While one committee will look into the safety parameters of industries, docks and ports, another will look into the fire safety and the third will study and recommend rules for building and construction sector
New Delhi: Keeping in mind industrial accidents, the union government Thursday said it is setting up three committees to devise rules and advise the labour ministry ways to curb such incidents.
While one committee will look into the safety parameters of industries, docks and ports, another will look into the fire safety and the third will study and recommend rules for building and construction sector.
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Premium The committees’ recommendations will be made part of the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSH&WC) Code, one of the four labour codes. The OSH code has merged 13 existing labour legislations and aims to simplify the laws regulating the occupational safety in establishments.
“The Central Government has constituted Expert Committees comprising of industry and subject experts from both public and private sector across the country to review the existing rules and regulations on safety, health and working conditions standards, pertaining to factories, docks and construction work," the labour ministry said in a statement.
At least 6,500 employees have died on duty at factories, ports, mines and construction sites in five years, Mint had reported on 19 March, citing labour ministry data. According to ministry data, out of the total deaths, 5,629, or over 80%, were reported in factory settings, while 549 deaths were reported from mines, 74 at ports and 237 died in central government jurisdiction (central sphere) construction sites. .
According to the labour ministry, while one committee will be headed by the director general of Directorate General, Factory Advice Service and Labour Institutes (DGFASLI), another one will be chaired by vice president and head of domestic operations at L &T Hydrocarbon. The committee on fire safety will be headed by D. K. Shami, fire advisor in the home ministry.
“Considering the recent spurt in fire accidents at workplaces…a separate committee on fire safety standards has been formed so as to have a comprehensive and holistic approach for fire safety provisions presently provided under the above mentioned Rules and Regulations as well as to align the same with National Building Code, 2016," labour minister Santosh Gangwar said.
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