This document summarizes occupational health and safety issues and developments in India. It outlines the large workforce in India that faces serious health and safety hazards from exposure to toxic chemicals during manufacturing. While laws have been passed to address these issues, there remains a lack of trained environmental health and safety professionals and infrastructure. Efforts are being made through collaboration between Indian universities and organizations like the University of Cincinnati to establish occupational health education programs and strengthen safety regulations and enforcement. However, challenges remain in fully implementing prevention and control measures, especially in small industries.

1. University of Cincinnati, College of
Medicine, Environmental Health
Department, Division of Industrial
Hygiene
email:Maharshi.Mehta@Pfizer.com
Occupational Health and Safety Issues and
Developments in Emerging Economies with
Focus on INDIA

2. Agenda
• Workplace demographics
• Issues: Working conditions
• Current occupational health and safety
status
• Approaches adopted
• Suggested approaches

3. Workplace Demographics
• Labor Force: About 400M (44M to 90M Child
Labor)
• Unemployment Rate: 22%
• Industrial Growth 8%, Inflation Rate: 9%
• Unions represents: 25 % of industrial and service
workers in the organized sector
• 1977 law prohibits Bonded Labor Factories Act. A
1986 law bans employment of children under age
14

4. Issues-The Need
• One of world’s largest
manufacturing base
manufacturing/processing highly
toxic chemicals.
• Exposure to serious health and
safety hazards
• Conditions exacerbated by export
of hazards from developed
countries
• Hazardous conditions + scarcity
of trained EHS professionals and
infrastructure = serious threat of
occupational illnesses and
injuries.
Hence, greater role of
health and Safety
Professionals

5. Issues-The Need
• Occupational diseases occurred in early 1900 in USA
and Europe are still occurring
• Large affected population-industries, hospitals, farms,
offices
• Pro-active companies not able to practice IH due to
lack of trained professionals and infrastructure
• Quality Assurance is a concern in IH being practiced
• 7000 Industrial Hygienists Needed - 2000 CIHs for
260M people and 1 for 1B people
• Occupational Safety-Fairly good, Environment
and Ecology-Improving, Industrial Hygiene-Long
way to go.

6. Total Injury Rate/1000 worker
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
1971
1981
1991

7. Addressing the Issues
• Media Coverage
• State and Supreme Courts Ruling
– Closed down an operation or plant
– Suspended forest based activities including about
900 saw mills, veneer and plywood mills
– Relocation of thousands of hazardous industries-
Under court order, electrical supply discontinued for
companies not acting.

8. Addressing the Issues
• Amendment in legislation and increase in awareness
since Bhopal tragedy
• Multinational corporations bringing corporate OHS
culture.
• Proactive public Sector companies and large
corporations conscious about environment and safety.
• EHS associations’ role in education and awareness
• Institutions offering postgraduate safety and
environmental management program since 1979

9. Addressing the Issues-India’s first Master in
Industrial Hygiene Program
• Offered at BVM Engineering College, Sardar
Patel University, Vallabh Vidya Nagar, Gujarat,
300 miles north of Bombay with University of
Cincinnati.
• First 19 Industrial Hygienists trained
• All from the first and second class working
• Presented Technical Papers last year and this
year at AIHCs, Toronto and Orlando.

10. MIH Program
• Admission: Science or Engineering degree
• Seven students selected out of 30 applicants in the first
and second batch.
• Three semester, 16 courses and 6 months internship.
• UC Provided course curriculum and course notes
modified to meet Indian needs.
• Fee per semester: $150.
• Students published technical papers in Industrial
Safety Chronicle and presented poster session at AIHC,
Toronto.

