Safety Audit

Safety Audit is a scheme of the Government of Haryana that helps Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) improve safety inside their units. Under this scheme, businesses got financial support for conducting a proper safety audit and for buying safety equipment that reduces industrial hazards.

Scheme has been closed or it was a one time scheme which has been closed by the government.

Safety Audit was launched under Chapter 12 of the Enterprises Promotion Policy 2015 and notified by the Industries and Commerce Department on 18 April 2016. The scheme started from 15 August 2015 and stayed in operation for five years, up to 14 August 2020. MSMEs that conducted a safety audit and purchased safety equipment after 14 August 2015 and before 14 August 2020 were covered under it.

Haryana offered a 75% reimbursement of expenses for a safety audit, up to ₹1,00,000, and a 50% subsidy on the cost of capital equipment bought for safety measures, up to ₹5,00,000. A safety audit works like a checklist for business operations. It helps a unit find out hazards, take corrective action, and set clear goals to prevent accidents.

For units that completed the audit inside the valid period, the scheme recorded the effectiveness of safety programs, pointed out gaps in compliance, suggested safety solutions, and improved the overall safety attitude of the workplace. The details given below are based on the official scheme notification.

Safety Audit - Key Details

Here are the main details of Safety Audit scheme in one place:

Benefits

The scheme provided two types of financial support to MSME units:

The reimbursement covered application fee, audit fee, annual licence fee, training and technical consultancy charges related to the safety audit. Hotel and travel expenses were not included. Only new plant, machinery and equipment bought to improve safety were eligible for the subsidy.

Eligibility

As per the official notification, a unit needed to meet these conditions to get the benefit:

1. Micro, Small or Medium Enterprise (MSME), new or existing, set up anywhere in Haryana.
2. Filed EM Part-II or Udyog Aadhaar Memorandum with the District Industries Centre.
3. Safety audit done by an auditor of an ISO certified agency.
4. Unit in commercial production and in regular production at the time of payment.
5. Item of manufacture should not fall in the restrictive list notified by the state government.
6. NOC or CLU from the competent authority, if applicable.
7. Investment limited to new plant, machinery and equipment focused on improving safety.

If a claim was made on the basis of false information, the unit had to return the full amount with 12% compound interest per year and could face legal action by the state government.

Application Process

Applications were submitted in the prescribed Form (Annexure-I) to the Director of Industries and Commerce on the web portal of the department. The application could be filed online through the Antyodaya-SARAL Haryana Portal.

STEP 1 - Visit the official Antyodaya-SARAL Portal and go to the login area of the homepage.

STEP 2 - New users should click on Register Here and give their name, email and mobile number to create a profile.

STEP 3 - After registration, sign in with the user id and password on the right side of the screen.

STEP 4 - Open the Scheme or Services list, select Safety Audit, and click on Apply for Service or Scheme.

STEP 5 - Fill the application form with the unit details and submit it along with the required documents.

The department checked the application and told the applicant about any deficiency online within 10 working days. The applicant got eight weeks to correct the mistakes. The Additional Director of Industries and Commerce sanctioned the subsidy within 30 days from the date of a complete claim. The claim had to be filed within three months from the date of completion of the safety audit or purchase of equipment, otherwise the unit lost its right to the benefit. Application status could be tracked online or by sending an SMS with the text SARAL followed by the application ID to 9954699899.

Documents

These documents were attached with the application as listed in Annexure-I of the scheme notification:

1. Acknowledgement of EM Part-II or Udyog Aadhaar Memorandum.
2. Certificate of incorporation or partnership deed.
3. Board resolution or power of attorney.
4. Change of Land Use (CLU) or NOC from the competent authority, if applicable.
5. Copy of the first sale bill.
6. Copy of the safety audit certification.
7. CA certificate of expenditure in original, as per Annexure-III of the notification.
8. Copies of bills raised by the certifying agency and proof of payment.
9. Audited balance sheet of the unit for the last year.
10. Undertaking or declaration on non-judicial stamp paper.

References

For the complete rules, forms and annexures, refer to these official sources:

• Official Safety Audit Scheme notification PDF - full scheme rules with Annexure I, II and III.
• Antyodaya-SARAL Portal - online service delivery portal of the Government of Haryana.
• Directorate of MSME, Haryana - official MSME department website for scheme updates.

FAQ's

What is Safety Audit scheme?

Safety Audit is a Haryana government scheme that provided financial support to MSMEs for the cost of safety audits and the purchase of required safety equipment. The scheme closed after 14 August 2020.

Who could apply for this scheme?

Any registered Micro, Small or Medium Enterprise (MSME) in Haryana that was in commercial production could apply, subject to the conditions in the notification.

Were new businesses eligible?

Yes, both newly established and existing MSMEs were eligible to receive the benefit.

What was the main aim of the scheme?

The main aim was to improve industrial safety standards by encouraging units to conduct regular audits and invest in protective equipment.

How much financial support was given?

A unit could get 75% reimbursement for audit costs up to ₹1,00,000 and a 50% subsidy on safety equipment up to ₹5,00,000.

Who could perform the audit?

The safety audit had to be done by an auditor from an ISO certified agency.

What equipment was covered?

The subsidy applied to new capital equipment bought specifically to improve safety at the unit.

When did a unit need to apply?

The claim had to be filed within three months of completing the safety audit or buying the safety equipment.

Was there any application fee?

The government portal did not charge a fee, but a small service charge of ₹10 could be paid at the local centre.

Who was not eligible?

Units in a restricted category, units that were closed, or units that gave false information were not eligible for the subsidy.