The chemicals plant at Babrala, in consonance with Tata Chemicals' corporate policy, adheres to the most stringent global safety, health and environment (SHE) standards

The certified and integrated safety, health and environment (SHE) management system at Babrala adheres to ISO-14001 as well as OHSAS-18001 norms. The safety-management system here is benchmarked against guidelines set by the British Safety Council (BSC), one of the world's leading workplace health, safety and environment organisations.

In addition, the plant has an elaborate housekeeping scheme, a fire and safety department and an excellent accident-prevention programme.

Four-star rating from the British Safety Council
To benchmark its safety-management system with the best international standards, TCL applied the principles of BSC's 'five-star audit'. The Babrala plant has received a four-star rating, with a score of 89.85 per cent (92 per cent and above qualifies for a five-star rating). Procedures and systems have been developed and implemented in the Babrala complex to meet the requirements of BSC's 82 norms.

Responsible Care
TCL is a signatory to Responsible Care, an initiative of the global chemicals industry. To implement this concept and build a culture of responsibility in the fertiliser division, a steering committee, code drivers and other team members have been appointed.

Workplace organisation through 5-S
In order to establish and maintain a quality environment and to improve safety management in the industry, the fertiliser division practises the Japanese 5-S technique. Awareness programmes on 5-S for employees are being conducted and implementation has begun in selected areas.

Good housekeeping
The purpose of good housekeeping is to provide a safe working environment that is ergonomically friendly to workers and helps in achieving a zero-accident rate.

Under TCL's housekeeping system, four teams have been formed, each responsible for a particular area. To motivate and enthuse the teams, an annual contest is held and awards are given for the best performance.

Compliance with statutory provisions
The Babrala fertiliser plant is fully compliant with all legal and other provisions of the Indian government. Some of these include:

	Factories Act, 1948
	Uttar Pradesh Factories Rules, 1950
	Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemicals Rules, 1989
	Gas Cylinder Rules, 1981
	Petroleum Act, 1934

Disaster management plan
In order to be prepared for any kind of accident, TCL has devised a comprehensive disaster management plan. Every six months, a full rehearsal of the on-site emergency action plan is conducted to ensure that every employee retains familiarity to emergency procedures.

TCL and the Narora Atomic Power Plant have an arrangement for mutual aid, in case of an emergency either at Babrala or Narora. With specific reference to fire hazards, the Babrala management has taken several measures aimed at prevention and contingency planning. Some of these are:

	Imparting training for fire prevention and practical fire fighting to the employees.
	Periodic rehearsals for fire fighting at potentially risky locations.
	Regular plant inspection by safety committees.
	Periodic maintenance and upkeep of fire-fighting gadgets and systems such as extinguishers, fire tenders, sprinklers, fire hydrants, foam systems, flammable gas-leak detectors, fire-alarm systems, etc.
	Strategic placement of fire-fighting equipment.
	Regular fitness training and fire drills for the fire-fighting crew.

Accident prevention
The neglect of near-miss incidents is the cause of major accidents. A near-miss accident is an occurrence that had potential to cause harm in terms of human injury, property damage or a release to the environment, but did not. It is an unplanned and uncontrolled event, which, under slightly different circumstances, could have resulted in an injury, damage to property or a release to the environment. Hence, it is imperative to have a system of reporting and recording all near-miss incidents.

Any employee / contract worker who comes across a near-miss incident is encouraged to immediately report it to the fire and safety department by writing a brief description of the near miss in a prescribed format. The objective of the scheme is to identify and analyse the root cause of near-miss incidents and prevent major accidents. A committee, comprising a chairperson, a secretary and seven members, has been constituted to administer the near-miss scheme. As an incentive to the staff, an award is given to the three most important near-miss reports of the year at the National Safety Day celebration.