An official from the District Labour Department said that at present, the department does not have any figures related to number of unmanned industrial robots and Automated Guided Vehicles that are being used in various factories in Gurgaon.
In an unfortunate incident last week, a 23-year-old employee of an automobile factory got killed by an industrial robot while he was trying to fix a metal sheet that had dislocated. Some news reports claimed that this was the first-of-its kind accident in automobile sector in India.
After the mishap, Haryana government ordered an inquiry into the accident and concerned authorities were directed to get a head count of these automated machines in the city. The incident, however, has also raised questions about standards adopted in the country while working with such sophisticated machines in a factory set-up.
Talking with iamin about lack of seriousness of authorities and management in this regard, Kuldeep Janghu, General Secretary, Maruti Udyog Kamgar Union, said, “Even after the incident, no strict measures have been taken to ensure such incidents do not happen in future. When I recently visited S.K.H Metals, where the incident happened, I observed that 113 out of 118 robots lack sensor barriers. This was one of the main reasons that caused the mishap. It's strange that the District Labour commission lacks knowledge of such an important issue.”
An official from the District Labour Department also informed iamin that, at present, the department does not have any figures related to number of unmanned industrial robots and Automated Guided Vehicles that are being used in various factories in Gurgaon.
As per rough figures, Hero Honda and Maruti Suzuki Plant alone have at least 4,200 industrial robots and automated machines, which are used for manufacturing automobiles such as cars and two-wheelers and other equipments. Getting a definite count from all the industrial set-ups would be an uphill task for the state government. These industrial robots are used for various roles including welding, painting, assembling and other activities accomplished with high endurance, speed and precision.
Giving further details, Additional Labour Commissioner, shared, “Industrial Safety and Health Department has started the inspection in this case. Soon, the department will have a total count on all kind of machines installed in the manufacturing units. Based on the report, the state government is likely to propose new policy and measures on the industrial safety and health of the workers.’’
Referring to the incident, President of Gurgaon Industrial Association (GIA) V.P Bajaj also said, 'The association does not have a count of the number of robots installed and operational in Gurgaon as there was no such requirement previously. But now we will ask the companies having these robotic equipment to submit the figures."
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