11. Phenomenal Cooperation
• National and International Agencies
– UC, NIOH, ACGIH
– Individual Professionals
– Australian Occupational Hygiene Associations
• A truck load of donated premier books costing about
$50000 arrived. Pfizer paid the shipping cost.
• SKC, Kellogg, Quest donated sampling equipment
• Competent and committed faculties from USA and India
• PSM Medical College in India and Staff

14. A student with donated books

15. Challenges
• Recognition of Industrial Hygiene as a
Profession
• Placement of Students
• Implementation of prevention and
control measures-Especially In Small
Scale Industries
• Funding for MIH program

16. Proposed Approaches
• Establish Industrial Hygiene Institute-Non-profit
Non-Governmental organization providing cost
effective consulting.
• Strengthen MIH program.
• Government on amending existing legislation:
COSHH, UK/EC Directives
• Employee State Insurance Corporation, to provide
medical AND IH Services following EC model
• Country specific certification
• Adopt a small scale industry program

17. Safety and Health Organizations
in India
• National Safety Council, Mumbai, Director General
(DG) Mr. K. C. Gupta, Phone: 022-4091285, 4073694
• National Institute of Occupational Health, Ahmedabad,
Phone: DG, Dr. H.N. Saiyed, 079-2867351, 2867352
• Central Labor Institute, Mumbai, DG, Mr. S.K.
Saxena, Phone 022-4092203
• Indian Occupational Health Association, Mumbai
• Indian Toxicological Research Institute, Lukhanou, UP

18. Associations and Trade Unions
• Confederation of Indian Industry, New Delhi, Mr.
K. P. Nyati, Advisor Environment 011-4645288
• Federation of Indian Industries and Chamber of
Commerce, New Delhi
• Standing Conference of Public Enterprises
(SCOPE) Secretary General: Mr. M.A. Hakim,
Phone:011-4362604
• Indian National Trade Union Congress
• Bhartiya Mazadoor Sangh

19. Overview of Pertinent
Legislation-OHS
• Indian Factories Act 1948 and Subsequent
Amendments (1987)
• Indian Boiler Regulations (1950, 1994)
• Gas Cylinder (1981) and Static and Mobile
Pressure Vessel (unfired) Rules (1981)
• Indian Petroleum Act (1934) and Rules
(1976)

20. Amended (1987) Factories Act 1948-Key
Provisions
• Factories Act and Rules Promulgated by
States
– Approval of New Plants and Expansion Projects (6)
– Precautions against gas Vapors and Dust (14, 36
(confined space)
– Control of Hazardous processes (Chap IVA, 41A-G),
1st Schedule-Drugs and Pharma Industries
– Medical Surveillance and Record Keeping
– Permissible exposure Limits (41F, 2nd Schedule)
– 29 Notifiable Occupation Diseases
– Competent Person, Penalties

21. Amended (1987) Factories Act 1948-
State Rules- Key Provisions
• Storage handling and transportation of flammable chemicals,
Ignition Sources (sec 70)e.g., Fl Liq with FP<20 C to be kept below
20L in any work room.
• Machine Guarding, Confined Space Entry and Lockout Tagout
• Permit Systems
• Right to Know and Hazard Communication (Chap IV, Rules-73M)
• Ventilation (air movement 30 m/min) and Temperature (max WBT
30 C)-Sec 22A, Chap 3-Health, Light Level 30 to 100 lux (sec 35)
• Centrifugal Machines (Chap IV, Schedule V), Interlocks etc.,
Agitator and Mixing machines (Schedule VII)

22. Additional Provisions
• Max Weight One is allowed to carry-55 kg (male) and
30 Kg female (Act 34, Regs 66)
• Control of Sources of ignition, spontaneous ignition,
fire protection, Fire Exit (Act-38 Rules-70)
• Medical Examinations-Occupational Health Centers
(Act-41B,C Rules 73V)
• Dangerous Operations (Act -87, Rules -114)
– Handling and Manipulation of Corrosive Substances
(Sc. 12), Highly Flammable Liquids (Sc. 23), Operation
with high noise levels (Sc. 24)

23. What can we do?
• Understand the economics and culture before
intervention.
• Participate in developing local expertise.
• Exchange of hazard control technology.
• AIHA/ACGIH/NIOSH: Assist professionals
already working in emerging countries.
• DO, not talk. Facilitate, not complain
• Small step at a time is better than not walking at
all, especially on rough roads!