India has the best safety standards and safety protocols for industrial safety in the world, but very rarely are they visible at the ground level in most of the factories across the country, according to Jitu C. Patel, the ambassador for the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE).

He was speaking here on Monday after inaugurating the Andhra Pradesh chapter of the ASSE. He said the Telangana chapter would also be inaugurated later this month.

He said five core areas of concern should be addressed to improve the situation in the country - the commitment of the management of any industry to industrial safety, process safety management (in cases such as gas leaks in the Krishna-Godavari basin or oil refineries), competency of the safety professionals, community awareness and involvement in issues related to safety and the linkage between the industry and the Government. On all the five fronts, a great deal of ground should be covered, he said.

He said the ASSE would greatly help the Indian industry in the endeavour. Dearth of well-trained safety personnel was a critical issue and the society would work vigorously in the area.

He said there were also emerging technologies such as nano technology which was of great utility but which carried their own risks. The public should be educated about them, he added.

Yassie S. Dunn, the global manager of ASSE, said the association was conducting courses on industrial safety and related issues. Risk perception is critical and then only mitigation can be thought of, she added.

sarma.rs@thehindu.co.in

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