What Form 17 is, which rule prescribes it, who maintains and signs it, how often workers are examined, and how we support factories in West Bengal with on-site examination batches and documentation.
Form 17 is the Health Register prescribed by the West Bengal Factories Rules, 1958, framed under the Factories Act, 1948 and enforced by the Directorate of Factories, Labour Department, Government of West Bengal. Rule 16 (Duties of Certifying Surgeon) — sub-rule (5): at visits to factories carrying on dangerous operations the Certifying Surgeon examines the persons employed and records the results in a register known as the Health Register, kept in Form No. 17 by the factory manager and produced at each visit; power of suspension by an entry in the register.
Form 17 is also the register in which the Factory Medical Officer records the pre-employment and periodic examinations of workers in a hazardous process — Rule 63-J (Medical Examination, under Sections 41-B, 41-C and 112): workers in a hazardous process are examined by the Factory Medical Officer once before employment and once every six months (or sooner if the Medical Inspector of Factories considers necessary); details recorded in the Health Register in Form 17; no first employment without a Certificate of Fitness in Form 25 granted by the FMO..
West Bengal uses a single Health Register — Form 17 — for both Certifying Surgeon (Rule 16) and Factory Medical Officer (Rule 63-J) examinations; note the OHC thresholds (51–250 / above 250) differ from most states.
The West Bengal Factories Rules, 1958, made under Section 112 of the Factories Act, 1948 and enforced by the Directorate of Factories, Labour Department, Government of West Bengal.
Rule 16 (Duties of Certifying Surgeon) — sub-rule (5): at visits to factories carrying on dangerous operations the Certifying Surgeon examines the persons employed and records the results in a register known as the Health Register, kept in Form No. 17 by the factory manager and produced at each visit; power of suspension by an entry in the register.
The factory manager keeps Form 17 on the premises, produces it to the Certifying Surgeon at each visit and to the Inspector on demand. Form 17 and the Form 25 certificates are kept by the manager, produced to the Certifying Surgeon at each visit and available to the Inspector.
The Certifying Surgeon appointed or authorised by the State Government under Section 10 of the Factories Act, 1948. An AFIH-qualified Factory Medical Officer does not sign the dangerous-operation entries 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 schedules to the West Bengal Factories Rules, 1958 — from the first examination after employment and at every periodic examination thereafter.
Schedules (lead, chrome, electrolytic and other processes) require Certifying Surgeon examination at intervals specified by the Chief Inspector, normally at the factory, with a Health Register "as nearly as possible in Form No. 17" and suspension by written certificate in the register.
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.
Hazardous process: pre-employment, then every 6 months (Rule 63-J). Dangerous operations: at intervals specified by the Chief Inspector per schedule, commonly every 12 months.
Form 17 is also the register in which the Factory Medical Officer records the pre-employment and periodic examinations of workers in a hazardous process — Rule 63-J (Medical Examination, under Sections 41-B, 41-C and 112): workers in a hazardous process are examined by the Factory Medical Officer once before employment and once every six months (or sooner if the Medical Inspector of Factories considers necessary); details recorded in the Health Register in Form 17; no first employment without a Certificate of Fitness in Form 25 granted by the FMO.. The FMO — typically an AFIH-qualified doctor — also runs the Occupational Health Centre (Rule 63-K (Occupational Health Centres): scaled by workforce — OHC room of 15 sq. m for 51–250 workers; two-room OHC and full-time Factory Medical Officer above 250 workers (one more per additional 500).) and reports abnormalities to the Certifying Surgeon.
The Certifying Surgeon performs the dangerous-operation examinations, signs the register and certificates, suspends and re-admits workers, and gives the final opinion on appeals against the Factory Medical Officer's findings.
Yes. The rules require the manager to provide a clean, ventilated, furnished room for the Certifying Surgeon's exclusive use during examinations at the factory. Our batches are organised on site.
We map your processes to the West Bengal Factories Rules, 1958 schedules, run the on-site batch with AFIH-qualified doctors and technicians (Per schedule — foundry and jute dust (spirometry, chest X-ray), heat-stress for Durgapur and Haldia units, blood lead and chrome inspections where applicable.), coordinate the Certifying Surgeon's visit, prepare the Form 17 entries and certificates for signature and deliver digital records, statistics and a recall calendar.
We review your factory licence and process list against the West Bengal Factories Rules, 1958 to confirm which workers fall under Form 17 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 17 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.
Yes — West Bengal uses Form 17 for both the Certifying Surgeon's dangerous-operation examinations and the Factory Medical Officer's hazardous-process examinations, with different certificates of fitness (Form 25 (FMO, hazardous process); schedule-specific certificates for dangerous operations; hazardous process: Form 25).
Only if that doctor is also appointed or authorised as a Certifying Surgeon by the State Government. The AFIH qualification alone does not confer that authority. We provide AFIH-qualified doctors for the Factory Medical Officer role and coordinate Certifying Surgeons for Form 17.
West Bengal Factories Rules, 1958 — full consolidated text (Indian Kanoon, non-government host); official factories.wb.gov.in PDF cross-check pending (last checked 2026-09-12). This is a full consolidated text from a non-government host; we cross-check against the official portal before marking it verified, and confirm current requirements with the authority before every batch.
Send us your process list and headcount and we will scope the examination batch and documentation.
Status: Corroborated — official cross-check pending · Last checked: 2026-09-12. Source: West Bengal Factories Rules, 1958 — full consolidated text (Indian Kanoon, non-government host); official factories.wb.gov.in PDF cross-check pending.
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.
