NTPC engages DuPont for safe operations at its plants

State-run power giant NTPC has roped in DuPont to upscale safety standards at its power plants and installations to prevent accidents.
The move comes after the November accident at NTPC's Unchahar plant that killed 43 people in one of the nation's worst industrial disasters in recent years.
"The accident prompted us to have a relook at the entire operation - right from design to final supply. We have had robust operations and standard operating procedures (SOPs) in place. But now, we want to see what we can do more to inculcate safety as a culture in the organisation," a senior company official said.

He further said:"Safety has been brought in as one of the parameters of judging performance of employees and officers. The NTPC management has set no limits for expenditure on safety. Budget would not be a constraint."
Earlier, DuPont was working with NTPC at some plants. But after the Unchahar accident, the company decided to increase the scope of DuPont to all its plants.
The company is now also considering asking its units to report even near misses.

The Unchahar explosion in a boiler was the deadliest industrial accident in India since the 2009 collapse of an under construction power plant chimney at Bharat Aluminium Co's Korba project that killed 45 people.

NTPC Chairman Gurdeep Singh said:
"We spend one full year for training. That is the investment for safety. DuPont is engaged to inculcate the complete culture of safety. We have not gone for the second best in the World."
Singh was of the view that safety cannot happen unless each and every employee respects safety culture.
He also said the internal enquiry committee set up to look into the reasons for the Unchahar mishap would submit its report this week, which would further guide the company.