The provisions for regulating safety, health and welfare aspects of workers employed in mines are contained in the Mines Act, 1952 and the rules and regulations framed thereunder. The DGMS also issues guidelines in the form of circulars to the management for improving safety measures. The safety provisions are required to be complied with by the mine managements. These circulars issued on occupational safety and health matters may have wide implications.

The circulars contain useful directives of the DGMS and provide valuable explanation of the intent and content of some of the legislative provisions. They also draw attention to unsafe practices observed by the officials of the directorate during inspections and inquiries, and to reports of various committees, courts of enquiry, safety conferences, and to standard specifications and good practices, much that in course of time will form a part of the statute.