The Imperative of Corporate Responsibility in Occupational Safety
Good morning, everyone.
I would like to say a few words about occupational hazards and corporate responsibility. The bottom line is that human life is invaluable. Once a life is lost at a workplace, there is no way to compensate the family for that loss. Quarterly results and financial metrics can be managed in the next quarter, but a lost life is irretrievable. Therefore, it is the responsibility of every corporate leader to ensure that the workplace is safe for employees, as well as for customers and clients.
Quarterly results and financial metrics can be managed in the next quarter, but a lost life is irretrievable. Therefore, it is the responsibility of every corporate leader to ensure that the workplace is safe for employees, as well as for customers and clients.
Yesterday, we saw several award winners recognized for maintaining impressive safety records, especially in process industries, with millions of man-hours without accidents or injuries. These successful models exist within the Indian corporate sector. However, it is troubling that negligence has caused significant loss of life recently. Notable incidents include accidents involving Indian Railways, mall fires, and a devastating fire in an ICU at a hospital in Delhi, where newborn babies lost their lives. Hopefully, the system will hold those responsible accountable, as negligence leading to loss of life can be considered criminal under IPC sections. The panel will now present their individual company's efforts to maintain a safe working environment and protect clients.
Please keep your presentations brief and focused on how to prevent accidents and save lives, both for employees and clients. Lengthy descriptions of processes are secondary to the core issue of preventing preventable accidents.
Thank you, and we look forward to hearing from the panelists.
Excerpts from the 'Special Address' delivered by Mr. Ram Ramasundaram, IAS (Retd.), President - Corporate Affairs, Hero Future Energies (HFE) in th 'Session-VIII (A)' of the 25 International Conference on Environment Management and Climate Change, held on June 28, 2024 in Hotel The Lalit Ashok, Bengaluru.
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