Tamil Nadu: Food units using ammonia gas to be inspected
Chennai: After the recent serious incident of ammonia gas leakage in Tamil Nadu, the food safety department of the state has become alert. The department has issued an order to conduct a comprehensive inspection of all food processing units, cold storages, seafood export companies and other food industries using ammonia gas. Officials have been instructed to check the safety standards and send a detailed report to the state headquarters as soon as possible.
The decision has been taken following the ammonia gas leak incident at a seafood export factory located at Kannikaipo village near Periyapalayam in Tiruvallur district on 21st last month. A large number of employees were affected due to gas leakage in this accident. After the incident, the administration took immediate action and sealed the concerned plant and an investigation into the entire matter was started.
Now, taking this incident seriously, the Food Safety Department has directed all the District Food Safety Officers of the state to identify all the food industries operating in their respective areas, where ammonia gas is used. During the inspection, all aspects including gas storage, pipeline system, safety equipment, gas leakage prevention system, emergency evacuation system and safety training of employees will be checked.
The department has told officials that if safety standards are not being followed in any unit or serious negligence is found, then action should be taken against it as per rules. Besides, after inspection, instructions have also been given to prepare a detailed report from each district and send it to the government.
According to Food Safety Department officials, ammonia gas is mainly used as a refrigerant in food industries. It is widely used in large cold storage, food processing units, seafood export plants, dairy industries and industrial ice plants. With its help, low temperature is maintained, so that food items can remain safe for a long time.
Ammonia is considered an effective and economical refrigerant for industrial use, but it also requires a high level of safety, officials said. If carelessness is taken in the maintenance of gas storage, pipelines or machines, the possibility of gas leakage increases, which can have a serious impact on the health of employees and people nearby.
During the inspection campaign, it will also be seen whether gas leak detection sensors, alarm systems, ventilation arrangements, fire fighting equipment and emergency response plans are available in the concerned units. Apart from this, whether safety training has been given to the employees or not and whether safety exercises (mock drills) are organized from time to time or not will also be reviewed.
The department has clarified that adherence to safety standards in food industries is essential not only for the safety of employees but also to maintain the reliability of the food supply chain. Any kind of industrial accident can adversely affect production, exports and also consumer confidence.
The state government believes that the recent incident is a serious warning for the future. Therefore, instead of limiting the action to only one unit, safety audit of all food industries using ammonia gas will be conducted in the entire state, so that possible accidents can be prevented in advance.
The Food Safety Department has also appealed to all industry operators to strictly follow safety standards, get regular maintenance done on gas-based equipment and provide necessary safety training to employees. The department says that if all the units follow the prescribed standards, then the possibility of such accidents in future can be reduced to a great extent.
This special inspection campaign, which will be started across the state, will be conducted in a phased manner in the coming days. After receiving the inspection report, the government will take further action as required and punitive steps can also be taken as per rules against the units where serious deficiencies are found.
