Vice President to present National Safety Awards today

New Delhi, Oct 23 (ANI): Vice President Hamid Ansari will present the National Safety Awards (Mines) for the year 2007 here today.

The Ministry of Labour and Employment, instituted the National Safety Awards (Mines) in the year 1982-83 to recognize and encourage the exemplary performance for prevention of accidents in mines.

These awards were given away for the first time in the year 1984 for the contest years 1982 and 1983 and thereafter, regularly every year.

The award scheme is operated by the Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS), Dhanbad.

The DGMS regulates the safety and health issues of the persons employed in mines as provided under the Mines Act, 1952 through a system of periodic inspection and inquiry.

Recognizing the need for involvement of the workpersons in safety and health matters, the Government has been promoting the concepts of "self-regulation" and "participative management" with a view to influence human behaviour at work so that a real breakthrough in accident prevention could result.

For the purpose of the contest for National Safety Awards (Mines), all mines have been divided into seven different groups depending upon the type of mineral and nature of workings.

The indicators of safety performance for determining eligibility of these awards include longest accident free period in terms of manshifts worked during three consecutive years ending with the contest year and lowest injury frequency rate during three consecutive years ending with the contest year.

A tripartite Awards Committee comprising of eight representatives of trade unions, with the Director General of Mines Safety as its Chairman submits its recommendation on the list of award winners for the contest year to the Ministry. (ANI)