Andhra Pradesh: Seeds unit of Brandix to set up lab for analysing air quality

More than 200 employees had fallen sick at the factory after inhaling some kind of gas on June 3

One week after more than 200 women employees had fallen sick after reportedly inhaling some kind of a gas at the Seeds Intimate Apparel India Private Limited, a unit of Brandix India Apparel City (BIAC), at the Atchutapuram Special Economic Zone, the company on Thursday announced that it would set up a National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL).

Recognised by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the laboratory would be used to analyse air quality, including critical air pollutants, on the company premises.

Following the ‘gas leak’ on June 3, the authorities of the district and other government agencies had directed that the company stop its operations till further notice.

Safety measure

The company said it would also procure multi-gas detection equipment for permanent installation on its premises to safeguard against possible future incidents of this nature.

The company officials said all but 25 workers who had been admitted to various hospitals recovered. The remaining, though stable, were kept under observation.

The company said it would also station a team of doctors on the factory premises for a period of one week from the day of commencing the operations as a precautionary measure.