There have been more than 30 industrial accidents, killing at least 75 people and injuring over a hundred, since India returned to work after the Covid-19 lockdown in May, a global union of industrial workers said on Tuesday. These numbes are based on reported incidents and the real numbers may be far higher, it said.

Since May, there has been an industrial accident at least every two days, killing and maiming workers, polluting the surroundings, with long-term health and environmental implications, IndustryALL Global Union said in a statement. The union represents 50 million workers in the energy, mining and manufacturing industries in 140 countries.

The toxic gas leak at the LG Polymers plant in Andhra Pradesh on May 7 brought back memories of the Bhopal gas tragedy. The boiler explosion at Yashashvi Raasayan Pvt Ltd at Dahej, Gujarat killed at least eight people and injured about 40. Similarly, boiler explosions at Neyveli Lignite Corporation’s thermal power plant in Tamil Nadu on May 7, and again on July 1, have killed at least 20 workers.

The accidents in chemical plants, coal mines, steel factories and boiler blasts in power stations have continued into July. Widespread use of contract workers, lack of safety inspections, inadequate penal action for safety violations and not fixing responsibility on the employer are some important factors contributing to the accidents.

It said the series of accidents expose a pattern of systemic failures, industries halted without proper shutdown processes with poor planning and failure to ensure adequate maintenance and inspection during the lockdown, which have led to accidents while industrial processes were being restarted.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, IndustriALL underlined that such mistakes fall within the category of Process Safety Management (PSM) failures and urged the Indian government to address this systemic breakdown in safety controls to avert further potential catastrophes on the scale of the 1984 Bhopal disaster.

“We are gravely concerned about the occurrence of avoidable fatal accidents. It is nothing but industrial homicide and the Government of India should immediately sound a national alarm to impose proper safety measures and protocols to prevent accidents, said Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL assistant general secretary.

G Sanjeeva Reddy, President of INTUC and IndustriALL affiliate, Indian National Metalworkers’ Federation, said the government should form an expert commission to analyse industrial accidents, address this safety crisis and stop potential accidents. "The government should involve unions in the decision making process, both at the national level and at the factory level, to avoid accidents in the future,” he said.

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