Vedanta Safety Record In Focus After Fatal Boiler Blast Shows A Pattern That Can No Longer Be Ignored

The deadly accident at Vedanta's Singhitarai power plant in Chhattisgarh, which killed at least 16 workers, has once again brought the group's overall safety record into sharp focus.

While the immediate trigger was a boiler linked tube rupture that released high pressure steam, the incident has revived a larger and more persistent concern. For Vedanta, workplace safety issues are not new, nor are they confined to a single unit or business.

A Long History Of Fatal Incidents

Vedanta's safety record has been under scrutiny for more than a decade.

A 2010 analysis of London Stock Exchange listed companies found that Vedanta Resources had recorded 67 deaths, the highest among listed mining firms at the time. The fallout was serious, with the British Safety Council withdrawing a safety award given to the company and its subsidiary BALCO.

In one of the most severe incidents, 40 workers were killed in a chimney collapse in Korba, Chhattisgarh. The case led to culpable homicide charges against company officials, though the company attributed the collapse to adverse weather conditions.

These incidents established an early pattern of safety concerns that has continued to surface over the years.

Recent Data Shows Concerns Persist

More recent disclosures suggest that the problem has not been resolved.

Vedanta's annual reports show workplace fatalities rising from seven in FY20 to eight in FY21, 12 in FY22 and 13 in FY23. Although there was a decline in FY24, fatalities rose again in FY25, with seven deaths reported across operations.

Importantly, these deaths were not limited to one segment. They were spread across mining, oil and gas and power businesses, indicating that safety challenges exist across the organisation.

Industry comparisons also show Vedanta among companies reporting higher workplace fatalities, alongside Coal India and Larsen and Toubro.

Complaints Highlight Internal Pressure Points

The rise in fatalities is accompanied by a sharp increase in safety related complaints.

In FY25, employees and workers filed 1,363 health and safety complaints, more than double the 603 recorded in FY24. Complaints related to general working conditions also increased.

Such a jump reflects growing concern among workers and suggests that risks are being identified on the ground. However, the persistence of accidents raises questions about how effectively these concerns are being addressed.

Contract Workforce And Safety Gaps

The latest accident also highlights the role of contract labour in Vedanta's operations.

Many of the victims in Chhattisgarh were employed by a subcontractor. This brings attention to a broader issue seen across heavy industries, where contract workers operate in high risk environments but may not always be covered by the same level of safety oversight.

If safety systems are not uniformly implemented, vulnerabilities increase across operations.

Beyond Operations, A Broader Record

Vedanta's safety record is also viewed alongside its wider track record of controversies.

The 2018 police firing in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, which killed 14 protestors opposing the Sterlite Copper plant, and the 2019 clashes near the Lanjigarh refinery in Odisha, where two people were killed, have kept the company under public and regulatory scrutiny.

While these incidents are not workplace accidents, they contribute to the broader perception of risk associated with the group's operations.

Following the Chhattisgarh incident, Vedanta has announced compensation and support measures for affected families, while authorities have ordered an investigation.

However, such responses have followed previous incidents as well. The recurring nature of fatalities raises a larger issue about whether enough emphasis is being placed on prevention rather than response.

A Structural Issue Or Operational Risk

Taken together, the data points to a safety record that remains under pressure.

Repeated fatalities across years, rising internal complaints and incidents across multiple verticals suggest that the issue is not limited to isolated failures.

For a company of Vedanta's scale, operating in inherently high risk sectors, safety management is critical. The latest accident has once again raised the question of whether existing systems are sufficient, or whether deeper structural changes are required.

As investigations into the Chhattisgarh incident proceed, the focus is likely to remain not just on what went wrong this time, but on the broader safety record that continues to draw scrutiny.