Hyderabad: Labour, Employment and Mines Minister Dr. G. Vivek Venkatswamy said industries must treat industrial safety investment as a priority, stressing that productivity improves only when workplaces remain safe and secure.
Addressing the 55th National Safety Day celebrations in Hyderabad, the minister stated that companies should consider safety spending as an investment rather than a financial burden. He observed that earlier some managements viewed safety measures as an additional expense. However, industries were now increasingly recognising the importance of safety practices.
The minister urged industrial managements to make mandatory industrial safety investment and ensure continuous monitoring of safety standards. He also advised company board members to regularly review workplace safety mechanisms.
The 55th National Safety Day programme was organised at Ravindra Bharathi under the aegis of the Telangana government, the Directorate of Factories, and the National Safety Council of India.
Vivek Venkatswamy attended the event as the chief guest. Principal Secretary Dani Kishore and Director of Factories Mohan Babu were also present during the celebrations.
Officials conducted awareness programmes during the event to highlight safety practices that industries should adopt.
Industrial safety investment essential for worker welfare
Speaking on the occasion, the minister stressed the need to constantly create awareness among workers about workplace safety. He said the best results in industrial productivity could be achieved only when employees felt happy and secure in their working environment.
He also referred to rapid technological changes taking place across industries. Therefore, safety standards must evolve in line with technological advancements.
Vivek Venkatswamy said industries had a major role in the state’s economic growth. Referring to the Chief Minister’s vision of transforming Telangana into a $3 trillion economy, he said industries must strengthen industrial safety investment while expanding operations.
The minister urged industrial units to aim for “zero-accident factories” by implementing best safety practices across all operations.
Industrial safety investment highlighted through accident example
The minister cited a recent industrial accident to underline the importance of preventive action. According to him, the incident could have been avoided through timely safety measures.
He noted that spending ₹20 lakh on preventive safety steps could have prevented the accident. However, after the mishap occurred, the management eventually spent crores on recovery and damage control.
While every company prepares a safety plan, Vivek Venkatswamy said workers must also strictly follow safety guidelines. Only then would safety systems function effectively.
He finally directed officials of the labour and factory departments to further strengthen the culture of industrial safety investment across industries throughout the state.