Industrial Safety Environmental Pollution Health Hazards and Nuclear Accidents: A Global Survey

Guaranteeing safety, protection of health and creation of congenial environment for workers are important considerations of all working people’s health which is undoubtedly an asset of the society. The industrial and environmental disasters that have been witnessed both in the industrially developed and developing countries from Three Mile Island (1979), Bhopal (1984), Chernobyl (1986), to Ermelo Mine, South Africa (1987), Germany (1921), Honkeiko, China (1942), Texas City (1947), Liverpool, England (1957), Chasnala, India (1975), in the recent past have created an increased pubic awareness of the hazards presented by the onward march of industrial technology and the scale and growth of many industrial operations. The emerging problems created by the growing number of explosions in mines, of toxic chemical substances, by materials as asbestos, by flammable and explosive substances, by leakage of gases and the like have shown the apathy and complacency with which accidents, ill-health and resultant diseases have long been regarded. After the recent Bhopal gas tragedy, industrial safety has gained great importance in India. Both the Central Government and the State Governments are taking maximum safety precautions particularly in industries of hazardous nature. The Government has also made it compulsory for industries upto a particular level to have safety officers and safety experts to ensure that the industrial safety is taken care of in such units. While the Government is taking steps to increase awareness of safety in industries, it would be necessary to lay stress in starting safety training courses on various institutes so that more trained people are available to industry.