The 21st Annual Greentech Workplace Safety Summit & Awards 2023 was held in New Delhi recently. It was organised by a New Delhi not-for-profit institution, Greentech Foundation.
Shree Dipak Misra, Former Chief Justice of India while inaugurating the summit said that there are hundreds of ways workers get injured on the job, from poor ergonomic practices and slips and falls to heat risk and insufficient training. The typical corporate safety program needs to address all these challenges workplace workers face on a daily basis. It’s time for companies to begin implementing increased safety measures and correct dangerous employee behaviour and movements to ensure workers' safety and avoid hazardous mistakes moving forward, he said
Congratulating the efforts of Shri Kamleshwar Sharan, Chairman & CEO of Greentech Foundation Shri Dipak Misra suggested carrying out the movement of sensitizing the workplace employees to improve safety practices by adopting the latest technologies to protect precious lives.
Shelly Oberoi, Mayor of New Delhi said, Workplace safety is not only important to employees but also to employers. It is the duty of employers to provide a safer work environment. The safer workplaces will have a greater impact on the output and productivity of the employees. Employees are pillars of the organisation. Their safety is of paramount importance. It builds their confidence and improves employees' and employers' relationships. Safety of the workplace is more important, especially those industries which are hazardous, deal in chemicals, and heavy machinery, she said.
To follow safety measures, always follow ABC,--Always Be Careful. Safety should not be minded but bonded, she said.
Addressing the gathering at the Summit, Shri Suresh Prabhu, Former Railway Minister, Govt. of India asked safety professionals to make Safety a Top Priority to reduce Workplace Injuries and Deaths. When companies invest in the right safety technology, the returns become a more productive and happier workplace as well as money saved on health care and workers' compensation costs, said Suresh Prabhu.
With the economy resting on the back of industrial employees and workers, the time is now to make safety a top priority, he reiterated.
The four most common workplace injuries include over-exertion, slips, trips and falls, repetitive motion injuries and colliding with a stationary object or equipment. Many of these accidents result in ergonomic injuries, which impact the body’s movement or musculoskeletal system, often resulting in strains, sprains and pulls. These injuries can happen gradually or in an instant, and often result in workers being sent home early or missing work. Musculoskeletal injuries are responsible for almost 30 percent of all worker's compensation costs, proving to be a major pain point for companies, he said.
Prof. Jagdish Mukhi, Former Governor of Assam said Workplace Injuries were Rising Every Year. The standard safety and health measures such as PPE, training programs and daily stretching routines are no longer enough to keep workers safe. Further, he added that prioritizing the safety and health of workers means focusing on where and when injuries are occurring and fixing the issues at the source. With musculoskeletal injuries accounting for the largest category of workplace injuries, it is vital for companies to look at their employees and workers as humans and protect them from injury or even death.