Panaji : More people are killed in word related accidents than in wars.  And it injures and mutilates, too.  Almost 270 million accidents are recorded each year, of which 3,50,000 are fatal.  International Labour Organisation(ILO) believes that many of these tragedies could be prevented.  Yet, thirty years after the Bhopal disaster, which killed 2,5000 people and injured 2,00,000 in the space of a few hours, the situation has scarcely improved said Mr. Shibu Baby John, Minister for Labour, Government of Kerala while giving a keynote address at the inauguration of National Meet on Occupational Health, Safety and Fire organized by Greentech Foundation with the support of Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs and Department of Public Enterprises Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Govt of India.

India ranks low on occupational safety and health legislation and infrastructure, he observed.  World over 88% of accidents are caused by unsafe actions and 10% due to unsafe conditions.  And only 2% accidents are due to natural causes and climate changes, which are beyond human control.  Which means 98% accidents occur due to unsafe actions and conditions, he said.

The Government in Kerala finds enforcing a basic safety measure of “wear a helmet to ride a bike” very huge task. Researchers found that there are two serious blocks for it—Culture and Behaviour.  We need to work on the culture and behaviour aspect to address the safety at workplace, said Shibu Baby John.  Accidents are accidents and we have no control over it.  They do not happen out of the blue due to some divine intervention or astrological reasons.  They are cause by Unsafe Practices, he added.

Many universities in Kerala started Engineering modules like Fire and Industrial Safety at Graduate and Post Graduate Level.  Our Government is all set to induct Safety Courses in the Curriculum of Schools and Colleges as per the ILO guidelines.  Kerala Government is also planning to start a Occupational Health Research Centre with focus on Ergonomics and Behavioral Based Safety and Risk Management, he said.

Mr. Parmeshwar Naik, Minister for Labour, Government of Karnataka who graced the function as Chief Guest said Fire, Safety and Security assumes huge significance in industry, service sectors and corporates.  Not only the fire at Industrial sectors but also the fire in High Rise buildings have potential to cause huge loss of life and damage infrastructure.  The State of Karnataka has around 14000 registered Factories, Insolated Storages, Pipelines carrying hazardous chemicals.  We have identified Fire prone areas or sectors like The LPG Installations, Petroleum Product Storages Facilities, Refineries, Garment Industries, Chemical Plants vulnerable for fire accidents, he said.  Every offender in Karnataka is punished strictly informed the Minister.

Addressing the gathering at the inaugural function Mr. R.C. Nayyar Former Principal Secretary for Labour, Govt of Punjab said 10 to 12% of all industrial deaths that occur in India are due to Fire and explosion at work places.  In India we are generating nearly 15-20 thousand tones of hazardous industrial chemicals for wastes, expired pesticides everyday.  The management of hazardous waste should involve reducing, reusing, recycling and re-processing and finally disposing the leftover wastes in an environment friendly manner to ensure proper health for all, he informed

 

Earlier welcoming the gathering Mr. Kamleshwar Sharan, President of Greentech Foundation observed that 2.3 million workers die each year from work-related accidents and diseases globally and that the associated cost amounts to approximately 4 per cent of the global GDP.  Occupational Safety and Heralth(OSH) is a fundamental requirement for achieving the objectives of the Decent Work Agenda.  Decent Work must be Safe Work said Kamleshwar Sharan, President of Greentech Foundation.

Followed by the inauguration awards for excellence in Industrial Safety were presented to a select few companies like Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata Marcopolo Motors Ltd.

The objective of the two day conference is to promote improvements in workplace safety, encourage those responsible for workplace safety management and recognize workplace safety as an ethical responsibility to both employer and employees. The combination of keynote speeches and sessions will provide guidance on best practices and experiences of developing and implementing best strategies.

Mix of Specialists, professionals and practitioners are attending from across India. 250 delegates have registered for the meet informed Mr. Kamleshwar Sharan, President of Greentech Foundation.

Some of the topics being deliberated in the meet include Coastal Line Security, Sector Specific Security, Challenges and Solutions, Safety in Confined spaces, innovative techniques, potential hazards and response plans etc.