Ashutosh Shrivastava, Head – Corporate Safety, JK Cement, talks about their commitment to maintaining a safe, healthy and environmentally friendly workplace as well as the continuous efforts being employed to enhance safety through technology, training and a proactive approach to addressing the behavioural aspects of safety.

What is the definition of a ‹safe› plant in your organisation?
Safe plant concept means safety of the entire workforce, including both employees and visitors coming to the plant for their respective nature of activity, by taking appropriate safety control measures as per the risk associated with the activity.

Tell us about the key areas where safety in a cement plant is of paramount importance?
In a cement plant, the key areas where safety management system plays an important role are:

• Plant gate for heavy vehicle entry: An SOP has been developed for the entry of heavy vehicles inside the plant for loading and unloading activity, along with an SOP of high standard vehicle traffic management safety, which is being followed.
• Packing plant area: In the cement industry, the maximum workforce involved is at the packing plant operation, as the major activity of cementing bags and loading them onto vehicles by using conveyor belts at loading points is being undertaken. For safe loading operations, an SOP has been developed. The SOP Task Risk Assessment is conducted and applied along with safety control measures, based on activity SOP.
• Process area: To maintain safe process operations, various associated activities are carried out. For example:
• Hot material handling: Poking and cyclone jam cleaning activities at preheater and kiln locations, etc.
  Hot work: Naked flame producing activity (welding / grinding / gas cutting)
  Working at height activity: Work at 1.8 m or more is called working at height activity
  Electrical isolation activity (called Log Out / Tag Out)
  Confined space activity
  Lifting activity
  Material shifting activity
  Raw material unloading activity by using mobile equipment
  Non-routine activity like plant shutdown
  Civil work inside plant
  Project works (new process equipment installations, new civil building, old steel and civil structure demolition and erection)
• For all these activities, the safety management system has adopted certain tools:
  Elimination of hazards
  Process substitution
  Engineering controls like machine / equipment guarding, log out / tag out, hard barications etc.
  Administrative controls like permit to work system for high risk activities, Activity SOPs/OCP, activity risk assessment, job specific safety training, tool box talks, workplace safety inspection, safety observation tours, hazards reporting, near-miss and incident reportings, safety meetings, etc.
• What are the safety equipment used by the personnel in different areas of work?
• Since there are different types of activities going on inside a cement plant, based on a specific activity, the workforce uses personal protective equipment (PPE) and other safe design equipment, such as:
• Hot works (welding / grinding / gas cutting): Heat resistance suit, hot work safety hand gloves, face shields, hot works safety goggles, safety helmet, safety shoes, gas cylinders pressure gauge, flash back arrestors, fire hydrant line, fire extinguishers, etc.
• Height works: Full body safety harness with double lanyard with shock absorber, life line, safe design scaffolding platform, boom lift, scissor lift, cherry picker, safety goggles, safety helmet, safety shoes, job specific safety hand gloves, etc.
• Hot material handling activity: Full body heat resistance suit, hot material handling safety gloves, heat resistance safety shoes, heat resistance face shield, fire hydrant line, fire extinguishers, etc.
• Confined space works: Use of gas detectors, forced ventilation system, life line. rescue equipment, electrical isolation system (log out / tag out), safety goggles, safety helmet, safety shoes, job specific safety hand gloves and nose mask.
• Electrical works: Electrical isolation system (log out / tag out), safety goggles, electrical job specific safety helmet, electrical job specific safety shoes, electrical job specific safety hand gloves, electrical job specific face hood, electrical shock resistance suit, etc.
• Lifting activity: Third party approved lifting tools and tackles and third party approved mobile equipment (mobile cranes).
• Material shifting activity by using mobile cranes: Third party approved lifting tools and tackles, third party approved mobile equipment (mobile cranes, fork lift, etc).

