National Occupational Safety and Health systems

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.

Context :

The National Policy on Safety, Health and Environment at the Workplace announced in 2009 had proposed several actions at the national and state level; but they are yet to take-off, leaving workers are at risk

More about the news:

It’s been a decade since the National Policy on Safety, Health and Environment at the Workplace (NPSHEW) was announced.
It called for a legislation on safety, health and environment at workplaces. Yet, only the manufacturing, mining, ports and construction sectors are covered by existing laws on Occcupational Safety and Health (OSH).

Need :

Around 2.3 lakh workers were affected and 2,500 died in more than 81 industrial accidents in the past three-and-a-half decades.
Yet sectors such as agriculture, services and transport remain unlegislated from the point of work-safety.
In 2018, the DGFASLI suggested that a comprehensive legislation on OSH covering all sectors needed to be developed within three years.

Issues :

Factories Act not enforced
- Under the Factories Act, 1948, the state governments are empowered to frame their respective state factories rules and enforce both the Act and the Rules in their states through their Inspectorates of Factories / Directorates of Industrial Safety and Health under the labour departments.
- But these Inspectorates / Directorates are not adequately staffed for enforcing the Act and the Rules.
Dock Workers Act, 1986 and Regulations, 1990 enforced in major ports only
- The Dock Workers (Safety, Health and Welfare) Act, 1986 and Regulations, 1990 have been enforced only in major ports by the DGFASLI.
- In other ports, the state governments are required to frame respective state regulations and enforce the provisions of the both, the Act and the Regulations, in these ports.
- However, till date, none of the states have framed their regulations for enforcement in these ports.
- These ports are also handling huge quantities of cargo, including dangerous goods; the absence of regulation on safety and health of the workers and its enforcement is a major gap
Building and Other Construction Workers’ Act not being enforced in true spirit
- Even though the Building and Other Construction Workers’ Act, 1996, is being enforced by the Labour Commissioners at the centre and at the state Level, but the safety and health provisions under the Act are highly technical in nature and are not being enforced in true letter and spirit.
Limited research on occupational safety
- Modern approaches for dealing with safety, health and environment at workplace demands research in the area.
- But the number of institutes in the country for research and development are limited and these too are not fully equipped for carrying out their activities effectively.
- Capturing data related to occupational safety and health across all the sectors has also been an issue for a long time, which has not been taken seriously till date.
- The most recent facts and figures shared by the ministry in Parliament in February 2019 were up to 2016 only.
- Each ministry (or the respective department) is supposed to have a detailed policy on the working environment according to the guidelines on the National Policy.
- But so far, the Ministries or Departments have not worked out their policy.
Lack of legislation on safety and health in agriculture is hindering the ratification of ILO convention 155 :
- Lack of legislation on safety and health in the agriculture sector is hindering the ratification of ILO convention 155.
- The agriculture sector is the largest sector of economic activity and needs to be regulated for safety and health aspects.
- But the sector is lacking on legislation on safety and health for workers in this sector.
- There are certain Acts on occupational safety and health pertaining to certain equipment or substances, namely, the Dangerous Machines Regulation Act, the Insecticides Act.
- But the enforcement authorities are not identified under these Acts and hence are not being enforced.
It is also worrying that the Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises too do not have any legislation to cover the safety and health of the workers.

Source :- Down To Earth

Man-made earthquakes triggered by fracking, dams are not localised: Study

GS PAPER - 02 GEOGRAPHY - Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc.,

Context :

In the new study, published in the journal Science, says that Seismic activity triggered by human actions like construction of large reservoirs or injection of wastewater into the ground for oil and gas production can have far greater implications than previously thought

Key Findings :

The injection of fluid into subsurface of the earth (one kilometer deep) can cause events like earthquakes, it was until now believed that such disturbances are limited to an area near the site of injection.
The new study has, however, found that subsurface disturbances due to fluid injection can result in earthquakes spread over larger regions, going far beyond the area invaded by the injected fluids.
This means, earthquake-triggering stresses can travel far.
Oil and gas extraction using fluid injection, as well as wastewater disposal, is known to increase seismicity rate in surrounding regions.
Tremblors attributed to these activities have been thought to occur as higher fluid pressures in surrounding rocks trigger instabilities in pre-existing networks of faults.
However, injection may also cause aseismic slip — deformation caused along a fault line without any accompanying seismic waves — that may in turn trigger earthquakes.

Source :- The Hindu

Why is northeast India drying up rapidly?

GS PAPER - 03 ENVIRONMENT - Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment

Context :

According to a recent study which was published in JGR-Atmospheres by researchers from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology and Assam University, the decreasing monsoon rainfall in Northeast India is associated with natural changes in the subtropical Pacific Ocean.

