The Directorate of Factories and Boilers of Odisha (“Directorate”) through a Circular dated 19th August 2019 issued the Priority Action Points for prevention of accidents in Factories.
These action points are a Strategy and Road Map for the reduction of Industrial Accidents in the State of Odisha.
The following are the key Actionable to prevent Industrial Accidents:
- Prepare an Annual Safety Calendar: There are 168 accident prone factories and 35 major accident hazard factories in the State. It has been proposed that all the 168 accident prone factories and 35 major accident hazard factories in the State to draw an Annual Safety Calendar with atleast one activity every month related to Occupational Safety and Health (OHS). Workers, supervisors, managers, policy makers and other stakeholders to be associated in these programs. A list of Safety Calendar will be shared with the Directorate of Factories and Boilers so that a copy of the same will be uploaded in the web portal of the Directorate. (www.dfbodisha.gov.in).
- AAINAA (Advance Action in Industries to Abate Accidents): A proper maintenance of plant and machinery plays a very important role in improving safety standards. It has been proposed that those Factories who have licensed manpower of 250 or more will be maintaining a proper workplace and the plant equipment, housekeeping machine, electrical wiring, exit, color coding, safety signage will be maintained properly complying with the relevant statutes and applicable codes.
- Safety Buddies: Those factories employing 500 or more workers and having reasonably good safety infrastructures will adopt a group of small factories in the vicinity and play the role of Safety Buddies. The big factories will be mentoring the small factories by involving them in training programs, mock drills and first aid programs. The respective Zonal Assistant Director of Factories and Boilers will act as facilitators to promote the concept of Safety Buddies in the State.
- Safety Mobile APP: Those Factories employing 250 or more workers will be insisted to develop and provide Mobile APP to employees to capture unsafe observations, unsafe act, unsafe conditions etc to view and rectify and introduce preventive measures on a day to day basis.
- Safety Gathering: It has been proposed that Occupiers and Managers in factories employing 100 or more workers will arrange for brief meetings on the first working day of each month and discuss safety topics. Demonstrations on fire drills can be given on such occasions.
- Safety Hot Spots: Those Factories employing 250 or more workers and all accident-prone factories will be identifying vulnerable safety hot spots at a workplace, install CCTV cameras to capture unsafe behavior of employees.
- Technology for Safety: Those accident-prone factories and factories employing more than 250 workers will be encouraging the use of technology in material handling, process safety, disaster impacts. The usage of thermal cameras has been encouraged to inspect electrical wirings and to evaluate conditions to prevent fire arising out of electrical short circuit.
- Safety Compliance by Contractors: Those Factories employing more than 500 workers will be strengthening the Contractor Safety Management by fixing targets and evaluating performance with leading and lagging safety indicators on a monthly basis. Exemplary penal actions will be instituted for violators.
- Safety Touch: Those factories employing 250 or more workers will be emphasizing on identifying Unsafe Acts and Conditions at shop floor on a regular basis and ensuring that such shortcomings are eliminated in a time bound manner. The Occupier in such factories will ensure that the employees at the supervisor level in the industries will give an undertaking to take the ownership for safety.
- Mock Drills: Factories with hazardous manufacturing process will be holding mock drills at least twice a year which will involve a response team, worker representatives and selected members of the District Crisis Group. All types of anticipated emergency situations will be assessed during the mock drills and a report will be submitted in a prescribed format to the District Crisis Group and the Directorate of Factories and Boilers, Odisha.
Source: Directorate of Factories and Boilers of Odisha
