Accident prevention and occupational health should be given thrust in sugar mills, said Gnanasekara Babu Rao, Director of Industrial Safety and Health.
Inaugurating a training programme on safety and health management in sugar industries organised by the Directorate of industrial Safety and Health and National Safety Council, here on Saturday, Mr. Rao said nine accidents were reported in 18 sugar mills in Tiruchi and Cuddalore districts between 2012 and 2014.
Most accidents occurred because of collapse of stacks and material falling on workers.
Generally in sugar industries, sugar bags were stored to a height of more than 32 bags. “The workers pull the bags from the stack, in between and cause collapse of the stack. Sometimes, the bags which weigh 100 kg, fall over them and result in fatalities.”
Belt conveyor accidents were common in sugar units. During the cleaning of inner surface of evaporator, four persons were killed in a single accident.
Mr. Rao said that baggase storage should be done in such a way that it does not get air born of fly ash around due to wind.
Occupational Health Surveillance programme should be undertaken as regular exercise for all the employees.
The other suggestions made by Mr. Rao were dedicated parking facility for loading and unloading of material, good traffic management system for incoming and outgoing vehicles to avoid congestion on the public road, keeping noise levels in and around the plant within the standards by providing noise control measure, including acoustic hoods, silencers, enclosures on all sources of noise generation. Training should be imparted to all employees on safety and health aspects of chemical handling.
D. Vasudevan, Chief Inspector of Factories (retired), Advisor, National Safety Council, Tamil Nadu Chapter, said that records of accidents were essential for successful safety improvement. Accident reports should be prepared and sent to higher ups immediately. The cause of the accidents should be investigated, he said.
A demonstration was held to show how fire in a sugar factory was put off. A private company “Flame off India Pvt. Ltd.,” which had manufactured a solution for extinguishing fire held the demonstration.
P. Bose, Additional Director of Industrial Safety and Health, and Chairman, National Safety Council, Tiruchi Sub-Committee, spoke.
K.G. Kandaswamy, Senior Associate Vice-President, EID Parry Ltd, Pugalur, spoke on “safety in sugar industries”; R. Rajasekaran, Joint Director of Industrial Safety and Health, Cuddalore, on “electrical safety”; K. Sankaranarayanasamy, Professor, National Institute of Technology, Tiruchi, on “safety in material handling”; N.K. Chandrasekaran, Consultant, Coimbatore, on “Occupational health and stress management”; and V. Sundarajulu, Professor, K.S.R. College of Technology, Tiruchengode; on dust explosion hazard.
B. Alagesan, Joint Director of Industrial Safety and Health, Tiruchi, welcomed the gathering.
R. Rajasekaran, Joint Director of Industrial Safety and Health, Cuddalore, proposed a vote of thanks.
