April 05, 2002

    The National Safety Council is organising a National conference on "Health, Safety and Environment Challenges in the Era of Globalisation" from 9^th April 2002 in New Delhi. The three-day conference will deliberate on various HSE issues including Disaster Preparedness, Occupational Health issues in small and medium enterprises, Highway Safety Norms and Guidelines, Pedestrian Safety issues and remedies and Health and Safety Hazards in the use of bio-technology in industry. Briefing media persons here today the Director General, National Safety Council, Shri K. C. Gupta said that over 500 delegates from within the country and abroad comprising of HSE professionals, decision makers in government and industry and representatives of trade unions and NGOs will participate in the Conference. He said the Conference would have 3 Plenary and 12 Concurrent Technical Sessions chaired by eminent persons. They would include the Labour secretary, DG ICMR, CMD GAIL, President NASSCOM, Chairman HUDCO, CMD ONGC, Development Commissioner SSIDC and National secretary BMS. Shri Gupta said that during the Conference 66 Technical papers would be presented by national and international experts. The include speakers from international agencies namely, ILO, WHO and UNEP and leading corporate organisations viz., Seimens of Germany, JISHA of Japan and 3-M from USA. He said that the Labour Minister Shri Sharad Yadv, besides inaugurating the Conference, would present 21 National Safety Awards for the year 1999 for outstanding performance in safety. He said that 13 out of 21 award-wining organisations have achieved Zero Accident goal in all the three years of assessment period. The Labour minister will also inaugurate an HSE Exhibition featuring achievements, products, services, equipment, publication on safety, fire protection, health and environment.

    Employers’ representative and the Vice-Chairman of the NSC, Shri Kalyan Chakravarti said that one of the biggest challenges that the country faces is the development of a safety culture as an integral part of work culture and lifestyle. He said that the Conference is part of the effort to create awareness and understanding in all sectors of economic activity and the community at large.

    Employees’ representative and the Vice-Chairman of the NSC, Shri O.P.Aghi said that the trade unions have accorded top priority to safety issues after the Bhopal gas leak tragedy and have no differences with the management in his regard.