Neglect of workers’ safety: 249 factories face legal action

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Factory owners are legally responsible for providing safety equipment to workers and ensuring its proper use. Yet, neglecting these duties has led to accidents in many factories. Over the past six years, the Industrial Safety Department has filed cases against 249 factories, with 79 of them already concluded. Courts have imposed fines totaling over Rs 10.79 lakhs and stressed strict compliance with safety norms.

Each region has offices of the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health, whose senior officials regularly inspect factories. Despite these inspections, 72 factories in Marathwada reported fatal accidents over the past six years, claiming 102 lives. Incidents included fires, explosions, and severe injuries. In such cases, the Industrial Safety Department files legal proceedings against the responsible factory owners, company managers, and safety officers. Over the past six years, cases have been filed against 249 factories in various courts across Marathwada.

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170 cases pending

Hearings for cases against 170 factories where accidents occurred are still pending in various courts. These include 8 cases from 2020, 19 from 2021, 30 from 2022, 27 from 2023, 44 from 2024, and 42 from the current year.