| Workplaces in India are accidents in the making. | | | | However the Indian managers think that such |
| Except a few multinational factories and | | | | rules make way for laziness. The general feeling is |
| installations - most local companies have appallingly | | | | the safety is an excuse used by workers to |
| low standards of safety. The reasons for this are | | | | refuse to work! Needless to say most workers |
| many fold, but a lot has to do with the way | | | | hesitate to bring up hazard issues - in the fear |
| workplace safety is looked at in India. So here are | | | | that they will looked upon as lazy workers. |
| the five most important reasons why any one | | | | 4. The post of a safety officer should go to the |
| from outside India should be wary of working in | | | | most useless manager: Yes thats right! In Indian |
| an Indian organisation on a long term basis. | | | | industries the most un-qualified, useless people |
| 1. Safety is for the weak and the stupid: This is | | | | become safety officers. That is because a safety |
| the foremost attitude problem in India as regards | | | | officer is a burden on the bottom line. He is a |
| safety. The common refrain heard from many a | | | | non-productive asset, someone to be avoided and |
| worker in India is - "I am not stupid that I need a | | | | generally overlooked. So if top management does |
| hard hat / safety shoe." Or another common | | | | not like some one - they make him the safety |
| refrain is - "... the brave don't need protection!..." | | | | officer. |
| With such prevailing attitudes it is not difficult to | | | | 5. Accident investigations are done by the police: |
| understand why a safe work place is not a | | | | Indian industries do not believe in investigating past |
| particularly desirable work place in India! | | | | accidents to learn lessons. Instead - in the case of |
| 2. Safety cannot affect our bottom-line: Yes, you | | | | a really bad accident ( a few deaths would qualify |
| heard it right. Thats the attitude of higher | | | | as a bad one), the police are called upon to |
| management in most Indian small and medium | | | | investigate. In such a situation the company |
| industries. If buying a pair of safety gloves for | | | | fabricates,lies and tells tall stories to explain away |
| every worker amounts to a substantial cost - | | | | the accident. The idea is to cover up the holes so |
| then such buying will be postponed, haggled upon, | | | | nobody can be blamed. Needless to say a lot of |
| differed indefinitely and in general treated in such | | | | the police officers are already "bought" - and are |
| a fashion that it eventually never happens! Buying | | | | on payrolls of top management. The loser is the |
| substantial things for the interest of safety is the | | | | poor worker and his family. They lose everything |
| joke that the Indian managers laugh at - after a | | | | - every time! |
| few drinks at the bar. | | | | So if you are desirous of working in an Indian firm |
| 3. Safe work ethics encourage low productivity: | | | | - choose desk jobs. Keep in mind that safe |
| Some multinationals operating in India have | | | | working conditions are not among the top |
| imposed safe driving habits among their staff. One | | | | priorities for the top management! Safety often |
| of the more contentious ones is the requirement | | | | takes a back seat to money-making, which in the |
| of adequate sleep between very long drives. | | | | end makes it a hazard to work in Indian industries. |