EHS Focus: Workers’ death & Health hazards for Women Workers

Two workers died after falling from the 10th Floor of the Videocon Tower in Delhi, while cleaning glass panes.

•    The right-side rope of the crane, in which they were sitting, broke, causing their fall from the building.
•    The victims were rushed to the hospital, where they were declared to have been brought dead
•    Persons responsible for safety shall be booked under IPC as confirmed by senior Police Officials.

Takeaway: Stringent checks must be in place for  workmen working at heights (eg. Harness belt, fall arrestor etc.)

Tamil Nadu Factory administers illegal drugs to women during their periods

•    A reputed garment factory in Tamil Nadu has been found to have been administering illegal drugs to women to cope with their menstrual pains.
•    One of the adolescent women aged 17, in an interview to Thomson Reuters Foundation, said that her menstrual cycle went haywire after taking the pills for a year.
•    Further, many women confessed to Reuters about the damage the drug created on their health including depressions, urinary tract infections, fibroids and even miscarriages.
•    The pills that were handed over to the Thomson Reuter Foundation by the victims did not have the marking of the brand, composition and their expiry dates.
•    Two doctors who analysed the pills confirmed that they were prone to harmful side-effects, if taken frequently.
•    Social activists, doctors and academicians have raised their concerns about the poor working conditions of women.

Takeaway: Trained doctors & nurses must be available to administer medical help to women in factories. Periodic & stringent checks must be conducted on the quality of medicines provided.