India develops chemical safety guidance for isolated storage and industry

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) have developed an integrated guidance framework for chemical safety in isolated storage and industries subject to the Manufacture, Storage, and Import of Hazardous Chemicals Rules, 1989 (MSIHC Rules).This is in accordance with the National Environmental Court Order dated June 11, 2021.

This framework covers chemical accident scenarios such as hazardous chemical spills/leaks, fires, explosions, or other accidents resulting from hazardous chemical handling, and it provides guidance to industrial units for conducting safety audits in accordance with the Indian Standard IS14489: 2018 Code of Practice on Occupational Safety and Health Audit.

Furthermore, in 1948, India enacted the Factories Act to ensure the occupational safety, health, and welfare of workers in factories registered under the Act. The Control of Industrial Major Accident Hazards (CIMAH) Rules, established under Section 41B of the Factories Act, prescribe "Safety Reports" and "Safety Audit Reports" for facilities where serious accidents are a possibility. The MSIHC and CIMAH rules are enforced by the government of each state or union territory's Chief Inspector of Factories (CIF) or Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health (DISH). The government of the state or union territory has control over the details of companies that fail safety audits and the actions taken against such companies.