Course Code:HRM101

L: 34
 Understand the nature of safety and its role
 Describe accidents and their types
 Learn the provisions as per Factories Act,
1948.
 Design a safety programme
 Identify dangers to health of employees and
suggest ways of eliminating the dangers
 Bhopal, December 1984  In the world’s worst chemical disaster, a
methylisocyanate gas leak from the Union Carbide plant in the city killed
5295 people. Thousands suffered irreversible health damage.
 Delhi, December 1985  An oleum gas leak from the Sriram Foods and
Fertilisers plant in Delhi severely affected workers and those living in the
neighbourhood.
 Rourkela, December 1985  Blast furnace accident in Rourkela Steel Plant, 18
workers affected.
 Durgapur, June 1987  Chlorine leak at Durgapur Chemicals Factory created
panic all around. Long distance trains were halted. Over 100 were affected.
 Bombay, November 1988  Fire at the Bharat Petroleum Refinery at Mahul,
North-East Bombay, killed 32.
 Ramagundam, September 1989  Major gas leak at Fertilisers Corporation of
India unit at Ramagundam, killed 7.
 Nagothane, November 1990  Explosion at the Indian Petrochemicals,
Nagothane Complex, 35 persons killed, over 50 suffered 70 per cent burns.
 Bombay, July 1991  Accident in a Hindustan Organic Chemicals unit near
Bombay kills 7 workers.
 Gwalior, December 1991  Blast at the dyeing department of GRASIM unit at
Gwalior, 14 killed and 22 severely injured.
 Panipat, August 1992  Ammonia leak at the National Fertilisers plant,
Panipat, killed 11, many injured.
 Kahalgaon, October 1992  Boiler explosion in the National Thermal Power
Corporation (NTPC), 11 killed and several injured.2
 Ahmedabad, August 3, 2003  Over 30 persons were killed and several injured
in an explosion in an old three storeyed building that housed an industrial
unit to manufacture equipment for a diamond cutting and polishing industry.
 Bhadravati, Karnataka, August 1, 2003  Eight employees of VISL,
including two officers, died on the spot and nine others were injured
when a powerful explosion occurred in a converter in the steel-making
section (SMS) of the plant.
 Mumbai, August 11, 2003  23 employees of ONGC were killed in a
helicopter crash in the offshore Heera Panna Oilfield’s Neelam area.

 Forty-five people were killed when a chimney under construction at a

power plant being built at the Bharat Aluminium Company (Balco) in
Korba, 230 km from Chhattisgarh’s Raipur.
 32 workers have been killed and over 100 injured when a high-pressure
steam boiler in an NTPC-operated thermal power plant in Uttar
Pradesh exploded on 6th November, 2017
 Unplanned and uncontrolled event in which
an action or reaction of an object, a
substance, a person, or a radiation results in
personal injury.
 Accidents

Major Minor

Internal External

Fatal Disability

Temporary Permanent

Partial Total Partial Total

 Date of Estimated Loss
Name of the Organisation
Occurrence (Rs. In crore)
29.10.1987 Madras Ref., Manali 4.85
11.11.1987 HPL Refinery, Vizag 3.40
09.01.1988 JK Synthetics 6.92
20.09.1988 Monica Electronics 3.86
05.05.1988 Zenith Chem., Tarapur 4.00
30.08.1988 IOC, Mathura 4.63
07.09.1988 IEL, Gornia 5.00
09.11.1988 BPCL 9.00
02.02.1989 IPCL, Baroda 41.82
09.02.1989 IAAI, Bombay 43.00
23.02.1989 Voltas, Warora 5.00
08.01.95 to
ONGC, Pasarlapudi well blowout 41.44
02.03.1995
Source: The Economic Times, March 10, 1995
 Freedom from the occurrence of risk or injury
or loss.
 Industrial safety means protection of workers
from the danger of industrial accidents.
 Cost saving
 Increased productivity
 Moral obligation
 Legal requirement
 Management has to be responsible
 Identification of potential hazards.
 Policies to be determined by the top
management.
 Supervision of safety procedures.
 Training the employees in safety procedures.
 Development of Organisation for
Strategic Choices
Safety Policy Safety

Evaluation of Implementation of Analysis of Causes

Effectiveness the Programme for Accidents
 Unsafe acts of persons Unsafe Mechanical or Physical Conditions

1. Operating without clearance, failure to heed 1. Inadequately guarded, guards of improper

warning. height, strength, mesh, etc.

