Since 21 November 2025, the OSH Code, 2020 requires employers to give workers the information, instruction and training needed for their safety, and the POSH Act, 2013 requires regular awareness programmes for all employees, including contract and daily-wage staff. For frontline workers this training works best as short videos of five to seven minutes in Hindi or Hinglish, with captions, your own policy points and a completion record in your LMS. edzlms Frontline Training provides 24 such videos on safety, POSH and conduct.
Key takeaways
- The OSH Code, 2020 has been in force since 21 November 2025; section 6 makes safety training an employer duty.
- The POSH Act, 2013 requires awareness programmes at regular intervals, and covers contract, temporary and daily-wage workers.
- Training only counts if workers understand it, so use Hindi, Hinglish or the language of the floor.
- Short, one-topic videos fit shifts better than long courses or classroom sessions.
- Keep a completion record: a SCORM version in your LMS shows who finished each topic.
- edzlms Frontline Training has 24 branded videos in Hindi, Hinglish and English.
What do the OSH Code and the POSH Act ask employers to do about training?
Two laws drive most safety and conduct training for shop-floor, hotel, warehouse and retail staff in India. Here is what each one says, in plain words.
| OSH Code, 2020 | POSH Act, 2013 | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 | Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 |
| In force since | 21 November 2025 (notification S.O. 5321(E)) | 9 December 2013 |
| Who it covers | An establishment is a place with ten or more workers; that threshold does not apply to hazardous or life-threatening activities the Central Government notifies. Contract labour is covered. | Every “employee”: regular, temporary, ad hoc or daily wage, hired directly or through a contractor, plus contract workers, probationers, trainees and apprentices |
| The training duty | Section 6: the employer must provide “such information, instruction, training and supervision as are necessary” for the health and safety of all employees at work | Section 19(c): the employer must “organise workshops and awareness programmes at regular intervals” to sensitise employees, and orientation for Internal Committee members |
| What workers must do | Section 13: take reasonable care for their own and others’ safety, and not misuse or neglect safety equipment | Know what sexual harassment is, how to complain and who sits on the Internal Committee |
| Penalty context | The Code has its own penalty chapter for contraventions | Section 26: fine up to ₹50,000; a repeat can mean double the penalty and loss of licence or registration |
General information, not legal advice. State rules under the OSH Code and your own sector rules can add more. Check your obligations with your compliance team.
Why does frontline training have to be in Hindi (or the worker's own language)?
Neither law says “Hindi”. But the OSH Code asks for training that is necessary to ensure safety, and the POSH Act asks for programmes that sensitise employees. A worker who does not follow an English slide deck has not been informed or sensitised, whatever the attendance sheet says. For most plants, warehouses, hotels and stores in north and central India, that means Hindi or Hinglish, with captions for noisy floors.
Three things go wrong with English-first training on the floor:
- Words that don’t land. “Near miss”, “LOTO” or “quid pro quo” mean nothing without a local example.
- Silent nodding. Workers rarely ask a supervisor to repeat a point in front of the line.
- No record that matches reality. Signatures prove someone was in the room, not that they understood.
Our guide to eLearning in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu covers translation versus native writing in more detail.
Which safety and POSH topics should frontline workers cover?
| Topic | Hindi title example | Why it matters on the floor |
|---|---|---|
| Fire safety and extinguisher use | आग लगे तो सबसे पहले क्या करें? | The first two minutes decide the outcome |
| Personal protective equipment | कौन-सा सुरक्षा सामान, कब और क्यों | Workers skip gear they think is optional |
| Safe manual handling | सामान सही तरीके से उठाएँ | Back injuries are common and avoidable |
| Electrical safety | बिजली से सावधानी | Short, sharp rules save lives |
| Reporting a near miss | बाल-बाल बचे तो भी बताएँ | Today’s near miss is tomorrow’s accident |
| Emergency evacuation | इमरजेंसी में बाहर कैसे निकलें | Everyone must know the route and the assembly point |
| POSH awareness | कार्यस्थल पर यौन उत्पीड़न: क्या है, कैसे शिकायत करें | Contract and shift staff are covered but often missed |
| Code of conduct | हमारा आचरण नियम | Sets the line before a problem, not after |
How do you deliver training to people who don’t sit at a desk?
A 40-minute eLearning course does not fit an eight-hour shift, and a classroom session pulls the whole line off the floor. What works is short, one-topic video:
- Five to seven minutes per topic, played at the start of a shift, in a toolbox talk or on the canteen TV.
