Visakh Refinery expansion project aims at increasing capacity: official

Many initiatives have been launched to ensure safety in the units’

HPCL Visakh Refinery officials administering a safety pledge, in Visakhapatnam on Monday.

Visakh Refinery Modernisation Project (VRMP) Executive Director S. Raja on Monday said that they were aiming at increasing the capacity of the refinery from 8.33 million tonne to 15 million tonne and they had completed 28 million man-hours without any accident.

Speaking at a meeting organised by the HPCL Visakh Refinery in connection with the National Safety Day here, Mr. Raja said modern technologies were extensively used in the VRMP project sites right from the design stage to the execution.

Advanced technology

Visakh Refinery ED V. Ratanraj said the refinery had always been a frontrunner in the use of advanced technologies for enhancing safety in the work locations. “The online work permit system, online near miss reporting and management, online line clearance, online inventory management, the mobile safety training vehicle and use of CCTVs for monitoring of work sites are some of the examples of many initiatives undertaken by the refinery as a part of technological advancement in safety,” he said.

Using the operators were imparted training on the actual field conditions and emergency handling procedures making them better equipped to tackle any emergency situation. He complimented the employees and contractors for the completion of major revamp activity in the refinery for producing BS VI fuels without any incidents.

He also complimented all the employees and contract workers for actively participating in various competitions conducted during the National Safety Week.

Deputy Chief Inspector of Factories K.B.S. Prasad urged all employees to take pledge to the cause of safety. He mentioned that the employees and management should work towards reducing the number of deviations in the work areas.

Identification of near-miss incidents at work need to be further focused upon. Accident prevention is possible by developing safe attitudes and behaviours, he said.

‘No room for complacence’

Joint Chief Inspector of Factories J. Siva Sankar Reddy appreciated the management for achieving nil incident record at the construction sites. “Complacence is the worst enemy of safety. All safety related issues shouldbe addressed immediately,” he said.

HPCL DGM (Fire and Safety) S.C. Panja proposed the vote of thanks.