Sigachi industries blast should serve as a wake up call: Telangana Labour Minister Vivek

Telangana Labour Minister G Vivek Venkatswamy on Wednesday (July 29, 2026) encouraged industries to view expenditure on safety as a long-term investment instead of treating it as a cost.

Mr. Vivek was speaking after inaugurating a two-day national workshop on ‘Process Safety of Combustible Dusts’, organised by the Telangana Chapter of the National Safety Council (NSC) at the Federation of Telangana Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FTCCI).

Referring to the blast at Sigachi Industries in June, 2025, the Minister said it should serve as a wake up call for every industry. He noted that the failure to invest relatively small amounts such as ₹15 lakh for safety measures had resulted in the loss of lives and financial losses. Attempts to save such amounts on safety, he warned, often led to devastating human and financial consequences.

Mr. Vivek called for a strong safety culture through coordinated efforts by the government, industrial managements and workers. He said industrial accidents could be eliminated only through strict adherence to safety protocols. Expressing concern over industrial accidents caused by combustible dust explosions and gas leakages across the country, he observed that while comprehensive safety regulations were already in place, their implementation remained inadequate.

The Minister said that under the Ease of Doing Business framework, industries had been given greater operational freedom, but this must be accompanied by greater responsibility. Industries should voluntarily adopt and strictly follow the highest safety standards without requiring constant government intervention.

He said factory occupiers and board members must continuously monitor compliance with safety standards. Improved workplace safety enhanced workers’ confidence and significantly increased productivity, he said, urging industries to organise regular safety training programmes and adopt modern technologies and global best practices.

Mr. Vivek also directed that contract workers should not be engaged in hazardous operations. Referring again to the Sigachi incident, he said inadequate training and lack of experience among contract workers deployed in high-risk sections had been one of the contributing factors. He instructed the Factories Department to frame regulations within six months to ensure that hazardous operations were handled only by permanent employees. He also directed the Director of Factories to prepare safety guidelines for hazards such as combustible dust and gas leakages, reiterating that there would be no compromise on workers’ safety.