- Real Indian workplaces on screen, so workers recognise the machine, the counter or the corridor.
- Captions on screen, because floors are noisy.
- Your own policy points: the Internal Committee members’ names, the helpline number, the assembly point.
- A record of who completed it, through a SCORM version in your LMS, so the training register matches reality.
For POSH specifically, see our comparison of building versus buying POSH training modules.
How edzlms helps: Frontline Training
Frontline Training from edzlms is a library of 24 short videos, each five to seven minutes, on safety, POSH, conduct, behavioural and customer-facing skills, in Hindi, Hinglish and English with male and female narrators and on-screen captions.
- Safety (8 videos): fire safety, PPE, electrical safety, manual handling, first response to an injury, housekeeping and 5S, near misses, emergency evacuation.
- Compliance (4 videos): POSH awareness, code of conduct, gifts and honesty, customer data privacy.
- Your branding: your logo, plant or property name, and your own policy points or helpline numbers.
- Two formats: an MP4 with captions to play anywhere, or a SCORM version that records completion in edzlms, Moodle or any SCORM LMS.
- Your own SOP: we turn a machine or process into a five-minute video with Ed Studio, or your team makes it themselves.
All the product facts are on one page: Frontline Training at a glance.
- 1List who must be trained
Include contract, temporary, daily-wage and new joiners, not just permanent staff.
- 2Pick the topics by risk
Start with fire safety, PPE, manual handling, evacuation and POSH awareness; add site-specific SOPs.
- 3Choose the language of the floor
Hindi or Hinglish with captions for most north and central Indian sites; check with supervisors.
- 4Add your own details
Internal Committee names, helpline numbers, assembly points and your logo on screen.
- 5Play it where people are
Shift huddle, toolbox talk, canteen TV or a worker's phone.
- 6Record completion
Use the SCORM version in your LMS so your training register shows who actually completed each topic.
Classroom session in English
- Pulls a whole line off the floor
- Workers nod but may not follow
- Attendance sheet only
- Hard to repeat for new joiners and contract staff
Short videos in Hindi or Hinglish
- Five to seven minutes, played in a shift huddle
- In the language workers speak, with captions
- Completion recorded in the LMS
- Same message for every shift and every site
Don't forget contract staff
Both laws reach beyond your payroll. The POSH Act's definition of employee includes contract workers, trainees and people hired through a contractor, and the OSH Code covers contract labour. Plan training for them too.
Get a free branded sample
Pick one topic, such as fire safety or POSH awareness, and we'll send a sample video in Hindi or Hinglish with your company name on it within 48 hours.
Frequently asked questions
Is safety training mandatory under the OSH Code, 2020?
Yes. Section 6 of the OSH Code makes it an employer duty to provide the information, instruction, training and supervision necessary for the health and safety of employees at work. The Code came into force on 21 November 2025.
Which workplaces does the OSH Code cover?
An establishment under the Code is a place where ten or more workers are employed. That threshold does not apply to hazardous or life-threatening activities notified by the Central Government. Factories have their own thresholds of 20 workers with power and 40 without.
Is POSH training mandatory for frontline and contract workers?
The POSH Act requires employers to organise workshops and awareness programmes at regular intervals. Its definition of employee includes temporary, ad hoc, daily-wage and contract workers and people hired through a contractor, so they should be included.
Can POSH and safety training be given in Hindi?
Yes. Neither law fixes a language. Training is meant to inform and sensitise workers, so using the language they understand, such as Hindi or Hinglish, makes the training effective.
How long should a frontline training video be?
Five to seven minutes per topic works well: long enough to explain one idea with an example, short enough to play at the start of a shift or in a toolbox talk.
How do we prove workers completed the training?
Upload a SCORM version of each video to your LMS. It records who completed each topic and when, which you can use for your training records and audits.
What is the penalty for not complying with the POSH Act?
Under section 26, an employer can be fined up to ₹50,000. A repeat offence can lead to double the penalty and cancellation or non-renewal of the business licence or registration.
Sources
India Code: Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020; Ministry of Labour and Employment: commencement notification S.O. 5321(E), 21 November 2025; India Code: Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013. Checked November 2026. General information, not legal advice.
Published November 2026 by Mihir Jana, founder of edzlms. Connect on LinkedIn.
See a safety or POSH video with your company name on it
Pick a topic. In a short demo we’ll show the Hindi and Hinglish videos, the SCORM completion record and how your own policy points appear on screen.