Sujeet Kumar Singh, Founder, HSESkillEdge, shares how a blend of leadership commitment, digital innovation, and hands-on engagement is redefining safety in the Indian cement industry.
In a high-risk sector like cement, safety excellence demands more than protocols — it calls for culture, technology, and collaboration. In this conversation, Sujeet Kumar Singh, Founder, HSESkillEdge, discusses closing training gaps, leveraging digital tools, and building a safety-first mindset across the industry.
How has your industry experience shaped your safety philosophy?
We believe that all incidents are preventable and that safety is a core value, not just a priority. Everyone has the right to work in a safe environment, and everyone is responsible for maintaining it. Leadership commitment, active employee involvement, and continuous improvement are essential to achieving excellence in safety.
What key safety training gaps exist in cement plants today?
Key safety training gaps in cement plants often arise from complex operations and high-risk activities such as working at heights, scaffold usage, work in confined space, cyclone unblocking, handling hazardous waste as alternative fuel, and inadequate use of respiratory protection.
How are digital tools like Permit to Work (PTW) and Behaviour-Based Safety (BBS) improving on-ground safety?
Digital tools have eliminated non-value-adding paperwork, enabled real-time operations, and facilitated data-driven strategic decisions through analysis of shop floor data.
What impact have your IoT and SAP-based safety systems delivered?
The IoT and SAP-based system enabled real-time data capture, instant alarm generation, agile response, clear role definition, transparent workflows, and seamless job tracking through system-generated auto-mails.
How do you ensure contractor and worker compliance in cement sites?
Contractor and worker compliance for routine activities is effectively managed through a Contractor and Logistics Safety Management System, supported by rigorous training, on-the-job observations, and active worker engagement in risk assessments. This includes regular toolbox talks, safety skits during monthly safety gate meetings, and, most importantly, positive reinforcement through public recognition, praise for safe behaviours, and continuous feedback on observations related to at-risk behaviours or opportunities for improvement (OFIs).
The Indian cement industry has also taken a progressive step by initiating the development of a Safety Passport System for contractors, contract workers, and drivers. This initiative, in collaboration with the Global Cement and Concrete Association (India) and the National Safety Council of India, is highly practical and focuses on hand-holding and capacity building to ensure health and safety, especially in non-routine and high-risk jobs. I am truly grateful to be part of the core team driving this initiative, alongside corporate safety heads from all GCCA (India) member companies.
How are BIS and CMA standards evolving in OH&S?
The Cement Manufacturers’ Association (CMA) plays a vital role in advancing health, safety, and sustainability in the cement industry by facilitating the exchange of best practices among member companies and contributing to the development of Indian Standards through its representation in BIS sectional committees.
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is instrumental in formulating and maintaining national standards to ensure occupational health and safety (OHS) across industries. BIS develops and publishes Indian Standards (IS) covering areas such as personal protective equipment (PPE), machinery and equipment safety, hazardous materials handling, workplace ergonomics, exposure limits, fire safety, electrical safety, and emergency preparedness.
BIS works through expert committees comprising representatives from industry bodies, academia, government, and workers’ and employers’ organisations, and aligns Indian Standards with global benchmarks like ISO, ILO Conventions, and other international norms. I had the privilege of representing CMA in Technical Committee CHD 8 – Occupational Safety, Health and Chemical Hazards.
What does ‘Suraksha Dil Se’ mean in practical terms?
We view safety as a core value driven by care and responsibility. Our approach is practical, compliant, and customised to create real, lasting impact — both on the ground and in people’s lives. Through impactful training, expert consultancy, and digital HSE solutions, we empower a safer, smarter workforce while embedding the spirit of ‘Suraksha Dil Se’ into both systems and culture.
To me, ‘Suraksha Dil Se’ means going beyond SOPs and compliance — it’s about acting from the heart, where the impact is multiplied because safety becomes a shared commitment, not just a requirement.
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