IN 1977, I started working for a fertiliser plant in Daharki, Sindh. The residential colony for employees was at a small distance from the plant, but the main entrance to both was the same. There were three lights — green, amber and red, indicating the safety situation at the plant at any given hour of the day.

The green light, on for most of the time, indicated that no accident had taken place in the past 24 hours. The amber light indicated a near miss, whereas the red light meant an accident involving lost-time — injury to an employee had occurred. Concerned for their colleague(s), employees at the plant would all be in a state of gloom when such an accident occurred. They also knew that they could lose their monetary incentives, or awards, on account of an accident.

Coming from a state enterprise, where there was no concept of industrial safety, I could not have imagined the importance assigned to safety. The principle of ‘safety first’ was implemented, and a system of permit-to-work was followed. The latter required written permission for a particular job to commence.

Each worker should be responsible for accident-free operations.

Employees would not only fulfil the safety requirements while at work, but also ensure that others in their surroundings did the same. They knew that a grievous or fatal injury could lead to serious consequences for any people found responsible of negligence.

A safety advisor was responsible for managing the safety regime, and the plant manager wanted his participation in all meetings which related to plant operations. Safety of both workers and equipment was on top of the management’s priority list. There was a realisation that lost-time accidents had far reaching implications, not only for the company, but also for the victim and his family.

Employees were aware of the economic and social consequences of workplace disasters, as well as of the company’s reputation, and were invested in preventing accidents. In the late 1960s, and even in the 1970s, this company was seen as the only one in Pakistan which managed its safety program according to international standards.

The Factories Act, 1934, contains comprehensive provisions on ‘health and safety’ but these are merely guidelines for precautionary measures against accidents. Nevertheless, being a statutory requirement, they are an integral part of health, safety and environment programmes. Organisations need to go beyond such programs, in order to ensure an accident-free setup.

The real test of organisations lies in the effective implementation of their accident prevention systems. To what extent an organisation succeeds in controlling mishaps may be judged from statistical data, provided data sets have not been falsified.

The following systems, as prescribed in the accident prevention manual published by the American Technical Society in 1975, are usually invoked to prevent accidents at work:

Safety audit: A safety audit is carried out periodically by qualified personnel, with the purpose of minimising losses. The audit covers every component of plant operation — from management policy to emergency plans, accident records etc. The audit is followed by a formal report and a plan of action.

Safety survey: The main areas of concern revealed by the audit are examined in detail. Like the safety audit, these surveys are also followed by a formal report, a plan of action and subsequent monitoring.

Safety inspection: Every unit and department in the plant is regularly scheduled for inspection, which is carried out by a safety representative from within the unit, accompanied by the safety adviser. The purpose is to check maintenance standards, employee involvement, working practices, fire precautions, adherence to safe working procedures etc.

Safety tours: A robust safety regime at the plant makes everyone in the hierarchy responsible for accident-free operations. A range of personnel conduct brief safety tours, at weekly intervals, on a predetermined route. They ensure that the standards of housekeeping are at an acceptable level, that identified hazards have been removed, and that safety requirements are generally being observed.

Safety sampling: Safety samples need to be carried out regularly, with random selection of the subject each time. The focus can be on any aspect of safety, such as equipment, operations, permit-to-work systems, training etc.

Hazard and operability study: Health and safety requirements of new plants should be incorporated at the design stage, with the involvement of the safety advisor. Once the malfunction of individual items is identified, remedial action can be planned for at an early stage of the project, with maximum effectiveness and at minimum cost. This can also be applied to existing plants and processes.

While it is the employers’ responsibility to formulate policy, and facilitate in providing a safe work environment, it is the employees’ responsibility to follow safety guidelines in letter and spirit.

The writer is an industrial relations professional.

Published in Dawn, April 13th, 2016