Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Death at work: On industrial safety

Death at work: On industrial safety

A safety audit (सुरक्षा लेखा परीक्षा) is essential to prevent industrial accidents

The blast at pharma company Escientia’s plant in the Atchutapuram Special Economic Zone (SEZ) (विशेष आर्थिक क्षेत्र) in Anakapalli district, Andhra Pradesh, is the worst industrial accident in the region in recent times. Seventeen workers have died and many have been injured. On the same day, about 10 workers suffered injuries in a fire accident at a chemical factory in the same SEZ. Last year, on June 30, a massive explosion (विस्फोट) rocked a pharma plant, at the same SEZ, leading to deaths and injuries. The Atchutapuram SEZ, among the State’s largest SEZs, is home (place of origin, source, home ground) to the factories of more than 100 companies. The rash (series, succession, spate; a large number of similar things happening in quick succession) of accidents revives (पुनर्जीवित करना) memories of another deadly accident on May 7, 2020 — 12 people died after a styrene monomer (it is an important intermediate material used in the production of a variety of plastic and synthetic rubber products with key applications in various sectors. Styrene is a liquid hydrocarbon produced from ethylene and benzene) vapour leak from a polymers (By definition, polymers are large molecules made by bonding (chemically linking) a series of building blocks. The word polymer comes from the Greek words for “many parts.” Each of those parts is scientists call a monomer (which in Greek means “one part”). For example, plastic water bottle is a polymer) unit at Venkatapuram village on the outskirts (बाहरी इलाका) of Visakhapatnam. These accidents raise serious questions about the state of industrial safety in Andhra Pradesh, more specifically in the SEZ. State (condition) Home Minister V. Anitha has said that at Escientia, workers had tried to plug (रोकना) a solvent (विलायक) leak of the chemical/solvent MTBE (Methyl tert-butyl ether). Before the leak could be plugged, it fell on an electrical panel, leading to a fire and blast, she said. Meanwhile, the typical safety data sheet of MTBE — that operating personnel (कर्मचारी, कर्मी) should have been familiar with — says that it is highly flammable (ज्वलनशील) and its vapour can also cause skin and eye irritation. In case of accidental release, it specifically cautions against the serious risk of fire and explosion and lays down (निर्धारित करना) the use of explosion-proof (विस्फोटरोधी) electrical/ventilating/lighting equipment.

Trade unions and activists (कार्यकर्ता) are calling for stringent (strict, severe, extreme, rigorous) punishment to lax (negligent, careless, heedless, unmindful, inattentive, casual) managements. They also complain of abysmal (very bad, awful, terrible) safety standards. Their demand is for an immediate and thorough (complete, total, rigorous, in-depth, detailed, extensive, intensive) safety audit (inspection, investigation, scrutiny) of all units at the SEZs and elsewhere in Andhra Pradesh. A key complaint is exemption (special treatment, privilege, favouritism; immunity, exclusion, exception, indemnity, freedom) from government inspection given to units in SEZs and Export Processing Zones (industrial zones with special incentives set up to attract foreign investors, in which imported materials undergo some degree of processing before being exported again) in a 2016 order that brought into force the system of online inspections. This exemption will apparently (presumably, allegedly, supposedly, ostensibly, evidently, seemingly) apply to high-risk ones also, such as pharma and chemicals, in SEZs. Another is exemption from inspections given to medium-risk industries which can self-certify, based on third party audits (it is an assessment of a company’s internal controls, security practices, or compliance processes performed by an external organization independent of the customer-supplier relationship and is free of any conflict of interest), regarding (concerning , in/with regard to, with reference to, with respect to, in connection with) compliance (adherence, observance, conformity) with safety norms (standard, convention, regulation). Such government moves (measure, step, action) are intended to facilitate (make easier, clear the way for, assist/help) ease-of-doing business as frequent inspections by government staff may only lead to (कारण बनना) bribes and harassment (oppression, victimization, persecution, persistent annoyance, coercion/intimidation) without necessarily (certainly, surely, definitely, unquestionably, inevitably) improving safety. While the intent is a well worked out (well figured out, well found, well established, well accomplished) practice across the world, the series of accidents calls for a broader probe including in SEZs in Andhra Pradesh so that any loopholes (ambiguity in the law; flaw/fault, defect) present can be fixed. Swift (rapid, quick, speedy, fast, instant, prompt, immediate, sudden, expeditious) delivery of justice by punishing non-compliance (disregard, refusal, disagreement, disobedience, dissent, objection) of norms and the award of punitive (disciplinary, corrective, retributive) damages (money compensation to plaintifff (petitioner) for loss or injury caused by the wrongful act of another person (defendant/accused)) will be a deterrent (a person/thing that discourages an action and makes it difficult to do) against ignoring safety.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.at work (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - काम पर, कार्यस्थल पर
English Meaning - at one’s job or at one’s place of employment.

2.safety audit (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सुरक्षा लेखा परीक्षा
English Meaning - a systematic review to analyze the risks and hazards in the workplace and evaluate the effectiveness and reliability of the safety procedures set up in the organization.

3.special economic zone (SEZ) (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विशेष आर्थिक क्षेत्र
English Meaning - Special economic zones (SEZs) are geographically delimited areas within which governments facilitate industrial activity through fiscal and regulatory incentives and infrastructure support. SEZs are widely used across most developing and many developed economies.

4.explosion (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विस्फोट
English Meaning - blast, detonation, discharge, eruption, ignition, bowing up.

5.lead to (verb)

Hindi Meaning - कारण बनना
English Meaning - result in, cause, bring on, bring about, give rise to.

