With just a few days left till the end of the COVID-19 lockdown on May 17, the Tamil Nadu government on Monday issued guidelines for restarting manufacturing industries post lockdown.
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The guidelines were necessary, since following several weeks of lockdown and closure of industrial units, “it is possible that some of the operators might not have followed the established Standard Operating Procedure”. As a result, some manufacturing facilities, pipelines, valves, etc., may have residual chemicals, which may pose a risk, Revenue Secretary Atulya Misra said. He communicated the guidelines framed by the Centre — and endorsed by the State — to all District Collectors, Secretaries of Industries, Labour and Public Works Departments and other authorities.
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The Centre’s guidelines, issued incidentally two days after a gas leak in Visakhapatnam, said, “When lockout/tag-out procedures are not in place, many energy sources can prove to be hazardous to operators/supervisors, who are servicing or maintaining electrical, mechanical or chemical equipment.”
When restarting units, industries should consider the first week as the trial or test-run period, and ensure adherence to safety protocols. To minimise risk, employees who work on specific equipment must be made aware of the need to identify abnormalities.
The guidelines also spelt out specific norms to be followed for the storage of raw material and manufacturing processes (carrying to tightness test, service test and vacuum hold test, among others). Temperature checks have to be undertaken on all employees twice a day, and workers showing symptoms should not report for duty. The importance of hand sanitisers, COVID-19 awareness and quarantine and physical distancing measures were among the aspects highlighted in the guidelines.
“Factories have to prepare accommodation to isolate workers, if needed. HR has to help manage the whole process for the individual, and all travelling employees must undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine,” the guidelines said.
