Workplace Safety – Everything You Should Know About National Safety Day

Every month has its own set of important days – some have historical significance, others celebrate achievements or recognitions, and there are still others that are observed to create awareness about certain social issues.

National Safety Day spreads awareness about one of the most important social issues – workplace safety. Here’s everything you should know about this important day.

What is National Safety Day?

Celebrated in India on March 4 every year, National Safety Day aims to create awareness about safety measures that are needed to prevent accidents and mishaps at workplaces. 

The date was chosen as it is the foundation day of the National Safety Council of India, a non-profit, apex body set up by the Ministry of Labour and Employment on March 4, 1966, to develop and manage a sustained voluntary movement on Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) at the national level.

The day aims to renew the commitment of the employees and the general public to work safely and to ensure a safe work culture and lifestyle. It also attempts to bring down the rate of industrial accidents by focusing on areas that are not formally covered by safety legislation. Every day of importance has a history attached to it. National Safety Day is no different!

National Safety Day was first observed in 1972. The day has now become a national campaign and is celebrated widely by NGOs, industries, regulatory agencies, and labor-intensive organizations across India.

It was observed on a single day earlier, but now it has become a week-long celebration from March 4 to March 10. National Safety Day has made a significant impact by increasing safety awareness which has brought down workplace accidents. The theme for this year’s National Safety Day is “Nurture Young Minds, Develop Safety Culture”.

Why is National Safety Day important?

After independence, India witnessed large-scale industrialization. However, rudimentary technologies and a lack of robust processes led to an increase in the number of workplace accidents. Since there was no governing body to issue clear guidelines on workplace safety, the Ministry of Labour recommended setting up an apex body like the National Safety Council of India to instill the sustained importance of workplace safety.

The concept of a nationwide Safety Day was developed with three key objectives:

1. Ensure that safety and health are integrated into work culture and lifestyle
2.  Renew the commitment of the employees towards safety and health at the workplace. 
3. Achieve greater participation of the employees in Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) activities. 

To encourage a zero-harm culture and reaffirm individual commitment to workplace safety, on National Safety Day, every employee is expected to take a pledge to uphold workplace safety at all costs.

The Pledge

“On this day, I solemnly affirm that I will rededicate myself to the cause of safety, health, and protection of the environment and will do my best to observe rules, regulations, and procedures, and develop attitudes and habits conducive to achieving these objectives.

I fully realize that accidents and diseases are a drain on the national economy and may lead to disablements, deaths, harm to health and damage to property, social suffering, and general degradation of the environment.

I will do everything possible for the prevention of accidents and occupational diseases and protection of the environment in the interest of self, family, community, organization, and the nation at large.”

How WayCool approaches workplace safety

As India’s leading agri-commerce and agritech company, WayCool takes workplace safety very seriously. Our core philosophy of “people before profits” drives us to imbibe safe work practices in all our processes – from soil to sale.

Here are some of the Safety, Health and Environment (EHS) activities that are regularly undertaken at WayCool’s facilities and offices across India:

1. Regular training and employee engagement activities to reinforce a “safety first” work culture
2. Clear communication on job-specific Dos and Don’ts and best practices for workplace safety
3. Regular training and education on emergency preparedness, including timely evacuation drills
4. Clear communication channels for employees to share their ideas, suggestions, and recommendations to enhance workplace safety
5. Organization-wide EHS risk mitigation training and engagement activities
6. A clear reporting and escalation matrix to encourage employees to identify and report unsafe acts, conditions, and workplace practices
7. Integration of EHS elements during decision-making at every level.

With these in mind, WayCool is working towards becoming one of the safest workplaces in India