India's aspirations to become a global manufacturing hub have quickly become a reality. With the support of policies like the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme and Make in India, manufacturing investments are rising in the Country. The Economic Survey 2023 supports India as a large and growing economy, the fastest in the world. While India builds new factories, increases industrial production, and becomes part of global supply chains, it cannot ignore one crucial pillar: occupational safety. 

Nowhere is this more urgent than in high-risk sectors like construction, mining, heavy manufacturing, and auto assembly, where the health and lives of millions of workers hang in the balance every day.

Even with impressive economic growth, India's workplace safety record is a cause for serious concern. Each day, an average of three workers lose their lives and about 11 are injured in registered factories, says official data by the Directorate General Factory Advice Service and Labour Institutes (DGFASLI). Between 2018 and 2020 alone, 3,331 people were killed. These statistics refer only to the formal sector, with millions of laborers working under unsafe conditions in an enormous informal economy left out of the count. In actuality, the extent of accidents and deaths might be much larger.

The current occupational health and safety (OHS) system does not cover about 80% of India's working population. This excludes the majority of workers, largely contract laborers, daily wage earners, and those in unregistered units, from the ambit of any organised safety net. Compared to nations such as the United Kingdom, in which employers have a legal mandate to perform safety risk assessments and in which on-the-job deaths are uncommon, India's safety measures are outdated, weakly enforced, and abysmally inadequate. Estimates indicate that workplace deaths in India could be 20 times greater than in the UK and that there are about 48,000 on-the-job deaths every year.

By their very nature, high-risk sectors include perilous activities and sophisticated equipment. In industries such as construction and mining, employees are regularly exposed to hazards such as falls, electrocution, machinery failure, toxic chemical exposure, and building collapses. In heavy industry and the automotive sector, hazards are crush injuries, burns, repetitive strain injuries, and respiratory disease due to long-term exposure to dust and fumes. Too often, safety failures are not because these hazards are not recognised, but because fundamental procedures are disregarded or poorly executed.

A wake-up call report by an NGO that researched the Indian auto industry provides insights into just how deep-seated the issue is. Most injured workers were untrained assistants, hired without documentation or technical expertise. Almost half admitted to working 12 hours a day frequently without overtime pay. They had no access to fundamental safety equipment, such as gloves, helmets, or goggles. Under such conditions, fatigue, illiteracy, and inadequate supervision become dangerous. A single error or equipment failure is enough to ignite life-altering injuries or worse.

The reach of workplace accidents goes far beyond the accident itself. For corporations, these happenings interrupt production, lower output, raise insurance and legal expenditures, and sully the brand name. For workers and their dependents, the stakes are far worse. A serious injury can lead to permanent disability and loss of livelihood. In most instances, workers have no insurance, compensation, or other means to sustain their families. Not only does this lead to individual misery, but it creates cycles of poverty, particularly among those who are already economically disadvantaged.

And yet, occupational safety is not merely a matter of law, it is a business necessity. Many industry-based studies have established that organisations that emphasise safety generally perform better. A safe working environment discourages absenteeism, improves employee morale, and promotes operational effectiveness. Employees who feel safeguarded and respected are more likely to be productive, loyal, and committed. In addition, with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations taking center stage in investment decisions across the world, firms that neglect labor safety can risk being left out of profitable international collaborations.

Enhancing occupational safety standards in India, especially in high-risk industries, calls for systemic change, cultural transformation, and persistent effort at all levels. The point of departure has to be more effective legislation and strict enforcement. India's Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code (OSH Code), which has been around for a long time, is a welcome move. However, its implementation is weak and sporadic across the industry and states. There needs to be a strong push to extend it to the unorganised sector so that even contract and informal workers are covered under legal safeguards. Punishment for non-compliance has to be strict enough to act as a real deterrent.

Similarly, it is crucial to invest in the training of the workforce and safety awareness. Safety must commence on the first day of employment, irrespective of the type of job or contract. The workers must have proper induction training sessions in areas of workplace risks, emergencies, protective equipment, and legal rights. Certifications related to industry-specific risky tasks—e.g., welding, scaffolding, handling chemicals, or crane operation—must be obligatory. Periodic refresher training should also be scheduled to update knowledge of safety.

However, safety is not just a function of technical knowledge. It has to be part of the organisational culture. Senior leadership is important in terms of pushing this change through. When CEOs and plant heads approach safety as a strategic priority, versus a box to be ticked, the message sticks with the workforce. Recurring safety briefings, transparent accident or near-miss reporting lines, and safety committees composed of workers can all contribute to a shared responsibility culture. When workers are psychologically safe to report risks or decline risky work, it produces improved safety outcomes.

Establishing psychological safety where workers feel respected, heard, and shielded from retaliation is as critical as physical safety. Employees need to believe that their concerns will be heard, not ignored. Firms should foster open communication about hazards, permit anonymous reporting of unsafe conditions, and honor safety gains as team successes. Reward programs that recognise departments or shifts for safe periods can create healthy competition and consciousness.

Technology can also greatly enhance workplace safety. Intelligent manufacturing equipment, AI-based predictive maintenance, real-time monitoring equipment, and wearable safety equipment are already showing the difference in next-generation factories. For example, helmets equipped with IoT can send signals to supervisors if an employee goes into a prohibited area or experiences a fall. AI platforms can process machine data to foresee equipment failures and reduce unplanned downtime and accidents. Though the initial investment could be high, such technologies save costs in the long run by reducing accidents and enhancing productivity.

Industry associations and public-private partnerships may also have an important role. By cooperating on safety standards, collaborating on research into workplace hazards, and sharing best practices, stakeholders can go more quickly and easily. For instance, industry-wide joint training, benchmark studies, and safety audits can assist in leveling the playing field and raising overall standards. The government can help make this possible by providing grants, incentives, and awards for safety excellence.

India has numerous stories of companies that have successfully infused safety into their operations. Certain automobile manufacturers have implemented zero accident policies and recorded impressive safety records through automation, strong training, and strict enforcement. Likewise, in industries such as oil and gas, multinational corporations operating in India typically bring world-class safety standards and practices that local partners embrace. Such stories are evidence that safety is possible, only if done with vision, discipline, and leadership.

As India drives ahead with its manufacturing ambitions, it needs to recall that its most valuable asset is not land or money, but people. The future of Indian industry depends on the shoulders of millions of workers whose health, competence, and dedication are the real drivers of growth. India's industrial rise will be shaky ground unless they are safeguarded. But if they are guaranteed to be safe, India can be an international manufacturing centre and an example of ethical, inclusive, and sustainable industrial growth.

It is finally all about more than just lowering accident figures. It is about protecting human dignity, upholding social justice, and creating a world where economic growth is not traded against the loss of human lives. For a nation as ambitious and capable as India, there can be no greater priority than the safety of its workers. The path to global industrial leadership must be built on responsibility, integrity, and unshakeable commitment to those who make it possible.

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Suresh Tanwar is the Senior Head of Audit and Consultancy at British Safety Council, India. He is a seasoned safety professional and strategist with decades of experience in Safety, Health, and Environment (SH&E). An active member of the CII National Safety Task Force Committee , Tanwar has played a significant role in shaping safety policies and best practices. 

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