National Safety Day 2023: Date, History, Significance and All You Need to Know

National Safety Day is observed on March 4 annually with an in aim to promote safe working environment and ensure safety of people in all aspects. The day is marked to raise awareness about safety measures and protocols so that any kind of untoward incident can be averted.

National Safety Day 2023: Theme

The theme for 2023 National Safety Day is ‘Our Aim – Zero Harm’.

National Safety Day: History

In 1965, the Ministry of Labour and Employment of the Government of India organized the first Conference on Industrial Safety. It was held from December 11 to December 13 in cooperation with employers’ organisations, state governments, and other trade unions and institutions. In the conference, the various bodies realized the need for setting up National and State Safety Councils.

The proposal for a National Safety Council (NSC) was accepted by the 24th session of the Standing Labour Committee in February 1966. On March 4 that year, the Ministry of Labour constituted the NSC, which was first registered as a society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and then as a public trust under the Bombay Public Trust Act, 1950.

The National Safety Day was first marked in 1971 to commemorate the founding of the National Safety Council and raise safety awareness.

National Safety Day: Significance

The occasion serves an opportunity to highlight the importance of safety measures and precautions in preventing mishaps. It is geared towards increasing the reach of the Safe, Health, and Environment (SHE) movement. Other objectives of the day include bringing together stakeholders from different industrial sectors and encouraging them participate in the SHE movement. It also aims to promote SHE activities and remind employees, employers and everyone concerned that they must take adequate steps to achieve a safer workplace.

Activities for the day

The achieve the objectives of National Safety Day, materials such as banners, badges, and instructions cards with SHE slogans and message printed on them should be distributed. These materials are designed, produced, distributed by the National Safety Council and the funding generated from them is utilised for NSC’s financial self-reliance.

Other than this, seminars, discussions, and public functions are held with safety being the central theme. Such functions are covered by All India Radio stations and Doordarshan’s National Network to amplify the message.

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