Mysore/Mysuru: Mysuru Deputy Commissioner Dr. Bagadi Gautham has directed the managers of chemical factories in the district to take all safety measures to prevent industrial chemical disasters and focus on crisis management.

He was chairing the District-level Disaster Crisis Management Committee meeting where he asked the factory authorities to hold safety audits, off-site and on-site emergency plans, risk awareness programmes at regular intervals at their respective units and in areas where chemicals are stored.

A proper stock and audit of chemical repository built on the regular supply of information by the industry on chemical properties, their uses and the risks they pose based on their exposure to vulnerable groups and their geographical location will be vital in preventing chemical accidents, he added.

“Factory managers must take all safety measures on a priority basis by adopting latest technologies and they must equip themselves with industrial safety measures from time to time to protect the lives of their employees and properties,” the DC said.

It is essential that the chemical database is regularly checked by technical experts. These experts must monitor factory chemical storage data and on a periodic basis, especially if they are hazardous chemicals, which need to be restricted. Once the database of chemicals is established, continuous monitoring and regulation can prevent accidents, he opined.

Additional DC Dr. B.S. Manjunathaswamy, Zilla Panchayat CEO B.R. Poornima, Superintendent of Police (SP) R. Chethan and other officers were present at the meeting.