NDMA Issues Guidelines For Restarting Manufacturing Industries After COVID-19 Lockdown, Says 'Don't Try to Achieve High Production Target'
The National Disaster Management Authority, which comes under the Ministry of Home Affairs, has issued guidelines for restarting manufacturing factories after the lockdown.
New Delhi, May 10: The National Disaster Management Authority, which comes under the Ministry of Home Affairs, has issued guidelines for restarting manufacturing factories after the nationwide lockdown is lifted. In its guidelines, the NDMA advised manufacturing industries to consider the first week as a trial or test run period while starting the unit. "Ensure all safety protocols and don't try to achieve high production targets," said the NDMA guidelines. Coronavirus Live Tracker For India.
The NDAM said It is important that employees who work on specific equipments are sensitized to minimise the risk. "Employees should be made aware of abnormalities like strange sounds or smell, exposed wires, vibrations, leaks, smoke, abnormal wobbling, irregular grinding or other potentially hazardous signs which indicate the need for an immediate maintenance or if required shutdown," it added. India's COVID-19 Recovery Rate Improves to 29.36%, No Positive Cases in 216 Districts: Health Ministry.
The NDMA cautioned manufacturing units about hazardous chemicals that may have generated during the lockdown. "Due to several weeks of lockdown and the closure of industrial units during the lockdown period, it is possible that some of the operators might not have followed the established SOP. As a
result, some of the manufacturing facilities, pipelines, valves, etc. may have residual chemicals, which may pose risk," it warned.
"The same is true for the storage facilities with hazardous chemicals and flammable materials," the central agency added. This came in the wake of a gas leak at LG Polymers chemical plant in Visakhapatnam that claimed lives of 12 people and left many unconscious. For workers, the NDMA has advised for 24 hours sanitisation of the factory premises. For entrance health checks, it said, temperature checks of all employees should be done twice a day.
"Workers showing symptoms should not report to work. Gloves, masks and hand sanitizers should be provided at all factories and manufacturing units," it added. In case of working in shifts, the NDMA said, factories which work 24 hours at full production capacity should consider one hour gap between shifts except factories and plants requiring continuous operations.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 10, 2020 09:30 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).