"THEME ADDRESS "

1. "THEME ADDRESS" GLOBAL CHLORINE SAFETY SEMINAR B.S. Gilra Chairman Technical Committee & Past President, AMAI 14th February 2013, Welcom Hotel, Vadodara, Gujarat, India

2. AMAI MISSION STATEMENT “Represent the Indian Chlor-Alkali industry nationally and globally and facilitate the industry’s commitment to technological and economic growth, and continuous improvement in protecting human health and environment, guided by sound science, technology and risk management principles . AMAI will achieve this by productively promoting the industry through practices that are fair, inclusive and sustainable.”

3. THIS PRESENTATION COVERS • IMPORTANCE OF SAFETY FOR INDIAN CHLOR-ALKALI INDUSTRY • CHANGING MINDSET TOWARDS SAFETY • ACTIVE ROLE OF “AMAI” IN SHE COMPLIANCE & RESPONSIBLE CARE • MAJOR INITIATIVE OF LAUNCHING “CTEN” – CHLORINE TRANSPORTATION EMERGENCY RESPONSE NETWORK • JOINING WORLD CHLORINE COUNCIL • GOI – MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS & FERTILIZERS – DEPTT. OF CHEMICALS & PETROCHEMICALS – A BIG SUPPORT TO INDUSTRY • VOLUNTARY INITIATIVE OF CREP – 100% SWITCH OVER TO GREEN TECHNOLOGY • THEME OF THE SEMINAR

4. IMPORTANCE OF SAFETY & VARIOUS FACETS TO WHICH INDUSTRY IS COMMITTED • A Responsible & Committed Industry with goal to achieve Safe Plant Operations, Protected & Informed Society. • Responsible Management of chemicals and demonstrating this to operating personnel & general public. • Strong Commitment to Protection of SHE. • Safety at Work-well above the routine production activities. • Regular training programs on Best Safe Practices, Govt. Rules, Regulations, Policies & Law, conducted to educate all stakeholders. • Over 95% of Industry covered through Quality / Environment / Safety Management System Standards (ISO 9001, ISO 14001 & OHSAS 18001). • Entire Industry is Signatory to WCC Safety Commitment. • Industry is strongly committed to share & learn from incidents at both local & global level & thro’ audit recommendations.

5. CHANGING MINDSET TOWARDS SAFETY • Indian Industry today is strongly committed & believes in demonstrating the improved performance for SHE Compliance. • Change of mindset right from top (CEO level ) to operating staff, led industry to upgrade its safety culture. • Top level management keen to secure safety standards, certifications & propagate priority for Safety, protecting Environment & Health by encouraging/recognizing/awarding working level . • Units have started sharing information on accidents; this has greatly helped in learning from others’ mistakes. • Industry adopted Safety Culture & Behavioral Safety Initiatives. • Employees are aware of best safe practices & being trained regularly.

6. ACTIVE ROLE OF “AMAI” IN SHE COMPLIANCE & RESPONSIBLE CARE • Constituted SHE Committee - to promote awareness on Climate Change & Responsible Care and to focus on SHE areas. • Is represented at International Platform, GST (Global Safety Team of WCC). • To Educate all stakeholders, operating personnel, drivers, consumers & general public, AMAI have published, • Book on “Safe Handling of Chlorine” in English & Hindi. • Pamphlet on “Chlorine – An Essential Element of daily life”. • DVD on Safe Handling of Chlorine during Production, Transportation & at consumers’ end, in Regional languages like Hindi & Gujarati. • Guideline Document on Benchmarking of SHE Activities in Chlor-Alkali Industry.

7. ACTIVE ROLE OF “AMAI” IN SHE COMPLIANCE & RESPONSIBLE CARE • Participate in key International Meets of WCC / GST / The Chlorine Institute. • Disseminate information gathered on Best Safe Practices & Best Available Techniques, being followed in other countries. • Organize National / International Seminars on Safety, every alternate year. • Instituted Award for Best Managed Plant to recognize Industry’s continuous efforts & accomplishments with an edge over other member units, to promote Economy, Ecology & Equity.

