The NLCIL has adopted 574 standard operating procedures (SOPs) as part of inculcating global best practices, Prabhakar Chowki, Director (Mines) said.
In his address on the concluding day of the 59th zonal level safety week celebrations held recently, Mr. Chowki said these SOPs had been formulated to improve safety in mines and putting in place risk assessment and safety management plans.
While enforcing SOP at work sites and sensitising the workers on risks improved safety, in an ideal situation, safety awareness should come from within and not from the enforcing authorities, he added.
The week-long celebrations were co-hosted with the Tamil Nadu Mines Safety Association (TNMSA) under the aegis of Directorate-General of Mine Safety, Government of India. R. Vikraman, Director of HR, NLCIL, in his presidential address, cited the accident-free completion of the Neyveli thermal power project, first of its kind in Asia, as an affirmation of the company’s commitment to safety.
A brief warm-up meeting organised for the contract workers every day resulted in working with a safety-conscious mindset which eventually resulted in achievement of this milestone, he added.
Wins plaudits
Raghupathi Peddi Reddy, Deputy Director of Mines Safety, Chennai Region, who was the chief guest, complimented NLC India’s efforts in converting brown field into green field, or producing brown coal and converting the de-coaled areas into fertile lands through innovative reclamation techniques.
He cautioned the workmen that when Neyveli Mines were excavating about 20 crore cubic metres of overburden with giant machineries, the highest degree of safeguards and safety precautions to be ensured and that safety interlocks should never be bypassed or ignored on any account.
R.A. Krishnakumar, chairman of Tamil Nadu Mines Safety Association (TNMSA), P. Ramasamy, secretary of TNMSA, T. Venkatasubramanian, Chief Vigilance Officer, NLCIL, Jagadish Chandra Mazumdar, CGM/Mine-II and Neeraj Kumar, GM/Central Safety, spoke.
In commemoration of the occasion, an exhibition was organised at the book fair grounds on Lignite Hall premises, in which all nine units of the NLCIL displayed working models on road safety, industrial safety and domestic safety.
The overall performance trophy for safety among all Neyveli Mines was awarded to Neyveli Mine-II.
