Safety standards: 90 factories operating boilers ‘illegally’

A Directorate of Industries official said a dozen such boilers were installed in small industrial units and a public hospital in residential areas.

In July 2005, the Industries Department, on directions from then chief minister Chaudhary Pervez Elahi, had banned inspections of factories located in residential areas. The ban was to help promote industrial activity in the province. The role of chief inspector of boilers was curtailed.

In January 2012, the government lifted the ban on inspections of boilers under the Boilers and Pressure Vessels Ordinance.

The decision followed the Orients Lab collapse in which 26 workers were killed.

The Punjab Boiler Act 2013 was passed and rules made to regulate inspection and use of boilers.

The chief inspector of boilers was asked to survey all industries, registered or not, located in residential areas of Lahore for identification of boilers.

The survey revealed that boilers were also operating in many public sector buildings, hospitals and hotels.

A dozen industrial units in residential areas were operating boilers illegally and were not following safety standards.

Unskilled workers had been entrusted operation and maintenance of some of these boilers, instead of boiler engineers.

These include garments manufacturing units, confectionary manufacturers and dyeing units. Most of them are located at Kot Lakhpat, Quaid-i-Azam Industrial Estate, Raiwind Road, Ferozpur Road and Sheikhupura Road.

During the inspection drive, as many as 680 factories operating boilers were registered and got certification.

Chief Inspector of Boilers Nawaz Cheema said a report had been prepared to be sent to be sent to Industries secretary for action against violators. “It is mandatory for factory owners to employ qualified boiler engineers to supervise and maintain boilers,” Cheema said.

“Inspections are underway to maintain safety standards,” Cheema added.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 21^st, 2014.