6.revive (verb)

Hindi Meaning - पुनर्जीवित करना
English Meaning - bring back.

7.outskirts (noun)

Hindi Meaning - बाहरी इलाका
English Meaning - outlying part of a city; suburbs.

8.plug (verb)

Hindi Meaning - रोकना
English Meaning - stop, seal off, close off, block, fill, fill up, pack.

9.solvent (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विलायक
English Meaning - A liquid that dissolves another substance or substances to form a solution.

10.personnel (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कर्मचारी, कर्मी
English Meaning - staff, employee, worker.

11.flammable (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - ज्वलनशील
English Meaning - relating to the substances that can be set fire to (with a source of ignition). Whereas inflammable can catch fire by themselves (without needing a source of ignition).

12.lay down (phrasal verb)

Hindi Meaning - निर्धारित करना
English Meaning - formulate, stipulate, set down, draw up, frame.

13.explosion-proof (EP)(adjective)

Hindi Meaning - विस्फोटरोधी
English Meaning - relating to a crucial requirement for equipment intended for use in hazardous (classified) locations. These locations are known to have potentially ignitable, flammable, or combustible atmospheres, where a mere spark could trigger an explosive reaction

14.ventilating (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - वायु संचारक
English Meaning - relating to the system/equipment which supplies fresh air to a room.

15.activist (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कार्यकर्ता
English Meaning - a person who supports a political change or cause; (or societal change/cause).

16.audit (noun)

English Meaning - inspection, investigation, scrutiny.

17.rock (verb)

English Meaning - shock, stun, stagger, shake up, unnerve, disconcert.

18.home (noun)

English Meaning - place of origin, source, home ground.

19.rash (noun)

English Meaning - series, succession, spate; a large number of similar things happening in quick succession.

20.styrene monomer (noun)

English Meaning - it is an important intermediate material used in the production of a variety of plastic and synthetic rubber products with key applications in various sectors. Styrene is a liquid hydrocarbon produced from ethylene and benzene.

21.polymer (noun)

English Meaning - By definition, polymers are large molecules made by bonding (chemically linking) a series of building blocks. The word polymer comes from the Greek words for “many parts.” Each of those parts is scientists call a monomer (which in Greek means “one part”). For example, plastic water bottle is a polymer.

22.state (noun)

English Meaning - condition.

23.Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) (noun)

English Meaning - it is a flammable liquid with a distinctive, disagreeable odor.

24.call for (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - require, publicly ask/necessitate, demand.

25.stringent (adjective)

English Meaning - strict, severe, extreme, rigorous.

26.lax (adjective)

English Meaning - negligent, careless, heedless, unmindful, inattentive, casual.

27.abysmal (adjective)

English Meaning - very bad, awful, terrible.

28.thorough (adjective)

English Meaning - complete, total, rigorous, in-depth, detailed, extensive, intensive.

29.exemption (noun)

English Meaning - special treatment, privilege, favouritism; immunity, exclusion, exception, indemnity, freedom.

30.Export Processing Zone (EPZ) (noun)

English Meaning - industrial zones with special incentives set up to attract foreign investors, in which imported materials undergo some degree of processing before being exported again.

31.bring into force (phrase)

English Meaning - (of a law or regulation) make active, become operative, take effect, put into action.

32.apparently (adverb)

English Meaning - presumably, allegedly, supposedly, ostensibly, evidently, seemingly.

33.third party audit (noun)

English Meaning - it is an assessment of a company’s internal controls, security practices, or compliance processes performed by an external organization independent of the customer-supplier relationship and is free of any conflict of interest.

34.regarding (preposition)

English Meaning - concerning , in/with regard to, with reference to, with respect to, in connection with.

35.compliance (noun)

English Meaning - adherence, observance, conformity.

36.norm (noun)

English Meaning - standard, convention, regulation.

37.move (noun)

English Meaning - measure, step, action.

38.facilitate (verb)

English Meaning - make easier, clear the way for, assist/help.

39.Ease of Doing Business Index/Ranking (noun)

English Meaning - Ease of doing business is an index annually published by the World Bank. Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business, from 1–190. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm. The rankings are determined by sorting the aggregate scores on 10 topics. Doing business ranking is based on quantitative indicators on regulation for starting a business, dealing with construction permits, getting electricity, registering property, getting credit, protecting minority investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts and resolving insolvency.

40.harassment (noun)

English Meaning - oppression, victimization, persecution, persistent annoyance, coercion/intimidation.

41.necessarily (adverb)

English Meaning - certainly, surely, definitely, unquestionably, inevitably.

42.well worked out (adjective)

English Meaning - well figured out, well found, well established, well accomplished.

43.broader superlative adjective of broad (adjective)

English Meaning - comprehensive, extensive, wide, wide-ranging, broad-ranging.

44.loophole (noun)

English Meaning - ambiguity in the law; flaw/fault, defect.

45.swift (adjective)

English Meaning - rapid, quick, speedy, fast, instant, prompt, immediate, sudden, expeditious.

46.non-compliance (noun)

English Meaning - disregard, refusal, disagreement, disobedience, dissent, objection.

47.punitive (adjective)

English Meaning - disciplinary, corrective, retributive.

48.damage (noun)

English Meaning - money compensation to plaintifff (petitioner) for loss or injury caused by the wrongful act of another person (defendant/accused).

49.punitive damage (noun)

English Meaning - also called “exemplary damages,” which are damages assessed in the legal process to punish a defendant for negligence. This payment is on top of compensatory damages.

50.deterrent (noun)

English Meaning - a person/thing that discourages an action and makes it difficult to do.