Tell us about your organisation’s policies about safety for people working in the plants?
Summary of the company’s Safety, Health and Environment Policy:

• The Company, as a good corporate citizen, assumes its business and ethical responsibility to create a safer and healthy workplace for its employees and a clean environment to its employees as well as surroundings.
• With the company›s global vision, we aspire for the highest international standards in plant design, equipment section, maintenance and operation, which are consistent with its emerging leadership position in cement business, the company will constantly encourage higher international standards in all areas including safety, health and environment.
• The Company as a part of its corporate philosophy and policy is committed to manufacture products safely and in an environment-friendly manner with due consideration for occupational health for employees and others who may be involved and / or affected by its operation.
• The company will comply with all applicable laws and regulations (local /state/federal) pertaining to its operations.
• The Company widely participates with the government, the industry and others concerned in creating relevant laws, regulations and standards to safeguard the community, workplace and environment.
• The Company is committed to the safety and health of the surrounding community at each manufacturing site and will make sure that any adverse environmental impact is minimised.
• The Company will provide adequate resources for the implementation and monitoring of safety policy.
• Each site and department will have this policy prominently displayed so as to bring it to the attention of all employees.

Does technology play a role in ensuring plant safety? If yes, how?
The technology used for safety purposes at JK Cement comprises:

• Digital safety management system module, which includes permit to work system, workplace hazard reporting and investigation, workplace near-miss reporting and investigation, workplace safety observation tour, safety statistics analysis, etc.
• Fire / smoke detectors installations at fire risk areas (reference AFR operation, bag go down, etc.) and connected with the emergency control room.
• Digital Control System (DCS) to control and monitor plant operations.
• Nitrogen Purging System installation at process equipment (reference coal fine bins, liquid AFR installation, etc.)
• Temperature sensors installation in different equipment.
• Gas Detection Monitoring by using multi gas detectors for confined space activity.
• CCTV cameras installed at multiple locations.
• GPS installation in company vehicles, etc.

• Tell us about the major challenges faced in ensuring plant safety?
• In the cement industry, the major challenge that we are facing is the behaviour of the workforce towards safety. To deal this challenge, we have developed safety management system tools that include:
• Safety Awareness Tool (safety induction, activity tool box talks, job specific safety training, monthly safety campaign and circulation incident-based safety alert).
• Safety Inspection Tool (behaviour-based safety observation tour, workplace safety round, focus internal safety audit and external safety audit).
• Reporting Tool (near miss reporting, hazard reporting and incident reporting).
• Emergency Preparedness Tool (mock drills, onsite emergency plan, fire fighting equipment facility and medical emergency facility).
• Risk Assessment Tool (job safety analysis, hazard identification and risk assessment).
• Safety Observation Discussion Platform Tool (monthly safety review meeting, management representative and workers representative safety committee meeting and daily all plants manufacturing meeting).
• Safety Guidelines Tool (Activity SOP / OCP, safety hand book, contractor obligation and OHS guidelines and activity dos and don’ts).
• Workplace Safety Display Tool (activity safety display and activity SOP display).
• Administrative Control Tool (risky activity permit to work system).
• Incident Investigation Tool (root cause analysis, CAPA and safety recommendation).

Do you conduct safety training and audits for your plant personnel? Explain in detail.
Workplace Safety Trainings and Safety Audits are an important tool of safety management system:
Safety Awareness Tools:

• Safety Induction
• Activity Tool Box Talks
• Job Specific Safety Training
• Monthly Safety Campaign
• Circulation Incident Based Safety Alert
• Safety Inspection Tools:
• Behaviour Based Safety Observation Tour
• Workplace Safety Round
• Focus Internal Safety Audit
• External Safety Audit

How do you plan to better the safety of your plant in the years to come?
We have prepared a focus safety element plan for the coming years to reach the next level of safety system at JK Cement.
Focus safety elements are:

• Human Safety
• Equipment Safety
• Fire Safety
• Electrical Safety
• Steel and Civil Structure Safety
• Workforce Behaviour Development Programmes towards Safety
• Stress Free Safety Culture
• Environment Friendly Workplace
• Healthy Workforce
• Use of job-specific advanced personal protective equipment
• Development of Injury-free Workplace based on Zero Harm Concept

• –Kanika Mathur