2. Operating or working at an unsafe speed. 2. Unguarded, absence or required guards.

3. Defective, rough, sharp, slippery, decayed,

3. Making safety devices inoperative.
cracked, etc.
4. Using unsafe equipment, or using
4. Unsafely designed machines, tools, etc.
equipment unsafely.
5. Unsafe loading, placing, mixing, combining, 5. Unsafely arranged, poor housekeeping
etc. congestion, blocked exits, etc.

6. Taking an unsafe position or posture. 6. inadequately lighted, sources of glare, etc.

7. Working on moving or dangerous 7. Inadequately ventilated, impure oil source,

equipment. etc.
8. Unsafely clothed, no goggles, glares or
8. Distracting, teasing, abusing, startling, etc.
masks, high heels, etc.
9. Failure to use safe attire or personal 9. Unsafe processes, mechanical, chemical,
protective devices. electrical, nuclear, etc.
 State Number of Inspectors Factories per Inspector

Andhra Pradesh 92 233

Assam 1.2 212

Bihar 46 1038

Gujarat 103 144

Haryana 15 255

HImachal Pradesh 1 529

Jammu & Kashmir 4 180

Karnataka 38 315

Kerala 65 186

Madhya Pradesh 50 156

Maharashtra 130 184

Manipur 1 357

Orissa 24 94

Punjab 33 304

Rajasthan 40 232

Tamil Nadu 131 100

Tripura 4 175

Uttar Pradesh 48 135

West Bengal 62 138

Chandigarh 1 284

Delhi 22 208

Goa 3 140
As per Factory Act, 1948
 The Factories Act, 1948 provides:
 safeguard for workers to protect health,
provides for safety at the workplace when
dealing with machinery
 improves the physical conditions of the
workplace
 provides welfare amenities.
 Only factories are covered by the Act.
 Health Chapter of the Act contains
specification from Section 11 to 20.
 Section 11: This section basically specifies
the issues of cleanliness at the workplace. It is
mentioned in the provision that every factory
shall be kept clean and free from effluvia
arising from any drain. This includes that
there should be no accumulation of dirt and
refuse and should be removed daily and
entire area should be kept clean.
 Section 12: This section specifies on disposal
of wastes and effluents. That every factory
should make effective arrangements for the
treatment of wastes and effluents due to the
manufacturing process carried on therein, so
as to render them innocuous and for their
disposal.
 Section 13: This section focuses on
ventilation and temperature maintenance at
workplace. Every factory should work on
proper arrangements for adequate
ventilation and circulation of fresh air.
 Section 14: This section details on the proper
exhaustion of dust and fume in the Factory.
In this it is mentioned that factory which
deals on manufacturing process should take
care of the proper exhaustion of dust, fume
and other impurities from its origin point.
 Section 15: This section specifies regarding
the artificial humidification in factories. In
this the humidity level of air in factories are
artificially increased as per the provision
prescribed by the State Government.
 Section 16: Overcrowding is also an
important issue which is specified in this
section. In this it is mentioned that no room
in the factory shall be overcrowded to an
extent that can be injurious to the health of
workers employed herein.
 In every part of a factory where workers are
working or passing there shall be provided
and maintained sufficient and suitable
lighting, natural or artificial, or both.
 In every factory effective provision shall, so
far as is practicable, be made for the
prevention of-
 (a) glare, either directly from a source of light
or by reflection from a smooth or polished
surface;
 (b) the formation of shadows to such an
extent as to cause eye-strain or the risk of
accident to any worker.
 Section 18: This section specifies regarding
arrangements for sufficient and pure drinking water
for the workers. There are also some specified
provisions for suitable point for drinking water supply.
As in that drinking water point should not be within 6
meters range of any washing place, urinal, spittoon,
open drainage carrying effluents. In addition to this a
factory where there are more than 250 workers
provisions for cooling drinking water during hot
temperature should be made.
 Section 19: This section provides details
relating to urinals construction at factories. It
mentions that in every factory there should
be sufficient accommodation for urinals
which should be provided at conveniently
situated place. It should be kept clean and
maintained. There is provision to provide
separate urinals for both male and female
workers.
 Section 20: This section specifies regarding
proper arrangements of spittoons in the
