Hyderabad factory where blast claimed dozens of lives operated without an NOC

Hyderabad: Sigachi Industries Pvt. Ltd has exhibited multiple compliance breaches since its inception. These include non-adherence to safety protocols, excessive working hours, and a lack of protective gear for the workers.S

urprisingly, the factory operated without obtaining a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the fire department. Fire officials said that the facility only maintains extinguishers while lacking essential safety equipment such as fire alarms, heat detection systems, and automatic shutdown mechanisms to tackle such fires. Moreover, management did not undergo any third-party safety audits in recent times.What is more concerning is that the factory, dealing with reactors and dryers, lacks blast-resistant walls and roofs in processing areas. These are designed to mitigate the effects of explosions, protecting workers, staff, and equipment on the premises.

SP Anchuri, architect and structural engineer, said that industrial facilities must be structurally designed to withstand blast and impact loads. Unfortunately, many such units ignore even basic requirements laid down by national codes.

The National Building Code (NBC 2016) Part 4 mandates fire exits, detection systems, sprinkler layouts, and life safety provisions. The Factories Act, 1948 suggests that it requires safety audits, emergency preparedness plans, and safety officers for hazardous processes. However, these regulations were not complied with by the factory.

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