Comply with safety rules, Minister urges factories

Minister for Labour, Mines and Geology Vivek Venkataswamy has underscored the need for factories to adhere to safety rules.

Such an approach will help avoid losses resulting from accident and the consequential high compensation to be paid. Factory managements must also address shortfalls flagged in factory inspection reports, Mr. Venkataswamy told a workshop on safety in chemical and pharmaceutical factories organised here on Wednesday by the Factories department and the National Safety Council, Telangana Chapter.

The workshop was organised to facilitate interaction between an expert committee the State government constituted in the wake of the June 30 deadly explosion at the manufacturing unit of Sigachi Industries in Pashamylaram and management of chemical and pharmaceutical factories.

Principal Secretary to the Labour Employment Training and Factories department M. Danakishore said the expert committee was constituted to enquire into causes behind the major accident.

The department has prepared a detailed check list to asses safety compliance at chemical factories and the management of the facilities should submit the status of compliance online, he said.

In a release, the workshop organisers said B. Venkateshwar Rao, Emeritus Scientist, IICT and Chairman of the expert committee introduced all the committee members and their experience in major accident investigation. Suryanarayana, Scientist, CLRI explained the importance of safe operating procedures and safety culture to be followed in factories to avoid accidents.

Director of Factories B. Rajagopala Rao, Joint Chief Inspector of Factories Y. Mohan Babu and Members of the expert Committee B. Venkateshwar Rao, Suranarayana, T. Prathap Kumar and Santosh Ghuge Participation in the programme which was available by OFFITERS of Factories, labour, boilers Department and Senior Executives from 120 Chemical factories.