factory. It is mentioned that in every factory
there should be sufficient number of
spittoons situated at convenient places and
should be properly maintained and cleaned
and kept in hygienic condition.
 Section 21: This section specifies that
fencing of machinery is necessary. That any
moving part of the machinery or machinery
that is dangerous in kind should be properly
fenced.
 : Under section it has been described that
there should be proper arrangement of
lighting in factories. In every part of the
factory where workers are working or passing
should be well equipped with lighting
arrangement either by natural sources or
artificial sources.
 Work on or near machinery in motion
 Examination or operation to be done by
trained person wearing tight fitting clothes
 Women or young person not to be allowed
 Section 23: This section prescribes that
employment of young person on dangerous
machinery is not allowed. In the case where
he is been fully instructed in the usage of the
machinery and working under the supervision
he might be allowed to work on it.
 Section 24: This section provides provision of
devices for cutting off power in case of
emergency. Every factory should have
special devices for cutting off of power in
emergencies from running machinery.
 Section 28: This section prohibits working of
women and children on specific machinery.
 Section 32: In this section it has been
specified that all floors, stairs, passages and
gangways should be properly constructed
and maintained, so that there are no
chances of slips or fall.
 Section 34: This section specifies that no
person in any factory shall be employed to
lift, carry or move any load so heavy that
might cause in injury. State Government
may specify maximum amount of weight to
be carried by workers.
 Section 35: This section provides
specification regarding safety and
protection of eyes of workers. It mentions
that factory should provide specific goggles
or screens to the workers who are involved in
manufacturing work that may cause them
injury to eyes.
 Section 36: As per this section it is provided
that no worker shall be forced to enter any
chamber, tank, pit, pipe or other confined
space in any factory in which any gas, fume,
vapour or dust is likely to be present to such
an extent as to involve risk to persons being
overcome thereby.
 Section 38: As per this section there should
be proper precautionary measures built for
fire. There should be safe mean to escape in
case of fire, and also necessary equipments
and facilities to extinguish fire.
 Section 45: This section specifies that in
every factory there should be proper
maintained and well equipped first aid box
or cupboard with the prescribed contents. For
every 150 workers employed at one time,
there shall not be less than 1 first aid box in
the factory. Also in case where there are
more than 500 workers there should be well
maintained ambulance room of prescribed
size and containing proper facility.
 Compliance with fire exits and extinguishers at the requisite
places with appropriate posters and instructions for
emergency use.
 Doing periodical fire drill to ensure safety readiness
 Railing for all staircase
 Ensuring safety and security of contractual staff who provide
services to the organisation
 Security of office around the clock.
 Ensuring employee safety when in the premises
 The well being of employee in an industrial
establishment is affected by accidents and
various other work related factors.
 Physical health
 Mental health
 Disclosure problem
 Noise control
 Work stress
 AIDS
 Alcoholism and drug abuse
 Violence in the work place
 Health Hazards Causes

Coke oven emissions, asbestos,

Lung cancer
active or passive cigarette smoke
White lung disease Asbestos

Black lung disease Coal dust

Brown lung disease Cotton dust

Leukemia Benzene, radiation

Asbestos, radiation, vinyl chloride,
Cancer of other organs
coke over emissions
Sterility/reproductive
Radiation
problems
Deteriorating eye-sight Chemical fumes, office equipment

Hearing impairment High noise levels

 Read the stories narrated at the beginning of
this chapter. Why is this happening? Who is
responsible? Why should innocent people
lose their lives for the deeds of someone
else? What can be done to prevent recurrence
of such instances?
 Recollect the day you were stressed. What
led to that situation? What were the
consequences? How did you cope with that?
What lessons have you learnt from that
incident? What learning can you pass on to
others in similar league?
 Did you ever have a brawl with a
colleague/superior/elders at home. What
made you do so?