Industrial Accidents: Safety Failures

NITTUR IAS ACADEMY

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The article highlights how industrial accidents in India are not random mishaps but the result of human negligence, weak safety culture, and systemic apathy.

The author argues that safety should be treated as a core value, not just a compliance formality.

Key Points

1. Scale of the Problem 

• In the last 5 years, 6,500+ workers died in industrial sites (factories, construction, mines). 

• Andhra Pradesh & Tamil Nadu: 200+ deaths in major industrial mishaps in 10 years. 

• A 2022 study found 130+ major chemical accidents in just 30 months post COVID.

• Many deaths are unreported — especially in unregistered or informal units.

Causes 

• Factories running without Fire NOC or fire safety systems. 

• No firefighting equipment or dysfunctional ones. 

• No fire exits, or exits blocked/hidden. 

• No hazard identification or safety training (especially for migrant/contract workers). 

• Poor accountability — audits are formalities, penalties rare. 

• Safety is treated as compliance, not a cultural value.

  
  

Systemic Problems 

• Operational excellence > worker safety in many big companies. 

• Smaller firms and unregistered units often ignore safety entirely. 

• Class bias — accidents affecting poor migrant workers don’t get the same attention as mishaps in elite workplaces. 

• Public, regulators, and companies remain silent, seeing safety as “cost” not “duty.”

  
  

Myth of "Act of God" 

• Industrial disasters are man-made, not divine punishment. 

• Countries like South Korea and Singapore hold company executives criminally accountable for safety lapses. 

• India needs similar laws and strict enforcement.

Call to Action 

• Need regulatory reform, strong enforcement, and cultural change. 

• Protect whistleblowers, digitize safety reporting. 

• Treat industrial safety as a right, not a privilege. 

• Collective responsibility — citizens, media, industry, and policymakers must care and act.

Prelims Question (MCQ)

1. Consider the following statements regarding industrial safety in India:

a. According to the Directorate General Factory Advice Service and Labour Institutes (DGFASLI), India records one serious industrial accident every two days in registered factories.

b. The majority of India’s chemical accidents in the 2020–2021 period occurred in large public sector enterprises.

c. Fire No-Objection Certificates (NOC) from the Fire Department are mandatory for all factories under Indian law.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A. 1 only

B. 1 and 2 only

C. 1 and 3 only

D. 1, 2 and 3

Mains Question (GS-3: Disaster Management / Industrial Safety)

1.Industrial accidents in India are often the result of systemic neglect rather than unforeseeable events. Critically analyses the underlying causes of recurrent industrial disasters in India and suggest institutional, legal, and cultural reforms needed to make industrial safety a core value rather than a compliance burden.(250 words)

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