The absence of crucial and fundamental precautionary safety rules and regulations that are a vital element of vulnerable sites is a criminal neglect by the managements concerned and calls for severe legal punishments. Although the nation has completed 65 years of its independence, it is still worried about the safety of the people, their assets, homes and businesses. It is very important to implement safety rules and regulations in the country in letter and in spirit. Despite claims by authorities that strict measures are under way to control such incidents, very little practical steps or rules are enforced to control or minimise industrial and commercial accidents. The international law of QHSE requires all organisations employing workers exposed to hazards to ensure the inclusion of Occupational Health Safety Environment and Quality units as essential parts of the management system. We also require professional dedicated personnel to take up this task and get people familiarised with safety regulations. Being a developing country much input is required to ensure safety of every citizen. This can only be done if we have non – political personnel holding such offices as protect and safeguard the interest and safety of workers. Most buildings in the country are without emergency exits and fire – fighting equipment. No basic training for employees or institutional inspections takes place.
The responsibility should not only be shared by the government alone. Civil society and educational institutions should provide training skills and awareness to children at school level so that basic safety culture is introduced from the start. Another important aspect of the incident is that workers were living in the factory and were performing their duties as well. This is totally against the safety standards of any industry. Accommodation should always be away from the workplace. Did any of the authorities who issue licences check why workers were living in the same building which had no proper escape route or secondary emergency exit?
M. MISHAL A. KHAN,
Kuwait, September21