The Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) is a statutory body and the apex regulatory authority in India for ensuring safety in the handling of hazardous substances. It functions under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.
PESO was established on September 5, 1898, as the Department of Explosives under British rule to administer the Explosives Act, 1884, solving the problem of needing stringent safety norms for the manufacture, storage, and transport of dangerous materials. Its core mechanism is the administration of the Explosives Act, 1884, and the Petroleum Act, 1934, along with various rules like the Gas Cylinders Rules, 2016, and the Static and Mobile Pressure Vessels (Unfired) Rules, 2016 (SMPV Rules). PESO enforces safety by issuing mandatory licenses for operations like petroleum storage, LPG bottling, and explosives manufacturing, and by conducting regular inspections to verify compliance with safety standards, such as proper installation of safety valves and adherence to separation distances.
The organisation connects to the Indian Petroleum and Explosives Safety Service, whose officers are selected through the UPSC. A significant recent change is the prohibition on the manufacture, possession, and import of electric detonators, which was announced in October 2023 and is set for full implementation by April 2025, a regulatory response to security concerns over rising thefts. While the core mandate of enforcing the Explosives Act, 1884, and the Petroleum Act, 1934, remains, the rules are continually updated, such as with the recent SMPV(U) Amendment Rules 2025.