Major Accident Hazard
Q. What is Hazard
Operability Study ?
A. The application of a
formal systematic critical examination to the process and engineering
intentions of new or existing facilities to assess the hazard potential of Mal-operation or Mal-function of individual items of equipments and their
consequential effects on the facility as a whole.
Q. What are source models ?
A. Source models represent
the material release process. They
provide useful information for determining the consequences of an accident, including
the rate of material release, the total quantity released and the physical
state of the material.
Q. What are dispersion
models ?
A. Dispersion
models describe the airborne transport of toxic/inflammable materials away from
the accident site and into the plant and community.
Q. What is explosion ?
A. The uncontrolled release
of energy from a flame front propagating through flammable medium and
characterized by the generation of heat, light and pressure.
Q. What is Risk ?
A. Risk is
defined as a measure of economic loss or human injury in terms of both the
likelihood and the magnitude of the loss or injury.
Q. What is risk assessment ?
A. Risk assessment includes
accident scenario identification and consequence analysis. Scenario identification describes how an
accident occurs. It frequently includes
an analysis of the probabilities.
Consequence analysis describes the damage expected. This includes
lose of life, damage to the environment or capital equipments and days outage.
Q. What is Occupational
Safety and Health Audit ?
A. A systematic, objective and documented
evaluation of the occupational safety and health systems and procedures
Q. What is Occupational
safety and health management system ?
A. A part of the overall management system
that facilitates the management of OSH and risks associated with the business
of the organization
Q. What is Maximum Credible
Loss Scenario (MCLS) study ?
A. MCLS is described as the worst
“credible” accident or as an accident with a maximum damage distance, which is
still believed to be possible.
Q. What is flammability limits ?
A. The concentration of a mixture of
flammable vapor or gas in air (% by volume of vapor to air) in which a flash will
occur or a flame will travel if the mixture is ignited
Q. Which types of industrial activities are
covered under the MSIHC Rules ?
A. The following activities are covered
under MSIHC
(a)
An operation or process
listed in Schedule 4 carried out in an industrial installation involving one or
more hazardous chemicals
(b)
An isolated storage
involving one or more hazardous chemicals listed in Schedule 2, and
(c)
Pipeline for conveyance of a
hazardous chemical other than the flammable gas at a pressure of less than 8
bars absolute
Q. Which chemicals are
covered under MSIHC Rules ?
A. The chemicals fulfilling the criteria
given in Part I and/or listed in Part II of Schedule I and chemicals listed in
Schedule 2 and 3 are covered under MSIHC Rules
Q. How does an occupier know that which
provisions/rules are applicable to his factory?
A. If one of the operations
or processes listed in Schedule 4 is carried out in a factory involving one or
more hazardous chemicals, an occupier has to first ascertain the category to
which his factory belongs i.e. whether the factory comes under lower-tier,
middle-tier or higher-tier because the requirements/ provisions are different
for different categories of factories
Q. Which
are the three categories of factories ?
A. The
three categories of factories are given below :
Lower-tier Factory
Factories
wherein an operation/process given in Schedule 4 is carried out involving one
or more chemicals which satisfies any of the criteria laid down in Part I of
Schedule I and/or listed in Column 2 of Part II of Schedule I irrespective of
quantity of hazardous chemicals stored inside the factory, fall under this
category.
Middle-tier Factory
Factories
wherein an operation/process given in Schedule 4 is carried out involving one
or more chemicals in quantities equal to or more than the quantity given in
Column 3 of Schedule 2, fall under this category
Higher-tier Factory
Factories
wherein an operation/process given in Schedule 4 is carried out involving one
or more chemicals in quantities equal to or more than the quantity given in
Column 4 of Schedule 2, fall under the category
Q. Which
are the specific rules to be complied with for different categories of
factories?
A. Category Provisions/Rules of MSIHC applicable
Lower-tier 4,
5 and 17
Middle-tier 4,
5, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15 & 17
Higher-tier 4,
5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 & 17
Q. What
are the requirements under different rules?
A. Rule 4 : General
Responsibility of the Occupier –
(i)
To identify major
accident
(ii)
To prevent major
accident and
(iii)
Provide the workers
information, training and equipment
Rule 5 : Notification of major accident in
Schedule 6
Rule 6 : Industrial activity to which rules 7
to 15 apply
Rule 7 : Approval and notification of sites in
Schedule 7
Rule 8 : Updation of notification following
changes in T.Q.
Rule 9 : Transitional provisions
Rule 10 : Safety Reports/Safety
Audit Reports with help of expert : Safety
Reports in
Schedule 8. Safety Audit every year
Rule 11: Updating of reports under Rules 10
Rule 12: Requirements for further information to be sent to the
authority
Rule 13: Preparation of on-site emergency plan by the occupier in
Schedule 11(i). Authority to ensure a
rehearsal of the plan at least once in a calendar year
Rule 14: Preparation of off-site emergency plan by the Authority in
Schedule 12(i). Authority to ensure a rehearsal of the plan at least once
in a calendar year
Rule 15: Information to be given to persons liable to be affected
by a major accident
Rule 17: Collection, development and dissemination of information
in Schedule 9
Q. What
constitutes a major accident OR what is the definition of major accident?
A. “Major accident” means an incident involving
loss of life inside or outside the installation, or ten or more injuries inside
and/or one or more injuries outside or release of toxic chemicals or explosion
or fire or spillage of hazardous chemicals resulting in on-site or off-site
emergencies or damage to equipment leading to stoppage of process or adverse
affects to the environment
Q. Which
type of factories are to be notified and by whom and when?
