Industrial Safety: AP Signs Pact With Nagarjuna University
Factories department director M Mohan Rao and university registrar Prof G Simhachalam signed the memorandum of understanding in the presence of labour minister Vasamsetti Subash here on Thursday.
Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh government has signed a pact with the Guntur-based Acharya Nagarjuna University to avail its technical expertise for industrial safety in the state.
Factories department director M Mohan Rao and university registrar Prof G Simhachalam signed the memorandum of understanding in the presence of labour minister Vasamsetti Subash here on Thursday.
Accordingly, the factories department would avail the expertise of various departments in the university for safety evaluation in relation to major industrial accidents. These experts would also provide training for capacity building to factory workers and the regulatory authority, besides preparation of modules and course curriculum for training.
The pact also involves a provision of internship to students and arranging exposure visits for them to the factories.
The Factories director said, “The MoU would be valid for two years. We hope to streamline a series of measures to ensure industrial safety in the state.”
Expertise from the electrical, chemical, mechanical and industrial safety departments will be shared by the factories department to critically evaluate the safety audit reports, especially on major hazardous industries, submitted by officials and third-party agencies, to ascertain whether these audits were done on the right lines.
In case of major industrial mishaps, the authorities would consult experts from the university while taking up an in-depth inquiry and ascertain the causes and recommend preventive steps.
As part of the MoU, students would avail an on-site training programme in the industries units in the form of an internship for about three months. This would enable them gain experience in the functioning of industrial units and ensuring safety.
Industrial safety is a major concern to the government in view of the series of such mishaps taking place in the state. The Visakhapatnam district is more vulnerable for industrial mishaps given the presence of several major hazardous industries including those from the pharma sector, claiming several lives now and then.
