Nagpur blast triggers push to amend explosives safety rules

Nagpur Rural Superintendent of Police Harssh Poddar told The Indian Express that the draft is being prepared using three internationally recognised safety standards: NFPA 495, which lays down norms for handling and transporting explosives; OSHA Process Safety Management (PSM), which focuses on hazard management and post-incident safety design; and IEC 60079, which regulates electrical equipment used in explosive environments.

Authorities are also mapping the entire explosives production chain to examine whether high-risk stages can be replaced with robotics or automated systems, reducing manual intervention.

Experts from the National Fire Service College in Nagpur are assisting the administration in preparing the report.

According to officials, the push for amendments stems from gaps in the current rules, which are nearly 18 years old and considered too broad in their wording. Several provisions simply require “safety precautions” without specifying what those precautions must entail, leaving room for interpretation during inspections by agencies such as the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) or labour safety authorities.

By incorporating international standards, the state hopes to introduce clearer technical specifications and uniform safety benchmarks across explosives manufacturing units, particularly in Nagpur’s growing explosives cluster.

The proposal was initiated after Nagpur’s Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule asked senior district officials, including Divisional Commissioner Vijayalakshmi Bidari and Collector Vipin Itankar, to prepare recommendations for the Centre.

Officials, however, say the timeline for completing the proposal remains uncertain. While incorporating the three international standards may be straightforward, mapping the entire manufacturing process and assessing automation possibilities will require consultations with industry stakeholders.

“We do not want to propose something that is economically completely unfeasible,” Poddar said.

Meanwhile, police are moving to initiate proclamation proceedings under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita against SBL Energy owner Alok Chaudhari, who remains absconding. If arrest warrants remain unexecuted, the court could order the attachment of his property.

The death toll of the blast, meanwhile, continues to rise. Among the latest victims was Amrapali Kalsarpe, a single mother who suffered 55 per cent burns and died late Saturday night, leaving behind two school-going children. Another worker, Roshani Umathe, who had suffered 75 per cent burns and a fractured forearm, died on Sunday while undergoing treatment.