Large construction sites in West Bengal with 200 or more workers will now be required to have a doctor and an ambulance available on site, following a direction from the state labour department to real estate developers.
The directive was conveyed by state labour minister Arjun Singh at a recent meeting with the Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (CREDAI). The department said the requirement was intended to strengthen safety and security at construction sites under the Building and Other Construction Workers rules.
The labour department will conduct surprise inspections to check compliance, Singh said. Sites found violating the safety requirements could face action under the law, with the directorate of factories authorised to initiate legal proceedings, according to the report.
The order places a specific emergency-response responsibility on developers operating large sites. The presence of a doctor is intended to provide immediate medical attention, while an ambulance would allow injured or unwell workers to be moved for further treatment when required. The department’s direction applies to sites meeting the threshold of 200 or more labourers.
Construction sites are workplaces where workers operate around heavy equipment, elevated structures and active building activity. The labour department’s decision therefore links the scale of a site to the emergency medical arrangements expected to be maintained there. The report does not specify whether the department has announced a separate compliance deadline, inspection schedule or additional staffing requirements for the doctor and ambulance.
The move received support from sections of the real estate industry. Siddharth Pansari, former president of CREDAI Bengal, Kolkata, said the industry had a collective responsibility to protect the safety, dignity and well-being of workers. Rakesh Gupta, chairman of a realty group, said the requirement would enable immediate intervention in the event of an accident or other mishap.
The department’s proposed inspections will make implementation dependent on site-level compliance rather than only on the announcement of the rule. Developers will need to demonstrate that the required medical and transport arrangements are available at qualifying sites when inspections take place. The directorate of factories will handle legal action in cases where violations are identified.
The labour department has not, in the reported statement, provided details of the number of construction sites covered by the threshold or the penalties that may be applied. Its next stated step is to carry out surprise visits and act against violations in accordance with the law.
