Dearth of trained manpower is hitting the safety environment despite introduction of world’s best protocols in India, according to American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) Ambassador (Middle East, India and South East Asia) Jitu C. Patel.
Speaking to The Hindu on the sidelines of a conference to mark pre-launch of ASSE Andhra Pradesh chapter, he said they had decided to spread education and conduct training by widening their network to improve the quality of operational safety and health (OSH) professionals to protect the people, property and environment.
Finding fault with the enforcement mechanism in the country, he said the regulators must ensure the implementation of best practices at every workplace.
“Unfortunately the risk factors involved in excessive usage of modern gadgets like mobile phones are not being publicised. Introduction of OSH protocols without preparedness and the required ecosystem will not serve any purpose,” he said .
Expressing concern at the plight of health workers who are not provided protective devices and ill-equipped road network and lack of awareness on driving causing rising fatal accidents, Mr. Patel said an all-out effort was required to improve the track record in implementation of safety practices.
Calling for adoption of strategies at national level on how to counter emerging risks, he said ASSE was founded in 1911 to spread safety awareness after death of 146 workers in Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York.
ASSE Manager, Global Growth & Development Yassie S. Dunn said with over 36,000 members in 80 countries, their organisation had been organised as a premier body in not only standardisation of safety practices but also their implementation.
She said in view of emergence of India as one of the leading economies and industrialisation gaining momentum, the need for better safety apparatus had assumed more significance.
Joint Chief Inspector of Factories D. Chandrasekhar Varma, HPCL General Manager (Projects) V.S. Shenoy and ASSE ambassador Ashok Garlapati spoke.