A. An occupier of middle or higher-tier
factory should submit a written report to the concerned authority i.e. the
Chief Inspector of Factories of the State where the factory is located in
Schedule 7 at least 3 months before the commencement of that activity.
Q. Who
should notify the major accident and to whom?
What is the time limit for notifying major accident?
A. An occupier shall notify the major
accident within 48 hours to the concerned authority (the Chief Inspector of
Factories in case of factory) and furnish thereafter a report relating to the
accident in Schedule 6.
Q. How
does an occupier know whether he has to prepare an on-site emergency plan?
A. If the factory is middle or higher-tier
factory, the occupier has to prepare on-site emergency plan.
Q. What
is the role of an occupier of a major accident hazard installation in preparation
of off-site emergency plan?
A. An occupier of a major accident hazard
installation has to provide such information relating to industrial activity
under his control to the concerned authority i.e. the District Emergency
Authority/District Collector as may be required including the nature, extent
and likely effects of site of possible major accident.
Q. How
often a mock drill/rehearsal of on-site emergency plan should be done?
A. The
mock drill of the on-site emergency plan shall be conducted every 6 months
Q. Who
is responsible for conduct of mock drill
of on-site emergency plan?
A. An
occupier is responsible for conduct of mock drills of on-site emergency plan
Q. Who is
responsible for organizing rehearsal of the off-site emergency plan and what is
the frequency?
A. The District Emergency Authority
/District Collector is responsible for conduct of rehearsal of off-site
emergency plan and the frequency is at least once in a calendar year.
Q. Whether
safety report and safety audit report are needed for every MAH installation OR
how does an occupier know whether he has to get the safety report and the
safety audit report prepared?
A. No.
It is not required for every MAH installation. The Safety Reports and Safety Audit Reports are required to be
prepared by an occupier of higher-tier factories
Q. What
is the frequency of safety report and safety audit report?
A. The Safety Report shall be prepared in
the prescribed format given in Schedule 8 at least 90 days before the
commencement of the activity. The
Safety Audit should be carried out and the Safety Audit Report shall be updated
once in a year.
Q. What are the duties of
the authorities?
A. The duties of the authorities are :
(a)
Inspect the industrial
activity at least once in a calendar year
(b)
Report on compliance of
Rules by the occupiers to the Ministry of Environment and Forests, through
appropriate channel annually
(c)
On receipt of report on
major accident, undertake full analysis of the major accident and send
requisite information within 90 days to MOE&F through appropriate channel
(d)
Compile information
regarding major accidents and make a available copy to MOE&F through
appropriate channel
(e)
Inform in writing to
occupier of any lacunae to be rectified to avoid major accidents
(f)
Approve the
notification of sites within 60 days
from the date of receipt. Report if
notices contravention and issue improvement notice within 45 days of the receipt
of the report
Factories Act 1948
Q.
Do a hand driven
lifting equipment need certification from competent person under article 29 of
Factories Act?
A.
Section 29 of the
Factories Act deals with lifting machines and lifting tackles which are defined
under explanation. In our opinion hand
driven lifting equipment does not require certification.
Q.
Definition of “worker”
under Factories Act 1948 & Maharashtra Factories Rules? Whether officers/executives are to be
considered for calculation of the employment strength with regard to
recruitment of Welfare Officer under the Act?
A.
Under the Factories
Act, definition of “worker” is clearly given.
For the purpose of calculation of employment strength, officers and
executives etc. have to be taken into account.
Q. Which type
of establishments are covered under the Factories Act?
A, The
term “factory” is defined in Section 2(m) of the Factories Act, 1948. It means that in any premises if 10 or more
workers are engaged in a manufacturing process with aid of power or if 20 or
more workers are engaged in the manufacturing process without aid of power such premises will be covered
under the Factories, 1948
Q. Whether a child is
allowed to work in a factory?
A. The
child below 14 years of age is not allowed to work in any factory.
Q. Whether a woman is
allowed to work in a factory?
A. The women
are allowed to work in any factory except between the hours of 7 pm to 6 am
i.e. women are not allowed to work during night time. However, there are certain operations/processes, which are
considered hazardous. In such
operations/processes women are not allowed to work.
Q. What are the weekly hours
of work in a factory?
A. No
adult is allowed to work in a factory for more than 48 hours in any week.
Q. What are the daily hours
of work?
A. No
adult worker is allowed to work in a factory for more than 9 hours in any day.
Q. Which authority enforces
the Factories Act 1948?
A. The
Factories Act and the rules framed thereunder are enforced by respective
states/UTs. through the office of Chief Inspector of Factories under the Labour
Department of the State Government/UTs.
Q. Whether
a place wherein a manufacturing process are carried out with or without the aid
of power employing less than 10 or 20 workers respectively can be covered under
the Factories Act?
A. The
State Government is empowered to declare that al or any of the provisions of
the Act shall apply to any place wherein manufacturing process carried out
irrespective of number of workers employed therein.
Q. Whether
a workshop of a teaching institute employing more than 10 workers will be in a
factory?
A. The
State Government may exempt with certain conditions, in workshops whether
manufacturing processes are carried out for purposes of education, training,
research or reformation from all or any of the provisions of this Act.
Q. Whether
the approval, licensing and registration of a factory are compulsory?
A. Yes,
It is compulsory. The approval, license
and registration of a factory is compulsory before starting the manufacturing
process. The occupier of the factory
should submit the plan to the Chief Inspector of the State for approval. After the approval, the licensee will be
granted by the CIF and the factory will be registered.
Q. What
are the various provisions to be abided by the occupier of the factory?
A. There
are many provisions, which are to be strictly followed by the occupier. The details are available in a publication
known as the Factories Act, 1948. There
are 120 sections divided into 11 chapters, which can be referred for detailed
information.
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