The Directorate, Industrial Safety and Health looks after the implementation of following statue

	The Factories Act 1948 and Gujarat Factories Rules, 1963
	The Environment Protection Act, 1986
	The Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules, 1989
	Chemical Accidents (Emergency Planning, Preparedness and Response ) Rules, 1996
	The Payment of Wages Act, 1936 and Rules there under
	The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 and Rules there under
	The Gujarat Physically Handicapped Persons (Employment in Factories) Act, 1982
	The Gujarat Payment of Unemployment Allowance to workmen (In Factories) Act, 1981
	The Cotton Ginning and Pressing Factories Act, 1925
	The building and other construction workers (Regulation of Employment and conditions of service) Act, 1996 and Rules there under

The history of Factories Act is more than 100 years old. First time the Indian Factories Act was enacted in 1881.After independence, 'The Factories Act, 1948' was made applicable in the country mainly to regulate health, safety, welfare and working conditions of Industrial workers. It has been amended from time to time, but the major amendments were enacted in 1976 and in 1987, wherein emphasis has been laid on safety in general and chemical safety in particular. To strengthen safety in chemical factories, Government of Gujarat amended the 'Gujarat Factories Rules, 1963' in February 1995.

To look after welfare of female workers, Lady Inspector of Factories has also been appointed under the Factories Act, 1948. All Inspectors have been declared as Assistant Public Prosecutors for purpose of Factories Act.

The Director, Industrial Safety and Health, Gujarat State has also been declared authority under certain section of Environment Protection Act, 1986 and Manufacture, Storage, Import of Hazardous Chemicals, Rules, 1989, as amended in 1994.

Under Environment Protection Act, 1986, the Government of India has framed Chemical Accidents (Emergency Planning, Preparedness and Response) Rules, 1996, where the Asstt./Deputy Director of Ind. Safety and Health performs the duties as member secretary of various crisis groups constituted under these rules through out the state.

The Inspectors appointed under the Factories Act of the wing have also been appointed as inspectors under the Payment of Wages Act, 1936, so far as the factories registered under the Factories Act, 1948 are concerned. For effective implementation of the Act, Payment of Wages Inspector is also appointed. The officers of this wing have also been notified as Inspectors under Maternity Benefit Act, 1961.

The Government of Gujarat has enacted Gujarat physically Handicapped persons (Employment in Factories) Act, 1982. Under this legislation all Inspectors have been appointed as Inspector for implementation of this Act. It applies to factories employing 200 or more workers. Under this Act employers are required to allocate and appoint 1% of total employment for physically handicapped persons.

The Government of Gujarat has also enacted "The Gujarat Payment of Unemployment Allowances to Workmen (in Factories) Act, 1981". The employer is required to pay 50% wages to workers in the event of power-cut, if he is unable to provide alternative employment to workers within 8 Kms form the normal working place provided that the power cut is notified by Government. This wing also looks after the implementation of this Act.

The department being technical in nature, the officers appointed are mostly engineers. The inspector appointed under the Factories Act have also been appointed as inspector under, The Building and other construction workers (RECS) Act, 1996, Director, Ind. safety and Health has been appointed as chief Inspector of Inspections of Building and construction under the same Act. Qualified in various disciplines of engineering. Looking to major concentration of chemical factories in the state, the department has constituted a multi-disciplinary specialist cell in each region headed by Dy. Chief Inspector of Factories.

Moreover one chemical Inspector of Factories has been appointed for assisting and advising Chief Inspectors of Factories about hazards and safety in chemical factories.

To assist legal matters, Law officers have been appointed in Ahmedabad and Vadodara Regions.

To measure and monitor the ill effects of chemicals, cotton dust, Asbestos dust and Silica dust etc., Industrial Hygiene Laboratory has been established under the Chief Inspector of Factories. It is headed by Dy. Director of occupational health and consists of Medical Inspectors of Factories, Certifying Surgeons and other technical staff.