MHA issues new guidelines for reopening manufacturing units, insists on safety

New Delhi, May 10: Following Vizag and other gas leak incidents that occurred in the country in the past few days, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Sunday issued detailed guidelines for re-opening of industrial units after the COVID lockdown, with special focus on safety protocols and low production target.
The industrial units were directed to consider the first week as the trial or test-run period, ensuring all safety protocols and not trying to achieve high production targets.
‘To minimise the risk, it is important that employees who work on specific equipment, are sensitised and made aware of the need to identify abnormalities like strange sounds or smell, exposed wires, vibrations, leaks, smoke, abnormal wobbling, irregular grinding or other potentially hazardous signs, which indicate the need for an immediate maintenance or if required, shutdown,’ said the Ministry.
The industrial units have been advised to ensure all lockout and tag out procedures are in place on a daily basis during the COVID-19 times, except units running 24 hours, whereas inspection of all equipment as per the safety protocols during the restart phase have been made compulsory, it added.
In case the industry has any difficulty in managing the crucial backward linkages that may be critical for their safe functioning, the new norms suggest to contact the local district administration for specific assistance and District Magistrates may be instructed to ensure that in such instances, the industrial unit may be facilitated to run their end-to-end operations, in the overall interests of industrial security.

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