THAT corruption and mismanagement can cause the direst of consequences can be gauged from a report published yesterday regarding the increasing incidence of boiler blasts in small- and medium-scale industrial units in Punjab. Six years ago, complaints of corruption resulted in a ban being imposed on the Punjab Chief Inspector of Boilers and his eight divisional inspectors from carrying out inspections of industrial units. Under the Punjab Industrial Policy 2004-05, the authority to inspect was transferred instead to insurance companies. However, the Federal Boilers and Pressure Vessel Board, which operates under the Ministry of Industries and Production, could not engage any insurance company to ensure that industrial units followed safety standards. For years, consequently, the owners of small- and medium-scale industrial units have been able to flout safety rules and procedures with impunity. Officials believe that incidents of boiler blasts have been rising, though the actual number of workers killed or injured in such preventable accidents has not been recorded.

The situation is symptomatic of the ad hocism that plagues management in Pakistan at most levels. It is not just boilers that are causing injury and the loss of life. The lack of adherence to safety standards is evident in many small- and medium-scale industrial sectors in the country. Workers in units that manufacture or use ice suffer skin and frostbite-related injuries; those in the computer recycling business are exposed to toxins that include lead and cadmium; workers in the carpet-making industry and tanneries suffer respiratory problems, while those in bangle-making units frequently sustain serious burns. The problem lies not in the lack of laws — a body of legislation is on the books regarding workplace safety regulations — but in their implementation. When the government fails on this count, it allows the owners of industrial units to get away with the exploitation of workers.