BELLARY: Vatsala Vatsa, Principal, Secretary Department of Labour, has underlined the need to accord priority to safety in industries.

She was speaking after inaugurating the Gulbarga regional-level Industrial Safety Day celebrations 2006 organised at Jindal Township in Toranagal of Bellary district on Friday.

Ms. Vatsa said steps have to be taken to adopt necessary measures for the safety of those working in industries.

The Government will extend all cooperation to industries in this regard, she added. K.G. Krishnappa, Director of Industries and Boilers, said there are 10,500 registered industries in the State in which 10 lakh workers, including two lakh women, are working. Most of the accidents in industries occur mainly because of human error or negligence.

The department has been organising programmes to create awareness among the workers about safety and health aspects. The number of accidents in the unorganised sector is on the decline, he said.

Mr. Krishnappa said the department needs 300 safety officers. It is facing a shortage of funds.

He hoped that the posts of safety officer will be filled after the proposed institution to impart training in post-diploma in industrial safety and fire is established. B.N. Singh, Joint Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Jindal Vijayanagar Steel Ltd., spoke. on the occasion

R.R. Chasalkar of the Raichur Thermal Power Station; Vinod Nowal, Executive Director of Jindal; B. Karthikeyan, Director (Safety) Monsanto India Ltd, and Vikas Sharma, Managing Director of Jindal Praxair Oxygen Ltd., were among those present.

Rajkumar Joseph of Jindal Praxair welcomed the gathering.

Prizes and awards were given away to industries for adopting safety norms.

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