Minimizing industrial gas safety risks with smart technology

Suresh Tanwar, Senior Head — Audit and Consultancy, British Safety Council, India, explores how smart connected technologies are revolutionizing gas safety through real-time monitoring, swift emergency response, and data-driven management, ensuring safer

- Suresh Tanwar

India’s industrialization has brought in some gargantuan issues with the safety of workers, particularly with flammable and poisonous gases.

As per the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), nearly 80% of chemical disasters in India occur due to leaks of dangerous gases. Chemical plants, Oil and Gas refineries, and municipal water treatment plants are high-risk work environments where safety is an imperative.

Challenges

The often-inadequate fundamental safety procedures across industries compound India's problem of gas-related hazards. Most industries continue to rely on manual monitoring detection systems or basic gas detectors that operate independently. This makes the system prone to errors, such as inconsistent monitoring, delayed response to alarms, and reliance on human judgment, which can lead to risks including fires, explosions, toxic exposure, and physical injuries. Moreover, even with regulatory codes published by agencies such as the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO) and the guidance required under The Factories Act, compliance is generally inconsistent across companies.