8. A MAJOR INITIATIVE – LAUNCHING OF CTEN -CHLORINE TRANSPORTATION EMERGENCY RESPONSE NETWORK • AMAI developed on its own, “CTEN” to cover entire country to minimize Chlorine Emergency Response Time, to reduce the risk of about 1.2 mMTPA Chlorine, being transported, upto 1500 Kms, by road in India. • It’s a Regional & National Chlorine Transportation Emergency Response Network to immediately respond to any Chlorine leakage incident, 24/7, during transportation thro’ a single helpline number. • CTEN reduces the risk of Chlorine exposure to human beings and surrounding environment. • CTEN is integrated with Disaster Management Authorities / Local Administration.

9. A MAJOR INITIATIVE – LAUNCHING OF CTEN -CHLORINE TRANSPORTATION EMERGENCY RESPONSE NETWORK • AMAI prepared Regional CTEN Manuals / now being consolidated in one booklet – for wider distribution to all stakeholders. • AMAI plans to organize Unitwise / Regional Workshops / Mock Drills to educate all stakeholders on functionality of this Network. • Pro-active approach of Industry in launching CTEN & co-operation of all units, demonstrates the change in mindset of the industry towards importance of safety in & outside the plant.

10. AMAI JOINING WORLD CHLORINE COUNCIL – A STEP TOWARDS WIDENING THE NETWORK • AMAI joined, for the first time, an International Body, “World Chlorine Council” on 16th Feb. 2012 thro’ Signing Ceremony at New Delhi. • Indian Industry signed WCC Safety Commitment & also agreed to share globally any incidents, to be reported in GST Newsletter. • By joining WCC, Indian Industry can place their point of view in all convention meets, global treaties thro’ proper agenda represented by an internationally recognized body. • Indian Industry together with WCC will continuously work to promote the benefits of Chlorine Chemistry & to demonstrate Sustainability of Chlor-Alkali Industries.

11. A BIG SUPPORT FROM GOVERNMENT OF INDIA - PARENT MINISTRY • Deptt. Of Chemicals & Petrochemicals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, Govt. of India has always supported industry, in a big way for its causes. • AMAI is thankful to GOI for their active support in all the events in past and we expect their presence with us in all our future ventures.

12. TIMELY FULFILMENT OF VOLUNTARY CREP INITIATIVE • On 13th March, 2003, Industry signed CREP (Charter on Corporate Responsibility for Environmental Protection) as a Voluntary Commitment & Initiative for Responsible Care of the Environment. • Emphasis was on full conversion to Safer, Greener, energy efficient technology i.e. state-of-the-art Membrane Cell Technology by Dec,2012. • By now, Indian Industry at its own initiative, have completely switched over to Membrane Cells ,within set time-frame; next only to Japan in the world. • Efforts of Indian Industry appreciated by Ministry /Regulatory bodies in India & overseas by WCC, UNEP, USEPA. • This achievement has been without any funding support or financial incentives from GOI.

13. THEME & AIM OF SEMINAR • Developing High level safety culture & positive approach in Industry to adopt best safety techniques, as a part of continuous efforts on SHE Compliance. • AMAI in association with WCC & its other member associations took initiative to organize this Global Seminar to, • Bring together all the stakeholders at one platform. • Have Eminent Speakers & Subject Experts from Overseas & India, to share their expertise & best safe practices being followed in other countries, which surely will bring in new ideas for improvement. • To work towards better“SHE WORLD”. • I am sure, everyone present will add to his / her learning thro’ open discussions, during the day. • I Wish the Event, a Grand Success.

14. A CASUAL ATTITUDE TOWARDS SAFETYIS CASUALTYBE A RESPONSIBLE SAFETY MANAGER bs.gilra@ckbirlagroup.com