DAILY NEWS ANALYSIS

02 July, 2020
10 Min Read

Lax on safety: On Nevveli and Vizag disasters

Lax on safety: On Nevveli and Vizag disasters

Context

Two deadly industrial disasters, in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, leading to the loss of at least eight lives and causing serious injuries to many, once again underscore the value of safety protocols.

Neyveli and Vizag disasters

# In a boiler blast at the Neyveli thermal power station, six people were killed and a dozen workers suffered severe burns, while a toxic chemical leak at a pharmaceutical plant in Visakhapatnam led to two deaths immediately.

# These and two other recent disasters, also at a Neyveli power plant and the LG Polymers factory in the Visakhapatnam area, have come at a stressful time when India is trying to find its feet in the midst of the pandemic.

# What happened in Neyveli on Wednesday is inexplicable, since the power producer had encountered a boiler furnace blowout only on May 7, and had ordered a review of its infrastructure and processes.

# Without meticulous care, boilers are dangerous pieces of equipment. High-pressure and superheated steam make for a lethal combination, if their release mechanism is not kept in good order, and there is an explosion.

# For this very reason, they are regulated strictly under the Indian Boilers Act, at least on paper.

# The terrible consequences of lax boiler safety were evident three years ago in Rae Bareli, when a blast at an NTPC power plant killed a few dozen people.

# The gas leak in Visakhapatnam apparently involving benzimidazole, a chemical used in pharmaceuticals, raises questions on maintenance and operational procedures.

# The probe into how vapours of a stable but acutely toxic chemical escaped should lead to an upgrade to safety protocols.

# In the Neyveli incident, there is a suggestion that the boiler was not in operation as it had tripped and was in the process of being revived.

# Since the major operations of this equipment involve a furnace and production of steam, what led to an unexpected blowout?

# NLC India, a key power producer, has an obligation to present a transparent report on why its facilities are beset by mishaps.

Steps to be taken

# Occupational safety demands that boilers are operated by trained personnel, but some of those on the ground have been described as contract employees.

# It will take an independent probe to determine whether cost calculations guided staffing decisions in such a hazardous sector.

# The response of the Centre and States to industrial accidents is usually to stem public outrage by announcing compensation for victims.

# A transparent inquiry that leads to a fixing of responsibility and reform is a low priority.

# This culture must change. Such accidents are mostly preventable, and occur rarely in the industrialised world, because of impeccable attention to safety.

India’s aspirations to industrialise should be founded on safety.

Source: TH

Join Our Telegram

Voice clone-AI

Pradhan Mantri Suryodaya Yojana

06 Feb, 24
SHARE

Recently, Prime Minister announced Pradhan Mantri Suryodaya Yojana under which 1 crore households will get rooftop solar power systems. India’s Status of Current Solar Capacity India currently stands at 4th place globally in solar power capacity. As per Ministry of New an

Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA)- NGO

06 Feb, 24
SHARE

The Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2010 (FCRA) registration of two prominent non-governmental organisations (NGOs) — Centre for Policy Research (CPR) and World Vision India (WVI) have been cancelled this month. What is FCRA? Key provisions of FCRA, 2010 Key aspects Description

Voice clone-AI

06 Feb, 24
SHARE

Voice clone fraud has been on the rise in India. AI voice cloning – It is the process of creating a synthetic replica of a person’s voice through machine learning and speech synthesis technology.It is called as voice deepfakesor audio deepfakes. Objective – To achieve a high level of na

Science communication- how to promote

06 Feb, 24
SHARE

Steps taken by India to promote Science Communication Publications and Information Directorate (PID) - An organisation under Council of Science and Industrial Research (CSIR) established in 1951 for publishing and disseminating scientific information in India. National science magazines- The PI

Universal Basic Income (UBI)- Analysis

05 Feb, 24
SHARE

Universal Basic Income (UBI) can strengthen welfare architecture and unlock the nation’s latent demographic potential. UBI - It is an income support mechanism typically intended to reach all or a very large portion of the population regardless of their earnings or employment status. Objective- To provide enough to co