What Form 26 is, which rule prescribes it, how it differs from Form 16, who signs it, how often workers are examined, and how we support Karnataka factories with on-site examination batches and documentation.
Form 26 is the Health Register prescribed by Rule 15(14) of the Karnataka Factories Rules, 1969, framed under the Factories Act, 1948. When the State-appointed Certifying Surgeon visits a factory carrying on notified dangerous operations and examines the exposed workers, the results of each examination are recorded in Form 26, which is kept by the factory manager and produced to the Certifying Surgeon at every visit. If the Certifying Surgeon finds a worker no longer fit for the process, the suspension — and any later sanction to resume — is entered in the same register.
Form 26 sits alongside Form 16, the Health Register under Rule 88-L in which the Factory Medical Officer records the pre-employment and six-monthly examinations of workers in a hazardous process. Many Karnataka factories need both. There is no "Form 18" Health Register in the Karnataka rules; we verified the form numbers against the consolidated text published by the Karnataka Labour Department.
The Karnataka Factories Rules, 1969, made by the Government of Karnataka under Section 112 of the Factories Act, 1948, and enforced by the Department of Factories, Boilers, Industrial Safety and Health.
Rule 15 — Duties of Certifying Surgeons — sub-rules (13) to (15): the Certifying Surgeon visits factories carrying on dangerous operations at the prescribed intervals, examines the workers, records the results in the Health Register in Form 26, and may suspend a worker by an entry in it.
The factory manager keeps Form 26 on the premises and must produce it to the Certifying Surgeon at each visit and to the Inspector on demand.
The Certifying Surgeon appointed or authorised by the State Government under Section 10 of the Factories Act. A Factory Medical Officer or AFIH doctor does not sign Form 26 unless that doctor also holds the Certifying Surgeon appointment.
Whenever the factory employs workers in any operation notified as dangerous under Section 87 and the Karnataka schedules — from the first examination within 15 days of employment and at every periodic examination thereafter.
Workers employed in the scheduled dangerous operations: lead processes, electrolytic plating and chrome, silica and dust processes, benzene and solvent processes, pesticide manufacture and the other operations listed in the Karnataka schedules.
Worker identity and job, the process, the date and result of each examination by the Certifying Surgeon including the nature and results of tests, fitness or unfitness, any suspension with its period and reasons, and re-certification with the Certifying Surgeon's signature and date.
As the relevant schedule prescribes — typically within 15 days of first employment and at least once every 12 months thereafter, with shorter intervals for certain lead, chrome and chemical exposures.
The FMO conducts the pre-employment and six-monthly examinations of hazardous-process workers under Rule 88-L and records them in Form 16, issues the Form 4 Certificate of Fitness before first employment, and reports abnormalities to the Certifying Surgeon. The FMO supports but does not replace the Certifying Surgeon for Form 26.
The Certifying Surgeon performs the dangerous-operation examinations, signs Form 26 and the Form 4 certificates, suspends and re-admits workers, and gives the final opinion on appeals against the FMO's findings.
Yes. The rules require the manager to provide a clean, ventilated room with a screen, table and chairs for the Certifying Surgeon's exclusive use during the examination. Our batches are organised on site.
We map your processes to the Karnataka schedules, prepare the roster and process-specific tests in advance, coordinate the Certifying Surgeon's visit with our AFIH-led examination team, prepare the Form 26 and Form 16 entries and Form 4 certificates for signature, and deliver digital records, statistics and a recall calendar.
We review your factory licence and process list against the Karnataka Factories Rules, 1969 to confirm which workers fall under Form 26 and which tests and intervals apply.
AFIH-qualified occupational-health doctors and technicians examine workers at your premises; where the schedule requires the Certifying Surgeon, we coordinate their visit as part of the same batch.
Entries are prepared in the prescribed Form 26 format with the correct signatory, together with the Certificates of Fitness, ready for the authority's inspection.
You receive a digital copy, de-identified batch statistics and a due-date tracker for the next periodic examination.
No. Form 26 is the Certifying Surgeon's Health Register for dangerous operations under Rule 15; Form 16 is the Factory Medical Officer's Health Register for hazardous processes under Rule 88-L. A factory with both a hazardous process and a scheduled dangerous operation maintains both, and the same worker may appear in each.
Not under the Karnataka Factories Rules, 1969 as published by the Karnataka Labour Department. The Health Register forms are Form 26 (Rule 15) and Form 16 (Rule 88-L). If a vendor quotes Form 18 for the Health Register, ask for the rule it is prescribed under.
Form 4, issued by the Factory Medical Officer before first employment in a hazardous process (Rule 88-L) and by the Certifying Surgeon after examination in the dangerous-operation schedules.
Send us your process list and headcount and we will scope the examination batch and documentation.
Status: Verified against official text · Last checked: 2026-09-12. Source: Karnataka Factories Rules, 1969 (as amended) — published by the Karnataka Labour Department.
Nodal Healthcare provides occupational-health services through qualified medical professionals. AFIH-qualified doctors and Factory Medical Officers are not, by virtue of that qualification, Certifying Surgeons; Certifying Surgeons are appointed or authorised by the State Government under Section 10 of the Factories Act, 1948. Where a statutory provision requires a Certifying Surgeon or other authority-approved practitioner, we coordinate compliant services through appropriately qualified, authorised or empanelled professionals, subject to the applicable state rules and appointment requirements. Content on this page is a general guide and not legal advice; always confirm current requirements with the competent state authority.
