As Safety is a top driven approach, change in mindset of leadership is very much required

We spoke to Jay Mukhopadhyay, Chief Manager-HSE, ACC Ltd to understand his assessment about the current occupational safety and health scenario in India and how it compares to global standards, key challenges related to implementing safety regulations within a large organisation, his views on what government needs to do to help improve OSH awareness in India, activities and training programs that they undertake to improve worker safety in their organisation and his advice to large occupational safety and health shows such as OSH India to help further the cause of spreading awareness about safety in Indian organisations.

Interviewed by Adeesh Sharma

• What is your assessment about the current occupational safety and health scenario in India? How does it compare to global standards?

1. In India the awareness is growing, and people can understand the importance of safety. But still a lot to be done. Except some big organizations, the safety culture is not very encouraging. As it is a top driven approach, the change in mindset of leadership is very much required.
2. We are good in few pockets and can be compared to global standards, but we are far below the global standards. Use of good equipment is not enough unless each member of an organization is giving equal importance and respect to the safety culture.

• What are the key challenges related to implementing safety regulations within a large organisation?

1. High turnover of workforce.
2. Entry of fresh workforce rightly from paddy field
3. Literacy level of the workforce
4. Shifting the Safety from ‘Priority’ to ‘Value’
5. Commitment of Leadership towards implementation of Safety
6. Infrastructures

  • What more do you believe the government needs to do to help improve OSH awareness?

1. Enforcement of regulations in real manner
2. Act as a helping hand for the industries so that people do not have any fear to approach Govt. Bodies
3. More awareness to be generated among general people also

  • List the activities and training programs you undertake to improve worker safety in your organisation.

1. Skill development
2. Training on fatality prevention elements like Energy Isolation, Working at Height, Machine Guarding, Confined Space, Mobile equipment, Hot Work, Lifting and supporting loads, Electrical Safety etc.
3. Road safety – Defensive driving training, In cab assessments for drivers
4. Behavioural Based Safety training
5. Life Saving Talk (LST) before commencement of job
6. Reward and recognition program

• What is your advice to large occupational safety and health shows such as OSH India to help further the cause of spreading awareness about safety in Indian organisations?

1. We should focus on four main killers such as
a)     Isolation & Lock out
b)    Confined Space
c)     Working at Height
d)    Road Safety
2. Partnering with government bodies for awareness as well as to eliminate the fear factor
3. More representation of hazardous industries in the conference for sharing of good safety practices