Industry · Healthcare
Compliance for hospitals and healthcare
A hospital works through the night, often hands its support work to contractors and answers to more than one inspecting authority. We keep the contract workforce compliant and the records ready for whoever asks to see them.
- Contract workforce checked monthly
- Registers ready for inspection
- Bio-medical waste and Fire NOC
- PF and ESI for every shift
Who can walk in
Six visitors a hospital should be ready for
A hospital deals with more than one inspecting authority. Each looks at different records, so each needs its own file, kept ready before anyone asks.
Visitor 01
Labour department
Inspector-cum-Facilitator under the OSH Code
Asks to see
- Registers of attendance, wages, leave and overtime
- Abstracts and notices on display
- Contract labour registration and contractors' licences
File kept by Labour law compliance
Visitor 02
EPFO and ESIC
Social security authorities
Asks to see
- Monthly ECR and ESI challans
- The wage records behind each contribution
- PF and ESI for contractors' workers
File kept by PF & ESI compliance
Visitor 03
Pollution Control Board
Environment regulator
Asks to see
- Consents under the Air and Water Acts
- Bio-medical waste authorisation
- Hazardous waste records and returns
File kept by EHS compliance
Visitor 04
Fire department
Chief Fire Officer or local fire service
Asks to see
- Fire NOC, issued after an inspection
- Fire-fighting systems in order
- Fire safety audit certificate and records
File kept by EHS compliance
Visitor 05
Lift authority
State or municipal lift regulator
Asks to see
- Lift licence
- Inspection certificates and load-test reports
- Periodic inspections and renewals
File kept by Licences & registrations
Visitor 06
Food safety
For kitchens and canteens
Asks to see
- FSSAI licence, where it applies
- Food safety records
- Health and sanitation records
File kept by EHS compliance
Under the OSH Code, inspectors become Inspector-cum-Facilitators and inspections move to a randomised, web-based system. An improvement notice gives an employer 30 days to comply before legal action.
The contract workforce
Clinical care stays core, support can be contracted
The OSH Code prohibits contract labour in an establishment's core activities, with exceptions. It also lists support services that do not count as core where the establishment is not set up for them. Several are everyday hospital functions.
Core
What the hospital is set up for
Patient care and the activities essential or necessary to it. Contract labour here is prohibited, with three exceptions. The work is ordinarily done through contractors, it does not need full-time workers for most of the day, or a sudden rise in volume must be finished in a set time.
Contract labour prohibited, with exceptions
Support
Not core, unless the hospital is set up for it
These can be supplied by contractors. The principal employer still answers for the workers' wages, EPF and ESIC, and must open its canteen, washrooms, drinking water and first aid to them.
- Sanitation, cleaning and waste collection
- Security, watch and ward
- Canteen and catering
- Housekeeping and laundry
- Gardening and lawn maintenance
- Civil works and maintenance
If a question arises over whether an activity is core, the appropriate Government decides.
Common risks
Where hospitals usually slip
Most of these sit with the contractors, and the law sends them back to the hospital as principal employer.
Contractors' PF and ESI unchecked
Contract workers must be covered under EPF and ESIC, and the principal employer remains liable if the contractor defaults. Arrears come with interest.
EPF and ESI compliance is checked for each contractor, challan by challan.
Contractor & vendor complianceA support contractor without a licence
A contractor engaging 20 or more workers needs a licence. Engaging labour through one that does not hold it is a contravention on your side.
Our vendor audits verify each contractor's licence, and the number of workers it covers.
Compliance risk auditsWelfare facilities for employees only
The canteen, washrooms, drinking water and first aid on your premises must serve contract workers too. The Code puts that duty on the principal employer.
Our vendor compliance audits check welfare standards alongside wages and records.
Night shifts without the safeguards
Women may work before 6 a.m. and after 7 p.m. only with their consent and on the prescribed conditions, with safety, facilities and transport arranged by the employer.
We track each state's rules as they are notified and advise on the conditions that apply to you.
Labour Codes advisoryA waste authorisation left to lapse
Bio-medical and hazardous waste authorisations come with records and returns. Without a valid authorisation, the site is operating without the approval it needs.
We renew authorisations before expiry and file EHS returns on time.
EHS complianceServices that apply
The services a hospital uses
Each card opens the service page with the full scope and the questions employers ask.
Contractor & vendor compliance
Each support contractor's licence, wages, PF and ESI, checked every month.
Labour law compliance
Registers, returns, notices and inspection support for each establishment.
PF & ESI compliance
PF and ESI for your own staff, with challans paid by the 15th.
EHS compliance
Bio-medical waste authorisation, Fire NOC, food safety records and returns.
Payroll services
Payroll on your pay structure, with overtime and every statutory line.
Compliance risk audits
A periodic audit, with each gap rated for financial and prosecution risk.
Inspection-ready
Records kept for whoever asks
Registers, contractor files, licences and returns kept in one place, so an inspection is a matter of handing them over.
- Audits done
- 5,000+
- Establishments and factories covered
- 250+
- Client retention
- 85%
- Our founder's experience in compliance
- 25 years
Every client has a dedicated relationship manager, and we reply within two working hours.
FAQ
Questions about healthcare compliance
Can't find your answer? Ask us on WhatsApp and we'll reply within 2 working hours.
Can a hospital use contract staff for housekeeping and security?
In general, yes. The OSH Code prohibits contract labour only in core activities. It does not treat sanitation, security, canteen and catering, or housekeeping and laundry as core where the establishment is not set up for them. If there is a dispute over whether an activity is core, the appropriate Government decides.
Who answers if a contractor does not pay its workers?
The hospital, as principal employer. If wages are paid late or short, you pay the balance and recover it from the contractor. You remain liable for EPF and ESIC if the contractor defaults.
Can nurses and other women staff work night shifts?
Under the OSH Code, women may work before 6 a.m. and after 7 p.m. with their consent, on conditions the government prescribes on safety, holidays and working hours. The employer arranges safety, facilities and transport. States are still notifying their rules, so the conditions can differ by state.
Which environment and safety licences does a hospital need?
It depends on the site. The usual list is Pollution Control Board consents, a bio-medical waste authorisation, and a Fire NOC with the fire safety audit certificate. A lift licence applies where there are lifts, and an FSSAI licence for kitchens where it applies. We identify what applies to each site, then apply, follow up and renew.
What can a labour inspector ask a hospital for?
Registers, returns, registration certificates, contract labour records and the notices on display, for any period. We prepare the records beforehand, support you during the visit and handle the notices that follow.
Do you audit a hospital's labour law compliance?
Yes. A compliance risk audit maps the labour laws that apply, tests your processes and your contractors', and rates each gap for financial, prosecution and reputational risk. Healthcare providers are among the organisations that benefit from a periodic check. For our fee, send us an enquiry with your sites and headcount.
Enquiry
Talk to a compliance expert
Share your states and headcount, and we will get back to you within 2 working hours.
- Call+91 98457 40938
- WhatsApp+91 98457 40938
- Emailinfo@nkonehrsolutions.com
- Head office, Bengaluru1163, 9th Main, 11th A Cross, Nagapura, Mahalakshmipuram, near Rajajinagar Metro Station, Rajajinagar 1st Block, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560086
