Within a span of one month three tragic incidences at top level companies not only took the life of nine people, but also raised questions on the safety systems of the factories. It is indeed sad that even after working in compliant factories, incidences of neglect are being reported. In all the three cases, the management has pleaded non-guilty of negligence, but the workers remain adamant that things are not on place. Team AO takes a closer look at what’s brewing and some solutions…
With workers now more aware of their rights and also closely exposed to international expectations through buyers and NGOs, they are more vocal on how they need to be treated and open to protest when management fails to deliver. Further, the increased job opportunities in other industries have made them confident of gainful employment if management throws them out. On the other hand the management is already facing acute shortage of labour and cannot afford to lose face on such issues…, yet lapses are happening.
[bleft]Reacting to the incidences, AEPC Chairman said, “These incident are not going to impact India’s image as we are compliant and sometimes accidents happen; even the buyers understands that certain things are not in our hands.” [/bleft]
In the first incident in Perundurai in Erode (Tamil Nadu), 7 workers lost their life by inhaling chemical gases in a treatment tank of KPR Mills. While the Erode police have registered a case against four persons including the unit owner for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, 8 other employees are getting treatment sponsored by the company. The effluent treatment plant (ETP) has capacity to treat 2.5 million litres per day and more than 400 workers work here in various shifts. While the workers claimed that the ETP had been in disrepair for the past two days, as the waste water was not flowing to the processing unit through a pipeline connected to a pump kept in the underground motor room. Talking to Apparel Online, a spokesperson from the company said that incident was an accident which occurred due to the ignorance of the workers who despite briefing did not use the safety equipments provided by the company. Management has announced compensation of Rs. 13 Lakh to families of each worker who lost their life.
In another incident at Orient Craft, Gurgaon many workers went on a rampage after the death of a colleague tailor which they attributed to the company’s negligence. In the violence 8 policemen, including the ACP (city), were injured and several vehicles were vandalized, because of which the factory remained closed for almost one-and-a-half day. Two FIRs were lodged against company workers, who remained firm on their stand that the cause of death was electrocution, even as the management and police stood their ground that the worker died of a sudden heart attack.
In yet another accident, at United Exim, Noida a helper died while a pressman was injured critically in a lift malfunction. As per the police the malfunction happened after the lift’s pulley got dismantled. An FIR has been lodged against the owner and manager of the factory. O D Sharma, HR Manager of the company told AO that they have closed work for a day as condolence and are in discussion for compensation with the family of the dead worker, claiming that the lift was working perfectly and the accident took place suddenly by chance. Reacting to the incidences, AEPC Chairman said, “These incident are not going to impact India’s image as we are compliant and sometimes accidents happen; even the buyers understands that certain things are not in our hands.”
Solutions according to the experts…
Monika Sharma – Head, Softlines & Corporate Sustainability,SGS India, Gurgaon
Greater awareness at worker level, visual management with regard to safety issues and enforcement of law are must to stop these kinds of misshappenings. Our industry is strong in compliance but we have to focus more on the three points mentioned here. At most of the places workers are not educated and they require pictorial information depicting safety measures and management has to make sure that workers should use personal protection equipments (PPE) when undertaking any hazardous task. Health and safety should always remain top priority for everyone and audit should not be an eye wash.
Chandrima Chatterjee – Director, Compliance, DISHA, AEPC
Lack of seriousness and not taking safety precautions as a culture of the organization seems to be the most frequent reason for any such incident. Management has to continuously motivate the operators at the supervisory level to follow defined procedures. For example, in summers, workers avoid using masks and most of the time boxes of garments are placed along with fire extinguisher. One has to seriously work on such things which seem small but are important. If equipment is not working, its maintenance is a must. But this will only happen if ‘safety’ is the culture of organization.
