Although agriculture is the main contributor to the Indian economy, the construction industry is the second largest employer and contributor. It is also one of the country’s biggest job providers which relies heavily on unorganised labour.
As India experiences a rise in incomes and growth of its urban areas, the construction industry has also witnessed a major boom in the recent years. Unfortunately, construction in India has some of the world’s worst safety standards.
Every year thousands of workers fall to their deaths, are electrocuted or buried under rubble, making construction the deadliest sector in India. Industry’s research has shown that there are on an average 38 fatal accidents a day. They include falls from height, falling walls, electrocutions and scaffolding. They are accountable for one-in-four deaths of construction workers in India.
This situation is in sharp contrast to that of many other countries, particularly in Europe, where health and safety laws are firmly embedded in the legislative system and industrial practice.
In India, construction industry workers receive very little training, mainly because their employers know that they can be easily replaced. Construction is often the last choice for many daily wage workers because the working conditions in the sector are very difficult.
Contractors do not invest in their training and safety because they consider such workers as temporary labour force. Meanwhile, under the health and safety law in countries like the UK, employers have a legal duty to protect employees from harm and stress at work by conducting risk assessments and acting on them. If a risk is identified, steps must be taken to remove or reduce it as far as it is reasonably practical.
In addition to fatal accidents, construction industry workers in India are also exposed to risks from occupational diseases, such as dermatitis, asbestosis, silicosis, muscular skeletal disorder and respiratory diseases etc which could lead to disability and death. These could be avoided or reduced if there are enough medical professionals who are experts in occupation disease, which is not the case in India.
Occupational health is not taught widely in medical schools in India. There is just one three-month occupational diseases course in the country which was introduced after the Bhopal gas disaster. So far, 2,800 doctors have taken up the course, according to available statistics. There are just four Employees State Insurance (ESI) centres for occupational diseases in India.
Furthermore, in India, there is no requirement to report accidents and ill health in many industry sectors. Hence, there are concerns that the official statistics are seriously under-reported. Also, there is poor incentive structure for health and safety function resulting in apathy of stakeholders and the ‘your safety is your problem’ attitude.
Organisations like the British Safety Council in India aim to challenge traditional views and approaches, and support employers in adopting practices which better safeguard the health and safety of their workers. The organisation has been working with local companies in India to bring about a culture change regarding workplace health, safety and wellbeing.
Although legislation is very important for bringing about this change, such issues like leadership are essential for introducing and embedding it
