Working Conditions in SAIL Plants
The Minister of Steel, Shri Beni Prasad Verma has said that Steel making consists of various processes which are associated with environmental implications. Keeping this in view, all steel plants of the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) have taken adequate measures to check/ abate environmental pollution by installing and effectively operating various air, water and noise monitoring and control equipment/facilities at different shops. This has resulted into compliance of all relevant environmental norms in the areas of ambient air quality, work zone emission, effluent discharge and noise quality.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha today he said, arrangements have been made at all plants for periodical check up of various aspects of employee’s health at the Plant Medical Units/Occupational Health Centres. Utmost care is taken at all the plants to ensure that employees’ health does not get affected due to environmental reasons.
He said, to check air pollution, SAIL has taken various measures such as regular maintenance of major facilities e.g. Coke Oven batteries, Sinter Plant etc. A range of pollution control equipment like Electrostatic Precipitators (ESPs), Bag filters & Multi cyclones, Gas Cleaning Plants (GCPs), Dust Extraction/Dust Suppression systems etc. have been installed and are working effectively at all the SAIL plants.
Shri Verma said, as regards water pollution control, different shops of the plants are provided with waste water treatment facilities in the form of Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs) which consist of clarifiers, oil skimmers, settling tanks etc. Meticulous maintenance of these ETPs is carried out to ensure effective waste water treatment. Substantial quantity of the treated water is recycled back to the steel making processes to bring down water consumption.
The Minister said, to curb noise pollution, various measures have been taken by SAIL. In order to reduce the impact of noise, different installations like, bellow type tuyers and snort valve at Blast Furnaces, sound proof acoustics cabin and by-pass silencers at Power Plants, Oxygen Plant and Pump Houses and acoustic silencers at Exhausters/ID Fans are in operation. Apart from these, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) like, ear plugs/ear muffs has been provided to the employees. Employees working in the noise prone zones are also placed in rotation so that they are not exposed to such area for more than the allowable period.
Various solid wastes generated during the iron and steel making process are well taken care of through recycling and reuse in the steel making processes itself. Some of the wastes having potential as basic raw material for other industries are commercially sold like Blast Furnace granulated slag is sold to cement industry, turning waste into wealth. Action taken above have resulted in complying with the stipulated environmental norms by all SAIL plants. The pollution control devices are procured and installed by the individual steel plants of SAIL and not by the Environment Management Division, the Minister added.
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