IV – SAFETY CONFERENCE

The Fourth Conference of Mines Safety was held in December-1978, at New Delhi. A minor consolation was the fact that it was the first conference which had not been held just after a major disaster. The conference discussed the suggestions, put forward by the Polish and the ILO experts, on the following lines-

• New strategies to be mapped out to achieve the objectives of reaching ZAP (Zero Accident Potential)
• A training College to be developed to train up the specialist like surveyor, engineer, ventilation officer, safety officer, etc.
• The statute to be made more rigorous, identifying higher standards of safety and prescribing the minimal conditions that are conducive to safety.
• The managements to develop their own internal safety organization, to be placed directly under the Managing Director, and work out its guidelines.

[The National Conferences on Safety in mines discuss the emerging safety issues in mines to identify the thrust areas for improvement in the safety standards in Indian mines and are attended by different stakeholders from mining industry of the country. The conferences review the status of safety in mining and adequacy of existing measures in improving working conditions in mines in a spirit of mutual cooperation.

This National Conference is the highest tripartite forum at the national level for deliberation on issues connected with safety and health in mines. CEOs of the mining companies as employers' representatives, the leaders of the Central Trade Unions as workers' representatives, representatives of the Central and State Governments, professional institutions, academic and research institutes and members of Parliamentary Standing Committee of the Ministry of Labour and Employment participate as delegates in the conference.]