Industrial Safety in Petroleum and Explosives Sector gets a Big Boost.
Movement and Storage of Explosives like Ammonium Nitrate and Calcium Carbide to get safer in India
DPIIT ushers in reforms to boost Industrial Safety in Petroleum and Explosives Sector
Big Boost to Ease of Doing Business, Amendments Notified
Transportation of life-saving Liquid Oxygen besides other compressed gases such as Argon, Nitrogen, LNG etc allowed through ISO Containers
Rules also eased for Storage and Transportation of Calcium Carbide & Ammonium Nitrate; the validity of license increased for storage of Calcium Carbide from 3 years to 10 years; the issue of NOC for Ammonium Nitrate reduced from 6 months to 3 months
In the aftermath of the COVID 19 pandemic, the Government of India has taken a number of steps to ensure ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’. Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry recently implemented reforms to ensure Industrial Safety in critical premises (such as petroleum installations, explosive manufacturing facilities, cylinder filling and storage premises, etc) thus enhancing public safety as well as reducing the cost of doing business and creating an enabling ecosystem for domestic as well as international investors. In this context, the department has worked with the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO), an autonomous body under DPIIT that is charged with designing and implementing policies and standard operating procedures for the manufacturing, storage, transport and use of explosives, petroleum as well as hazardous chemicals, said Ms Sumita Dawra, Additional Secretary, DPIIT while addressing a press briefing here today.
In this context, the Rules pertaining to five major areas namely, Static & Mobile Pressure Vessels (Unfired) [SMPV(U)], Calcium Carbide, Ammonium Nitrate, Gas Cylinders, Petroleum and Explosives were examined, and discussed in detail with relevant stakeholders and representatives including the private sector, industry bodies and other ministries. After intensive stakeholder consultations and feedback over the course of several months, starting January 2021, amendments in prominent regulations were proposed. These amendments were then finalised and final amendments in three cases (i) SMPV, (ii) Calcium Carbide &(iii) Ammonium Nitrate have been notified on 31st August 2021. Further, draft amendments in Gas Cylinder Rules were notified on 25th June 2021.
Further, the Department is now working on amendments in Explosives Rules in consultation with stakeholders.
