Don't differentiate between regular and contractors' workers: CII

Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) believes that there should be no differentiation between regular employees and contractors' workers, when it comes to safety.

"Treat them as equals. Safety management is always defined by a top-down approach," said Sandeep Fuller, Chairman, CII Eastern Region Safety Taskforce, at a Workshop on Contractor Safety & Health Management organised on Friday.

"The role of the top management is extremely crucial. It is the top management which defines and drives safety practices. They must be visible on the frontline," Fuller, who is also the CEO of Texmaco Rail and Engineering Limited, added.

Rahul Guha, former Director General, Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS) felt that laws need to be clearly explained to the contractors' employees. "There is an urgent need for sustained campaign in this regard," Guha said.

"Not only is there a need for creating 'risk-readiness models', there is also a need to create innovative content so that the concepts of safety get simpler. Contractors are mandated by legislation to follow safety norms and these norms need to be simplified," Guha said. He urged CII to help prepare these models.

According to Guha, accidents do not happen so easily. "People have either very little knowledge or they flout safety rules and norms," Guha said, adding that accidents can be prevented and damage can be minimised if there is a strong safety mechanism in place.

Smita Pandit Chakraborty, Chairperson, CII West Bengal State Council, and Managing Director, Phoenix Conveyor Belt India (P) Limited, said a successful contractor safety programme requires a holistic system that manages multiple parts simultaneously.