Rules 51-52 explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
Rule 51 requires places to keep and dry clothes not worn during working hours, with separate changing rooms and individual lockers. Rule 52 requires reasonable seating for employees who are obliged to work standing.
Rule 51 applies to factories, mines, building or other construction work, beedi and cigar premises, dock work and plantations. It requires separate and sufficient installations for keeping and drying clothes, in rooms apart from the workrooms, a separate changing room, dry clothes for wet-process workers and individual ventilated lockers with benches. Rule 52 applies to factories, mines and dock work and requires reasonable, adequate and comfortable seating for employees who must work standing, without detriment to their work.
The Code source
Section 24 of the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (the OSH Code) deals with welfare facilities in the establishment, and rules 51 and 52 put the clothes-keeping and sitting parts of that into detail. Read the section in our section 24 explainer.
Central Rules apply where the Central Government is the appropriate Government. Where the State Government is the appropriate Government, the State's own OSH rules apply. For help setting up welfare facilities, see our labour law compliance service.
Rule 51: keeping of clothes not worn during working hours
Rule 51 does not name motor transport undertakings. It covers factories, mines, building or other construction work, beedi and cigar premises, dock work and plantations. The employer must ensure that:
| Clause | Duty |
|---|---|
| (i) | Suitable, separate and sufficient installations, as necessary owing to the nature of work, for male, female, transgender and disabled employees, for keeping clothes not worn during working hours and drying them |
| (ii) | The installations are placed in rooms separate from the workrooms |
| (iii) | A separate changing room with suitable facilities for all four categories, as necessary, for drying wet clothes and hanging clothing, including, where necessary to avoid contamination with poisonous, infectious, irritating or radioactive substances, suitable lockers for separating working clothes from street clothes |
| (iv) | Where employees' working clothes are liable to become wet or must be washed between shifts, suitable arrangements ensure dry clothes are always available to each employee on return to work |
| (v) | The facilities have (a) individual lockers of adequate size and adequate ventilation and (b) benches or other suitable seating |
The text keeps the same four categories used in rules 47 to 50. It does not say how many lockers per employee beyond "individual lockers", nor the size of a locker.
How rule 51 sits with rule 50
Rule 50(ii) requires locker facilities for clothing worn during working hours and special work clothing not taken home. Rule 51 deals with clothes that are not worn during working hours, and with changing rooms, drying and dry-clothes arrangements. A well-run facility will plan the two together. See our rules 49 and 50 article.
Rule 52: sitting arrangement
Rule 52 is short. The employer of every factory, mine and dock work shall ensure that reasonable arrangements for sitting, without detriment to their work, are provided to employees obliged to work in a standing position. Adequate and comfortable seating facilities are provided for this purpose.
Points to note:
- It applies to factories, mines and dock work only. Construction, beedi and cigar, motor transport and plantations are not named.
- It applies to employees who are obliged to work standing. It does not require a seat at every station.
- The sitting must not hurt the work: the test is "without detriment to their work". Sit-stand arrangements, stools at counters or seats placed near the work area can all meet it.
- The rule sets no number of seats, break pattern or seat dimensions.
Rules 51 and 52 compared
| Point | Rule 51 | Rule 52 |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Keep and dry clothes; changing room; lockers | Seating for standing employees |
| Employers | Factory, mine, construction, beedi and cigar, dock work, plantation | Factory, mine, dock work |
| Separation by category | Yes, four categories | Not mentioned |
| Numbers stated | None | None |
Consequences
Rules 51 and 52 state no penalty of their own. Contravention is dealt with under the Code's penalty provisions; see our section 94 explainer. For the older factory welfare framework, see our guide to welfare provisions under the Factories Act.
Practical examples
Example 1. A tannery's workers wet their clothes on the wash line. Under rule 51(iv) the employer keeps dry clothes available on return, and under (iii) provides a separate changing room with drying space.
Example 2. A bulk terminal operator provides a rest bench and lockers in a room away from the quay. This meets the "separate from workrooms" and "individual locker" parts of rule 51.
Example 3. An assembly line worker stands for the whole shift. Under rule 52 the employer places stools near the line so the worker can sit during lulls, without slowing the work.
Need help with welfare facility compliance?
Lockers, changing rooms and seating are easy to plan when a unit is being fitted out and harder to retrofit. Our labour law compliance team can help you review your layout against rules 51 and 52.
Key takeaways
- Rule 51 covers keeping and drying clothes, changing rooms and individual ventilated lockers, separately for four categories of employees.
- Rule 51 requires dry clothes for workers whose clothes get wet or are washed between shifts.
- Rule 52 requires reasonable, adequate and comfortable seating for employees who work standing, in factories, mines and dock work.
- Neither rule fixes numbers of lockers or seats.
- State rules apply where the State is the appropriate Government.
Read next
- Rules 49 and 50: washing facilities, bathing places and locker rooms
- Rule 53: canteen
- Section 24: welfare facilities in the establishment
- Welfare provisions under the Factories Act
Disclaimer: Based on the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (as enacted) and, where noted, the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (Central) Rules, 2026 (G.S.R. 345(E), 8 May 2026), as on 30 September 2026. The Code is in force from 21 November 2025; some provisions may be notified later, and State Governments make their own rules for establishments where the State is the appropriate Government. Verify the current position before acting.