Did you know that Form-29 is one of the most complicated forms a Human Resource Manager needs to submit every year?
As a Human Resource Manager, you have to care for many things, including staff management, salary handling, and the like. And, elaborate compliance forms like Form-29 further increases the pressure. But worry not, since this article will explain everything about Form-29 so that you can fill this form efficiently and fulfil the regulatory obligations seamlessly.
Form-29 - A Primer
Form 29 is a part of the customary forms required to be furnished by Human Resource managers and factory managers every year. This form, along with the other forms, play a vital role in ensuring the occupational safety, security, welfare, and health of workers working in establishments referred to as a 'Factory' according to the Indian laws.
The Factories Act, of which Form 29 is a part, was promulgated in 1948. It is also known as Act No. 63 of 1948. The Factories Act 1948 was replaced by the Factories (Amendment) Act, 1987 or Act 20 of 1987 and further with the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020.
The Factories Act applies to any factory or organisation employing more than ten (10) people on any day in the immediately preceding twelve (12) months. However, mines, armed forces' mobile units, railway sheds, hotels, and restaurants do not come under the purview of the Factories Act.
The following sections explain each section of Form 29 in detail:
- Factory details, including registration number, occupier name, manager name, district, and the likes
- Number of male, female and children engaged as workers and the number of days worked in a year
- Declaration of dangerous processes or operations carried on the premises
- Information about ambulance room, canteen, restrooms, and creches
- Information about accidents in a year
- Signature of manager
That said, here's what we have in store for you:
- What is Form 29?
- Form 29 - A detailed explanation
- From serial numbers 1 to 7 in Form 29
Number of Workers and Particulars of Employment in Form 29
Leave with Wages in Form 29
Ambulance room in Form 29
Canteen in Form 29
Shelters or Rest Rooms and Lunch Rooms in Form 29
Creches in Form 29
- Accidents in Form 29
Read the Declaration and Sign Form 29
- Conclusion
- Key Takeaways
What is Form 29?
Form 29, also known as the Annual Return Form, is a compliance form to be submitted by the HR or Factory Manager of a factory under the purview of the Factories Act of India. The Factory or HR Manager needs to submit Form 29 to an officer or inspector specifically appointed for compliance purposes by the respective State Government where the factory is located. Also, Form 29 must be submitted to the appropriate authority before the due date specified by the government.
Form 29 - A Detailed Explanation
The following sections explain Form 29, or Annual Return Form, in detail.
From Serial numbers 1 to 7 in Form 29
- For the year ending 31st December, 20.......... - Mention the year for which you are preparing the annual report
1. Registration number of the factory: The Registration Number is the serial number of the factory as entered in the official records of the Chief Inspector of Factories of a state
2. Name of the factory: Enter the name of the factory
3. Name of occupier: Enter the name to which the property belongs. The occupier has ultimate control over the factory’s affairs. If the factory belongs to an association of individuals, any member or partner can be the occupier. If it is a company, the Director can be an occupier
4. Name of the manager: Enter the name of the person responsible for filling and submitting Form 29
5. District: Enter the name of the district where the factory is located
6. Full postal address of factory: Enter the complete postal address of the factory declared while registering with the Chief Inspector of Factories
7. Nature of industry: Enter the industry type of the factory. The First Schedule of the Factories Act specified the industries involving hazardous processes in detail
Number of Workers and Particulars of Employment in Form 29
8. No. of days worked in the year: Mention the total number of days your factory was open in the 8th column of Form 29
9. No. of man-days worked during the year
(a) Men: Mention the total number of days males worked in the factory
(b) Women: Mention the total number of days females worked in the factory
(c) Children: Mention the total number of days children worked in the factory
10. Average number of workers employed daily
(a) Adults - Mention the total number of adult (workers aged 18 and beyond) men and women employed in the factory every day in the 10th column of Form 29
(i) Men :
(ii) Women :
(b) Adolescents - Mention the total number of adolescents (workers aged between 12 and 18) men and women employed in the factory every day in the 10th column of Form 29
(i) Male :
(ii) Female :
(c) Children - Mention the total number of children (workers aged less than 12) men and women employed in the factory every day in the 10th column of Form 29
(i) Male :
(ii) Female :
11. Total no. of man-hours worked including overtime
(a) Men: Calculate and enter the total hours, including overtime, men worked in the factory
(b) Women: Calculate and enter the total hours, including overtime, women worked in the factory
(c) Children: Calculate and enter the total hours, including overtime, children worked in the factory
12. Average number of hours worked per week (See explanatory note)
(a) Men: Enter the average number of hours men worked in a week
(b) Women: Enter the average number of hours women worked in a week
(c) Children: Enter the average number of hours children worked in a week
13. (a) Does the factory carry out any process or operations declared as dangerous under Section 87 (See Rule 116):
(b) If so, give the following information
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In column 12 of Form 29, you have to declare whether your factory is engaged in any ‘dangerous’ activity or not. According to Section 87 of the Factories Act, the following processes are dangerous:
- Manufacture of aerated water and processes incidental thereto
- Electrolytic plating or oxidation of metal articles
- Manufacture and repair of electric accumulators
- Glass Manufacture
- Grinding or glazing of metals
- Manufacture and treatment of lead and certain compounds of lead
- Generating petrol gas from petrol
- Cleaning or smoothing, roughening, etc. of articles by a jet of sand, metal shot or grit or other abrasive propelled by a blast of compressed air or steam
- Liming and tanning of raw hides and skins and processes incidental thereto
- Certain lead processes carried on in printing presses and type foundries
- Manufacture of pottery
- Chemical works
- Manipulation of stone or any other material containing free silica
- Handling and processing of asbestos manufacture of any article of asbestos and any other process of manufacture or otherwise in which asbestos is used in any form
- Handling or manipulation of corrosive substances
- Processing of cashew nut
- Compression of oxygen and hydrogen produced by the electrolysis of water
- Process of extracting oils and fats from vegetable and animal sources in solvent extraction plants
- Manufacture or manipulation of manganese and its compounds
- Manufacture or manipulation of dangerous pesticides
- Manufacture, handling and usage of benzene and substances containing benzene
- Manufacturing process or operations in carbon disulphide plants
- Manufacture or manipulation of carcinogenic dye intermediates
- Operations involving high noise levels
- Manufacture of Rayon by Viscose Process
- Highly flammable liquids and flammable compressed gases
- Foundry operations
If your factory is engaged in any of the ‘dangerous’ processes as mentioned in the above sections, you must mention the process carried out by your firm and the average number of persons engaged in the day-to-day operation of these processes.
