Boiler operators have said company managements and government agencies are responsible for incidents like the recent boiler blast at a private company in the Edayar industrial area that resulted in one death and three injuries.
“It is the failure of the management, whether the industrial units are big or small, that leads to accidents like the one in Edayar,” said T.V. Baby, general secretary of the All Kerala Boiler Operators’ Association. He added that management often attempts to cut costs by employing inexperienced and untrained personnel to operate boilers.
“The accident at the tallow-making unit in Edayar on the night of October 6 is a clear example,” he said. Two people sustained 35% burn injuries, one person died, and another was injured. The boiler that exploded was operating without permission from the Factories and Boilers department. Mr. Baby added that the four individuals involved in the accident did not have a licence to operate boilers.
A similar accident occurred in Thrissur last year, Mr. Baby said. The boiler involved was operated by someone without a licence to operate boilers. He added that boiler operators have raised concerns about the gravity of the situation to the government, but the relevant department has been lackadaisical in conducting checks on boiler operations in industrial units.
The boiler operators claimed that several large and small industrial units in the Ernakulam district, including rice mills and plywood factories, were employing workers without licences. They said that this practice clearly invites accidents.
The boiler operators warned that the government agency responsible for safety should inspect factories, identify defaulters, halt operations, and impose exemplary punishment on factory owners. They said that if the government did not demonstrate a willingness to take action, they would be forced to resort to strong protest measures.
Published – October 13, 2024 11:07 pm IST