Key Findings :

Northeast India, one of the wettest places on the Earth has been experiencing rapid drying, especially in the last 30 years.
Some places which used to get as high as 3,000 mm of rain during the monsoon season have seen a drop of about 25-30%.
This decline is associated with natural changes in the Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO). Its impact on the sea surface temperatures and its interaction with the atmosphere affects the northeast Indian summer monsoon.
The team used observed rainfall and sea surface temperature data for the period 1901-2014 for the study.
The results show out that the reduction in rainfall during a major part of the last 114 years may be associated with global man-made factors, while the trend during the last 36 years is associated with natural phenomena.

Pacific Decadal Oscillation :

PDO is a long-lived El Niño-like pattern of Pacific climate variability.
Both PDO and ENSO have similar spatial climate fingerprints yet the major difference is that PDO persists for 20-30 years while the typical ENSO persists for 6 to 18 months.
The PDO, like ENSO, consists of a warm and cool phase which alters upper level atmospheric winds.
During a “warm”, or “positive”, phase, the west Pacific becomes cooler and part of the eastern ocean warms; during a “cool” or “negative” phase, the opposite pattern occurs.
Shifts in the PDO phase can intensify or diminish the impacts of ENSO according to its phase.
If both ENSO and the PDO are in the same phase, it is believed that El Niño/La Nina impacts may be magnified.
This in turn affects the northeast Indian summer monsoon during its negative phase.
Conversely, if ENSO and the PDO are out of phase, it has been proposed that they may offset one another, preventing “true” ENSO impacts from occurring.

Source :- The Hindu

IIT Delhi 3D prints human skin

GS PAPER - 03 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.

Context :

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology(IIT),Delhi has successfully 3D bioprinted human skin models that have certain anatomically relevant structural,mechanical and biochemical features similar to native human skin.

Bio Printed Skin:

The bioprinted skin is composed of two important layers — the inner dermis (made of fibroblasts) and the outer epidermis (keratinocytes, melanocytes).
- The junction between the two layers is not flat but is undulatory or wavy.
The undulatory morphology is important as it provides biochemical cues and mechanical support to the epidermis layer, provides structural stability to the skin by making the two layers adhere to each other and not allow cells to cross the junction.
The bioprinted skin also retained the original dimension without any shrinkage for up to three weeks
The bioink containing the cells are deposited in a criss-cross pattern leaving gaps in between.
“The keratinocytes in the epidermis were seen migrating and filling the pores. This type of migration, which was very clear and striking, and cellular self-assembly recapitulate wound healing-like situation in native skin

Applications:

Wide Application in Testing cosmetics
Reduce and probably even replace testing on animals and
can also be used for testing dermatology drugs on human skin and at a future date even help in testing drugs for personalised medicine.

Source :- The Hindu

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5th MAY 2019 DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

National Occupational Safety and Health systems

Man-made earthquakes triggered by fracking, dams are not localised: Study

Why is northeast India drying up rapidly?

IIT Delhi 3D prints human skin

National Occupational Safety and Health systems

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.

Context :

The National Policy on Safety, Health and Environment at the Workplace announced in 2009 had proposed several actions at the national and state level; but they are yet to take-off, leaving workers are at risk

More about the news:

It’s been a decade since the National Policy on Safety, Health and Environment at the Workplace (NPSHEW) was announced.

It called for a legislation on safety, health and environment at workplaces. Yet, only the manufacturing, mining, ports and construction sectors are covered by existing laws on Occcupational Safety and Health (OSH).

Need :

Around 2.3 lakh workers were affected and 2,500 died in more than 81 industrial accidents in the past three-and-a-half decades.

Yet sectors such as agriculture, services and transport remain unlegislated from the point of work-safety.

In 2018, the DGFASLI suggested that a comprehensive legislation on OSH covering all sectors needed to be developed within three years.

Issues :

Factories Act not enforced

Under the Factories Act, 1948, the state governments are empowered to frame their respective state factories rules and enforce both the Act and the Rules in their states through their Inspectorates of Factories / Directorates of Industrial Safety and Health under the labour departments.

But these Inspectorates / Directorates are not adequately staffed for enforcing the Act and the Rules.

Dock Workers Act, 1986 and Regulations, 1990 enforced in major ports only

The Dock Workers (Safety, Health and Welfare) Act, 1986 and Regulations, 1990 have been enforced only in major ports by the DGFASLI.

In other ports, the state governments are required to frame respective state regulations and enforce the provisions of the both, the Act and the Regulations, in these ports.

However, till date, none of the states have framed their regulations for enforcement in these ports.

These ports are also handling huge quantities of cargo, including dangerous goods; the absence of regulation on safety and health of the workers and its enforcement is a major gap

Building and Other Construction Workers’ Act not being enforced in true spirit

Even though the Building and Other Construction Workers’ Act, 1996, is being enforced by the Labour Commissioners at the centre and at the state Level, but the safety and health provisions under the Act are highly technical in nature and are not being enforced in true letter and spirit.