Leave with Wages in Form 29
14. Total number of workers employed during the Year :
(a) Men: Enter the total number of men employed by your factory in a year in column 14 of Form 29
(b) Women: Enter the total number of women employed by your factory in a year in column 14 of Form 29
(c) Children: Enter the total number of children employed by your factory in a year in column 14 of Form 29
15. Number of workers who were entitled to annual leave with wages during the year
(a) Men: Enter the total number of men getting paid leaves in a year
(b) Women: Enter the total number of women getting paid leaves in a year
(c) Children: Enter the total number of children getting paid leaves in a year
16. Number of workers who were granted leave during the year
(a) Men: Enter the number of leaves granted to men in a year
(b) Women: Enter the number of leaves granted to women in a year
(c) Children: Enter the number of leaves granted to children in a year
17. (a) Number of workers who were discharged, or dismissed from the service, or quit employment, or were superannuated, or died while in service during the year: You have to enter information regarding people who have left the factory at will, for superannuation, or due to death
(b) Number of such workers in respect of when wages in lieu of leave were paid: Calculate the figure and enter the number of such workers
18. (a) Number of Safety Officers required to be appointed as per notification under Section 40-B:
(b) Number of Safety Officers appointed:
In column 19 of Form 29, you need to enter the total number of safety officers required to be appointed by your organisation and the total number of safety officers you have appointed.
Ambulance room in Form 29
19. Is there an ambulance room provided in the factory as required under Section 45? : According to the Factories Act, every ambulance room must be monitored and managed by a whole-time qualified medical officer with one qualified nurse and nursing attendant.
Canteen in Form 29
20. (a) Is there a canteen provided by the factory as required under Section 46? : If your factory employs more than 250 workers, you must provide a canteen facility in or near the factory
(b) Is the canteen provided managed
i) departmentally, or :
Ii) through a contractor? :
Shelters or Rest Rooms and Lunch Rooms in Form 29
21. (a) Are there adequate and suitable shelters or rest rooms provided in the factory as required under Section 47? : Mention whether your factory has adequate shelters and restrooms or not.
(b) Are there adequate and suitable lunch rooms provided in the factory as required under Section 47? : Mention the total number of lunch rooms in the factory.
Creches in Form 29
22. Is there a Creche provided in the factory as required under Section 48? : Mention whether there is any creche facility for working mothers and its accessibility to the part of the factory where such mothers work
23. (a) Number of Welfare Officers to be appointed as required under Section 49: Mention the number of welfare officers required and appointed by the factory
(b) Number of Welfare Officers appointed :
Accidents in Form 29
24. (a) Total number of accidents - Mention the total number of accidents that took place in the factory compound in column 24 of Form 29
i) Fatal :
ii) Non-Fatal :
(b) Accidents in which workers returned to work during the year to which this return relates:
i) Accidents (workers injured) occurring during the year in which injured workers returned to work during the same year
(aa) Number of accidents :
(bb) Man-days lost due to accidents :
ii) Accidents (workers injured) occurring in the previous year in which injured workers returned to work during the year to which this return relates
(aa) Number of accidents :
(bb) Man-days lost due to accidents :
(c) Accidents (workers injured) occurring during the year in which injured workers did not return to work during the year to which this return relates
i) Number of accidents :
ii) Man-days lost due to accidents :
Read the Declaration and Sign Form 29
Signature of the manager: The manager must provide his/her signature in this column of Form 29.
Date: Mention the date on which the manager signed Form 29
Conclusion
Form 29, or Annual Return Form, is one of the many compliance forms required to be submitted by HR or factory managers of establishments coming under the purview of the Factories Act.
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Key Takeaways
- Form 29 is a part of the customary forms required to be furnished by Human Resource managers and factory managers every year
- Form 29, also known as the Annual Return Form, is a compliance form to be submitted by the HR or Factory Manager of a factory under the purview of the Factories Act of India
- The Factory or HR Manager needs to submit Form 29 to an officer or inspector specifically appointed for compliance purposes by the respective State Government where the factory is located
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