THEBUSINESSBYTES
BUREAU
NEW
DELHI, SEPTEMBER 28, 2026
The Ministry of Steel
on Monday announced the setting up of an apex-level Steel Industry Safety
Council (SISC) to strengthen safety standards, improve accident prevention and
foster a stronger safety culture across the country's steel industry.
The council, to
function under the administrative control of the Ministry of Steel, will be
headed by the Secretary, Ministry of Steel, as its Chairman.
It will bring
together senior ministry officials, chief executives of integrated steel producers
and representatives of key technical and statutory organisations, including the
Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS), Petroleum and Explosives Safety
Organisation (PESO), National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and
recognised steel technology institutions.
The move comes as
part of efforts to promote greater consistency in safety practices and enhance
institutional mechanisms for preventing industrial accidents in the steel
sector.
The SISC will assess
the overall safety situation in the industry and facilitate studies aimed at
improving safety practices. It will also approve industry safety standards and
recommended practices and review serious accidents, other accidents and
near-miss incidents.
The council will
further issue directions for strengthening safety awareness, worker training
and preventive measures across steel plants.
To provide
specialised technical and professional support to the council, the ministry
will establish a Steel Industry Safety Directorate (SISD).
The directorate will
have expertise spanning critical areas such as process safety, blast furnaces,
steel melting, rolling mills, coke ovens, refractory systems, electrical and
mechanical safety, occupational health, fire engineering and disaster
management.
The SISD will be
responsible for overseeing implementation of decisions taken by the SISC,
besides undertaking periodic safety audits and reviews across the industry.
It will also maintain
and disseminate information relating to accidents and near-miss incidents,
conduct investigations into serious safety incidents, and review emergency
preparedness and safety training programmes.
The directorate will
additionally develop and issue Steel Industry Safety Standards, Recommended
Practices and Guidelines tailored to Indian conditions.
The establishment of the SISC and SISD marks an institutional push towards strengthening safety governance in India's steel industry, with greater emphasis on accident prevention, technical oversight, emergency preparedness and uniform safety practices.
The framework is expected to provide a common platform for steel producers, regulators and technical institutions to identify safety risks, share learnings from incidents and promote continuous improvement in industrial safety.
