The automotive sector must take care of the safety of its workers, according to a report

How safe are workers in factories of automotive supply chain companies and car brands? Is there a need to review safety protocols on the shop floor? The number of accidents in automotive supply chain companies rose from 799 in FY 2021-22 and 1,345 in FY 2022-23 to 1,597 in FY 2023-24, according to a study by Safe In India (SII), an organisation focusing on the safety of automotive workers. However, industry body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam), strongly refutes any such allegations and says that not all safety incidents can be blamed on the vehicle manufacturer.

Of the 1,998 injured workers in Haryana and Maharashtra in FY 2023-24, 1,597 (80%) were from the automotive supply chain, according to the SafetyNiti 2024 report. Most of the workers in Haryana were manufacturing parts for Maruti Suzuki (543 workers) and most of the workers in Maharashtra were manufacturing parts for Tata Motors (350 workers), the report said. The rise in the number of cases over the years can be attributed to an increase in the number of SII centres/locations to four across India.

“More than 60% of crush injuries occur in mechanical presses. We would like to see automotive brands improve safety mechanisms of mechanical presses and working conditions through training and audits,” said Sandeep Sachdeva, co-founder and CEO of SII. MintHe said the clothing and metal sectors were other industries where accidents occurred.

Safety regulations were followed

However, Siam rejects any accusation that safety standards are being violated on a widespread basis. “All our members are highly committed and sensitive to the health and safety of workers. They have undertaken various programmes and interventions to improve worker safety at their plants and suppliers,” said Rajesh Menon, managing director of Siam, in response to the complaint. Mint“It is important to understand that each vehicle manufacturer would have a few hundred direct (Tier I) suppliers, thousands of Tier II suppliers, and many thousands of Tier III suppliers. It is incorrect to attribute safety incidents from Tier II or Tier III suppliers to the vehicle manufacturer.”

Safety is an uncompromising parameter for Maruti Suzuki, the company spokesperson said. “The company is committed to fostering a strong safety culture, driven by active participation of both the leadership headed by the MD and CEO and the frontline employees. Ensuring a safe work environment requires continuous improvement, for which participative decision making is one of the key factors. Last year, frontline workers provided over 230,000 suggestions for improving safety efforts in their respective areas. In addition, over 12,000 employees were trained during the year on various facets of safety. The company also encourages its workers to report near-miss incidents. This resulted in 934 near-miss incidents being reported in FY2024 for which the company has put in place appropriate countermeasures. Our efforts ensured zero deaths due to work-related injuries in FY2024,” the Maruti Suzuki spokesperson said.

“Most of these injured workers have/had a contract and earned less than ₹“$15,000 a month, mostly 12-hour shifts, 6 days a week, for these high-risk jobs, and 67% had lost a body part in the accident, which changed their lives forever,” the report said.

Challenges

But the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (ACMA) has not denied the challenges.

“While many of these incidents occur in the informal sector, involving Tier III suppliers who are not members of Acma, it is important to recognise the challenges faced by the manufacturing industry. If accidents do occur, it is important for the industry to adopt best business practices across the value chain,” said Vinnie Mehta, Director General of Acma. “We need to be aware of the problem and work with the government to identify the next steps to address it.”

The Maruti Suzuki spokesperson added that since the company’s supply chain is extensive and suppliers are independent companies, “the company can lead by example and use its influence as a buyer to promote safety. As a responsible company, Maruti Suzuki will continue to reward Tier 1 suppliers who actively work towards improving the safety of Tier 2 suppliers. Our supplier assessment model incorporates regular measurement and auditing of safety practices and award of contracts has been made conditional on compliance with the necessary safety standards.”

The SII says that since 2016, it has helped over 8,000 injured workers, mostly in Haryana and Maharashtra, of which over 6,000 were working in the automobile sector. The report highlights that this problem is widespread in other automobile hubs such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan.

Safety culture

“Safety as a culture has not yet taken hold at original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and suppliers,” said Aditya Narayan Mishra, CEO of CIEL HR Services, a staffing firm that recruits workers for manufacturing companies. “While training and measures taken to ensure safety have improved, more needs to be done. Often, shop-floor employees are overworked, unaware of health risks, and due to long hours, their focus is impaired.”

“No brand has taken any significant national corrective action for its deeper supply chain (training, audits and proactive actions),” the study said. Only three brands (Bajaj, Maruti Suzuki and Tata Motors) monitor even their Level 1 when it comes to at least one of the following: appointment letters for workers, registration with ESIC and reporting of accidents and injuries, the study said.

In 2019, Maruti Suzuki, by collaborating with Tier 1 suppliers, enhanced human safety at Tier 2 suppliers, involved in plastic and sheet metal moulding operations. Nearly 340 of these Tier 2 suppliers were audited and improvements were made to nearly 6000 machines by adding various controls such as dual-hand push buttons, curtain sensors, cam guards and safety gates, among others. These suppliers were audited by Tier 1 suppliers to verify the implementation of countermeasures in all machines. Some of them were also audited by Maruti Suzuki on a sample basis. Additionally, Tier 1 suppliers were advised to ensure safety at their suppliers on an ongoing basis.

Recently, Maruti Suzuki along with its Tier I supplier partners has conducted a fresh comprehensive human safety audit of around 1,500 Tier II suppliers. The audits have commenced and the areas of deficiencies in the audited suppliers have been identified. A joint improvement plan is being designed in collaboration with the Tier I and Tier II suppliers.

The State Insurance System for Employees provides medical and financial assistance to employees in the organized sector in case of illness and disability.