In the backdrop of the Vizag gas tragedy, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued new safety guidelines to factories insisting for test or trial runs to avoid industrial disasters in the units. The NDMA under Union Home Ministry insisted that no units should go for full fledged scale of production at least for seven days and test or trial run should be conducted to check the safety of plants. The detailed guideline directed all manufacturing units must conduct safety checks and trial runs and test the plants and machinery to avoid leaks or blasts in the units.
The NDMA also directed a series of pandemic prevention in work places such as 24-hour sanitisation of premises, temperature check of all employees twice daily, providing face shields, masks and PPEs (personal protective equipment), creating physical distancing by erecting barriers on work floors and dining facilities and ensuring no sharing of tools etc. The authority also directed the factories to make financial provisions for checking the health care of the workers.
The guidelines say, “Factories need to maintain a sanitisation routine every two-three hours especially in the common areas that include lunch rooms and common tables which will have to be wiped clean with disinfectants after every single use.” This has to be done even in case of accommodation, they add. Apart from two temperature checks a day, the guidelines have asked factories to ensure workers showing symptoms do not report to work and there are provisions for hand sanitisers, gloves and mask for all.