Ministry of Steel Sets Up Steel Industry Safety Council

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Key takeaways

The Ministry of Steel has formed the Steel Industry Safety Council (SISC) as an apex body to lower workplace accidents in India's steel industry.
The Council operates directly under the Ministry of Steel and is chaired by the Secretary, Ministry of Steel.
Technical support will come from a dedicated unit called the Steel Industry Safety Directorate (SISD), which will issue tailored safety rules and conduct mandatory audits.
The safety framework involves key statutory authorities including the Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS), Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO), and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

The Ministry of Steel has decided to form the Steel Industry Safety Council (SISC) as a top national safety body. This step aims to reduce workplace accidents and build a strong safety culture across India's steel plants.

The Steel Industry Safety Council (SISC) will operate under the administrative control of the Ministry of Steel. It will focus on upgrading safety rules and preventing major industrial hazards.
The Secretary of the Ministry of Steel will lead the Council as its Chairman.
The Council's membership includes senior government officials and CEOs of integrated steel plants across the country.
It also includes representatives from key safety bodies like the Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS), the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO), and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), alongside technical experts.

The SISC will regularly evaluate safety conditions across the steel sector.
It will approve new safety guidelines and conduct specialized research studies.
It will carry out detailed reviews of serious accidents and near-miss events to prevent future occurrences.

A dedicated technical body called the Steel Industry Safety Directorate (SISD) will support the Council. This body brings targeted expertise in key operations like blast furnaces, steel melting, coke ovens, and rolling mills.
The SISD will also offer technical domain knowledge in electrical safety, mechanical operations, occupational health, fire engineering, and disaster management.
The SISD is responsible for carrying out the Council's decisions on the ground.
It will conduct regular safety audits and investigate major industrial incidents directly.
It will maintain comprehensive databases on safety incidents and near-misses.
It will assess emergency readiness across facilities and upgrade training programs for workers.
The SISD will draft and release customized Steel Industry Safety Standards, Recommended Practices and Guidelines designed specifically for Indian working conditions.

Setting up the SISC and SISD will help create a unified safety framework across all steel manufacturing units in India. This will make working conditions safer and significantly reduce industrial accidents.