of records on demand and preservation of registers and records for five calendar years from the last entry, subject to the applicable rule.
Section 62 and the Current Register Requirement
| Subject | Former Factories Act position | Current OSHWC framework |
|---|---|---|
| Core provision | Section 62, Factories Act 1948 | Section 33, OSHWC Code 2020 |
| Record focus | Register of adult workers in factories | Broader worker records for establishments covered by the Code |
| Key particulars | Name, nature of work, group, shift relay and prescribed particulars | Work performed, hours, rest day, wages, leave, overtime, attendance, dangerous occurrences, adolescent employment and prescribed particulars |
| Format | Prescribed by State Government under the former Act | Electronic or otherwise, in the form prescribed by the appropriate Government |
| Central-rule forms | Not applicable to current compliance | Forms XIII, XIV and XV under Rule 72 of the 2026 Central Rules |
Official Legal Resources
For current compliance and primary legal text, use the official Ministry of Labour and Employment materials:
This page explains the statutory framework for general information. For a particular establishment, verify the appropriate Government, applicable rules, notifications and any saved or transitional proceedings.