Safety guidelines for carrot cleaning machines to be formulated following teenager’s death at workplace
Following the death of an 18-year-old girl in an accident at a carrot washing machine in Ketti Palada, near Udhagamandalam on April 20, the district administration has formed a committee to formulate safety guidelines for operators of the machines to adhere to.
The move towards formulating such policies have been necessitated by the death of S. Nandhini, who had died after she got entangled in the conveyor belt of the machine and died. Following her death, revenue officials sealed the premises due to lack of adequate safety measures.
Nilgiris District Collector J. Innocent Divya said that the committee formed will look into aspects of how to improve safety at the carrot washing machines. She said that the committee will comprise officials from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, the Inspectorate of Factories, the district SP and the Collector herself.
She said that a meeting will be held with owners of carrot washing machines soon to discuss safety protocols that would need to be implemented to ensure the safety of the workers.
The district administration had already come up with guidelines to limit pollution, especially water pollution due to the machines, with filtration systems being mandated. Failure to adhere to the new pollution guidelines had already resulted in the closure of four such carrot cleaning machines, officials said.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has urged the State government to announce financial relief to the family of S. Nandhini, who are all daily wage workers and in need of financial assistance and support from the government.