Limited research on occupational safety

Modern approaches for dealing with safety, health and environment at workplace demands research in the area.

But the number of institutes in the country for research and development are limited and these too are not fully equipped for carrying out their activities effectively.

Capturing data related to occupational safety and health across all the sectors has also been an issue for a long time, which has not been taken seriously till date.

The most recent facts and figures shared by the ministry in Parliament in February 2019 were up to 2016 only.

Each ministry (or the respective department) is supposed to have a detailed policy on the working environment according to the guidelines on the National Policy.

But so far, the Ministries or Departments have not worked out their policy.

Lack of legislation on safety and health in agriculture is hindering the ratification of ILO convention 155 :

Lack of legislation on safety and health in the agriculture sector is hindering the ratification of ILO convention 155.

The agriculture sector is the largest sector of economic activity and needs to be regulated for safety and health aspects.

But the sector is lacking on legislation on safety and health for workers in this sector.

There are certain Acts on occupational safety and health pertaining to certain equipment or substances, namely, the Dangerous Machines Regulation Act, the Insecticides Act.

But the enforcement authorities are not identified under these Acts and hence are not being enforced.

It is also worrying that the Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises too do not have any legislation to cover the safety and health of the workers.

Source :- Down To Earth

Man-made earthquakes triggered by fracking, dams are not localised: Study

GS PAPER - 02 GEOGRAPHY - Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc.,

Context :

In the new study, published in the journal Science, says that Seismic activity triggered by human actions like construction of large reservoirs or injection of wastewater into the ground for oil and gas production can have far greater implications than previously thought

Key Findings :

The injection of fluid into subsurface of the earth (one kilometer deep) can cause events like earthquakes, it was until now believed that such disturbances are limited to an area near the site of injection.

The new study has, however, found that subsurface disturbances due to fluid injection can result in earthquakes spread over larger regions, going far beyond the area invaded by the injected fluids.

This means, earthquake-triggering stresses can travel far.

Oil and gas extraction using fluid injection, as well as wastewater disposal, is known to increase seismicity rate in surrounding regions.

Tremblors attributed to these activities have been thought to occur as higher fluid pressures in surrounding rocks trigger instabilities in pre-existing networks of faults.

However, injection may also cause aseismic slip — deformation caused along a fault line without any accompanying seismic waves — that may in turn trigger earthquakes.

Source :- The Hindu

Why is northeast India drying up rapidly?

GS PAPER - 03 ENVIRONMENT - Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment

Context :

According to a recent study which was published in JGR-Atmospheres by researchers from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology and Assam University, the decreasing monsoon rainfall in Northeast India is associated with natural changes in the subtropical Pacific Ocean.

Key Findings :

Northeast India, one of the wettest places on the Earth has been experiencing rapid drying, especially in the last 30 years.

Some places which used to get as high as 3,000 mm of rain during the monsoon season have seen a drop of about 25-30%.

This decline is associated with natural changes in the Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO). Its impact on the sea surface temperatures and its interaction with the atmosphere affects the northeast Indian summer monsoon.

The team used observed rainfall and sea surface temperature data for the period 1901-2014 for the study.

The results show out that the reduction in rainfall during a major part of the last 114 years may be associated with global man-made factors, while the trend during the last 36 years is associated with natural phenomena.

Pacific Decadal Oscillation :

PDO is a long-lived El Niño-like pattern of Pacific climate variability.

Both PDO and ENSO have similar spatial climate fingerprints yet the major difference is that PDO persists for 20-30 years while the typical ENSO persists for 6 to 18 months.

The PDO, like ENSO, consists of a warm and cool phase which alters upper level atmospheric winds.

During a “warm”, or “positive”, phase, the west Pacific becomes cooler and part of the eastern ocean warms; during a “cool” or “negative” phase, the opposite pattern occurs.

Shifts in the PDO phase can intensify or diminish the impacts of ENSO according to its phase.

If both ENSO and the PDO are in the same phase, it is believed that El Niño/La Nina impacts may be magnified.

This in turn affects the northeast Indian summer monsoon during its negative phase.

Conversely, if ENSO and the PDO are out of phase, it has been proposed that they may offset one another, preventing “true” ENSO impacts from occurring.

Source :- The Hindu

IIT Delhi 3D prints human skin

GS PAPER - 03 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.

Context :

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology(IIT),Delhi has successfully 3D bioprinted human skin models that have certain anatomically relevant structural,mechanical and biochemical features similar to native human skin.

Bio Printed Skin:

The bioprinted skin is composed of two important layers — the inner dermis (made of fibroblasts) and the outer epidermis (keratinocytes, melanocytes).

5^th MAY 2019 DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS