Chennai, July 23 — The Tamil Nadu government has initiated a statewide safety crackdown on industries handling ammonia, issuing notices to 28 establishments for violating worker accommodation norms and constituting 21 special inspection teams to conduct comprehensive audits of hazardous industrial units.
The move comes a month after the deadly ammonia gas leak in Tiruvallur district that claimed 18 lives and exposed serious lapses in industrial safety.
According to the Labour Welfare Department, the notices were served to industries that had failed to comply with mandatory regulations requiring worker accommodation to be located at least 300 metres away from facilities where ammonia is manufactured, stored or used.
The affected establishments have been directed to shift employee housing beyond the prescribed safety distance and ensure immediate compliance with industrial safety standards.
Officials said the government has adopted a zero‑tolerance approach towards violations involving hazardous chemicals, with strict monitoring to ensure worker safety is not compromised. Industries have also been warned that failure to comply with the prescribed norms could invite stringent legal action under applicable labour and industrial safety laws.
As part of the enforcement drive, the government has formed 21 special inspection teams to examine every ammonia‑handling unit across the state. The teams will assess safety measures relating to ammonia storage and handling systems, emergency response plans, statutory approvals, occupational health standards and compliance with labour welfare regulations.
The inspections will also focus on worker accommodation, disaster preparedness, maintenance of safety equipment, emergency evacuation procedures and the availability of protective gear for employees. Authorities said the objective is to identify safety deficiencies at the earliest and ensure that industries handling hazardous substances follow all mandatory protocols.
The intensified inspections follow the 21 June ammonia leak at St Peter and Paul Seafoods Exports Pvt Ltd at Kannigaipair village near Periyapalayam in Tiruvallur district. The leak killed 18 workers, most of them migrant women, while more than 80 others were hospitalised. Although many of the injured have since been discharged, several victims continue to undergo treatment.
The incident also prompted the National Green Tribunal to take suo motu cognisance of the tragedy. The tribunal issued notices to the Central and State pollution control authorities, the regional office of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and the Tiruvallur district administration, seeking responses on the circumstances that led to the accident.
Officials said the statewide inspections are aimed at preventing similar industrial disasters and ensuring that hazardous industries strictly adhere to safety, environmental and labour welfare regulations.