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Around 77 workers in auto factories suffered severe injuries this year: Report

ByAditi Shekar
Dec 18, 2022 07:19 PM IST

The injured workers, many of who are poor migrants recruited contractually, claimed to have designated work days extending for more than 12 hours daily in the report

At least 77 industrial workers sustained severe injuries with loss of body parts in automotive factory accidents in Pune between January and October 2022, revealed a report on worker safety by the Safe-in-India Foundation.

With companies falling short in the provision of skill training, labourers hired without a suitable skill in handling machinery are prone to factory injuries. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)
With companies falling short in the provision of skill training, labourers hired without a suitable skill in handling machinery are prone to factory injuries. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

Safe-in-India Foundation, in its latest report, ‘Crushed 2022’, stated that 76.7 per cent of the injuries have occurred to helpers who legally do not meet the education and skill requirements. The Automotive Skills Development Council (ASDC) dictates a minimum requirement of Class 8 as the education level for workers to function in a press factory, with the necessary skills.

A crush injury is typically observed with loss of fingers or other body parts on account of unsafe working environments. The injured workers, many of who are poor migrants recruited contractually, claimed to have designated work days extending for more than 12 hours daily in the report. The industrial safety and health department’s inspections in Maharashtra have also reduced significantly over the years, providing opportunities for unmonitored factory setups.

With companies falling short in the provision of skill training, labourers hired without a suitable skill in handling machinery are prone to factory injuries.

“Contract workers are not provided with safety and machine training before employment; hence, most injuries are endured by them. Maharashtra now imposes a 20 per cent inspection rule, which companies are aware of. They do not fear surprise inspections and hence, it is hard to gauge the shortcomings of the industrial arena,” said an official at Pune’s office of factory inspection, requesting anonymity.

Safe in India Foundation extended their research about factory accidents to Maharashtra only recently, primarily in Pune from August this year.

“We have observed at least 50 workers get injured in factory settings of Pune every month. The Employees’ State Insurance. The corporation (ESIC) policy of a ten-day period for the registration of workers is mainly taken advantage of by organisations. The insurance body sometimes rejects applications for insurance post accidents,” said Masab Shamsi, head of the worker assistance centre at Safe in India Foundation

Factories employing at least 10 or more workers must mandatorily register them under ESIC, right before undertaking of responsibilities by the employed. Injured labourers are also mostly students, aiming to pursue education eventually after working under these companies for a while, according to officials at Safe in India Foundation.

“A trend is observed in the case of employment. Factory workers, post- injury are dismissed from their jobs after a few months of reintroduction to their work. The lack of education in the labour community keeps them in the dark. The employees also need to travel for a distance of 20 kilometres sometimes to reach ESIC offices for insurance and claim them in hospitals, most of them being migrant workers,” said Shamsi.

ESIC health cards provide healthcare access to workers and their families with compensation for any form of injury. Around 53 per cent of these injured workers were given their ESIC(E - pehchaan) cards post-injury and workers were often taken to private hospitals before reporting to ESIC hospitals in Pune.

“An online accident report must be filed by companies registered with ESIC, in such cases. Action will be taken against companies that do not file this report or that do not enable insurance cards for workers. Based on the type of injuries, the medical board assesses the situation, and monetary help is provided. In case of factory accidents, with unskilled labourers and a lack of safety equipment, earning capacity sometimes reduces. Such cases will demand a payment to the workers from a percentage of the previous salary, even if the workers are employed elsewhere after the injury. We will look into the matter, and address the issues regularly,” said Hemant Mand, head of the Western Maharashtra wing in ESIC.

“Health and safety of factory workers are very important, towards which Maratha Chamber of Commerce Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA) conducts several programmes. Many companies benefit from the same, and we encourage more of them to participate in these workshops, which will only reduce such incidents. We organise these workshops every week to enhance safety precautions in companies,” said Prashant Girbane, director-general of MCCIA.

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