As many as 74 factories in the State have been classified as “major accident hazard” (MAH) units, primarily dealing with highly flammable chemicals such as petroleum, said B.S. Ramachandra, Director, Department of Factories and Boilers, Industrial Safety and Health, Karnataka.
Mr. Ramachandra called for the creation of an effective emergency system to avert disasters at a conference on chemical (industrial) disaster management here on Thursday, which discussed disaster risk reduction in chemical industries and the safe transport of petroleum, petroleum products and natural gas.
The 74 MAH units are distributed across 16 districts, he said.
Director-General of Karnataka State Fire and Emergency Services Omprakash said that chemicals require special safety measures, especially at bulk storage godowns and during transport. Whole-sale godowns should not be located near residential areas or slums, Mr. Omprakash added.
Accidents have also often happened during transport of chemicals, especially on the Mangalore-Bangalore National Highway, he said. In April last, several people were killed when an LPG tanker overturned on the highway. “The responsibility for such accidents should be shared by the company and transporters,” he said.
Muzaffar Ahmad, member of the National Disaster Management Authority, called for a “synchronisation of efforts” to mitigate disasters — whether it is in evaluating risks and hazards, in emergency responses or in rehabilitation work.
Companies can play a meaningful role in disaster mitigation, he said.
