'Tamil Nadu ranks first in industrial safety'

Tamil Nadu is ranked first in terms of safety records, with the state accounting for only about 1,500 accidents on an average in a year, according to K A Mohammed Aziz, chief inspector of factories, Tamil Nadu.

Maharashtra recorded an average of 11,600 accidents per year, while it was 8,400 in Gujarat and 2,100 in Karnataka, he added.

Speaking at a function on industrial safety at Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) here, Aziz advised safety managers to evolve appropriate preventive measures so as to avoid accidents . The objective of the industrial safety programme should aim at achieving zero accident levels, he said.

He lauded the efforts of BHEL for achieving zero accident level from 365 accidents reported in the year 1966. "This is despite the fact that there had been a phenomenal increase in production in the last four decades," he said.

V GoplalaKrishnan, executive director, BHEL, said the organisation was investing about Rs 70 lakh per year in providing safety equipment to its employees.

According to T D Subbroyan, general manager, human resource, BHEL, a three-month postgraduate certificate course in industrial health for doctors would begin from April first week this year.