Report on the accident at M/s Sainor Life Sciences, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, 26/10/2020
Report of the Joint Committee in the matter of Original Application No. 106/2020 submitted to the National Green Tribunal in compliance to the NGT order of July 6, 2020. The matter related to the accident which occurred at M/s Sainor Life Sciences Pvt Ltd. at Visakhapatnam on June 29, 2020.
M/s Sainor Life Sciences located in plot No. 59-E, in J N Pharma City, Parwada, Visakhapatnam is involved in the manufacture of intermediates and active pharmaceutical ingredients mainly anti-ulcerative and anti-allergic drugs.
The immediate trigger to the accident was transfer of stage-III mother liquor (ML) to reactor-107 which already contained stage-I ML directly by inserting a hose pipe without nipple arrangement.
Operational negligence -
- lack of standard operating procedure (SOPs) for transfer of material from one reactor to another and on cleaning of reactors,
- lack of awareness of personnel on SOP’s, non-compliance of SOP’s by employees,
- non-compliance of safety practices by employees,
- non-issuance of personnel protective equipment by unit and non usage of PPE by employees,
- no proper labelling on reactors regarding status of reactors,
- absence of gas sensors and alarm system in process area to detect gases and alert the personnel of possible leakages,
- engaging newly recruited contractual persons for work in process area, lack of training and emergency preparedness,
- lack of systematic and organised mode of communication in the unit all contributed to the accident.
The unit M/s Sainor Life Sciences Ltd and its employees were responsible for the accident, the report said.