The blazing fire at Berger Becker paint factory highlights need for safety measures and demands stringent implementation of fire safety norms in industrial units. In past cases when industrial mishaps happened in Goa, officials have generally passed the buck to one another. The spate of industrial accidents in the country over the last couple of months underscore the need for the effective enforcement of laws relating to occupational safety and health. The Factories Act, 1948 is the main occupational safety and health related law in the country. There needs a periodical inspection of factories and industries using high combustible materials. The authorities have to carry out safety audits from time-to-time. The safety audit report is a very important document to ascertain the shortcomings in the management of hazards and risks. The inspector of factories should do regular and thorough inspection in order to ensure that the machinery, devices, boilers and pressure vessels used there are in a safe condition and that necessary fire safety measures are in place.
