National Safety Day 2021: History, significance and theme of this day

Data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) of India shows that a total of 4,21,104 accidental human deaths occurred in the year 2019. Traffic accidents alone were 4,67,171 in number.

To control these accidental deaths that are often a result of flouting rules, the Indian government had set up the National Safety Council (NSC) for raising awareness about safety issues. On the occasion of the 50th National Safety Day today, we explore the history of the Council and the significance of the day itself.

The Ministry of Labour and Employment organised the first Conference on Industrial Safety, in Delhi from December 11 to 13, 1965, in the presence of the then President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.

Here, the need for Safety Councils on national and state levels was agreed upon.In February of 1966, the proposal for a National Safety Council was accepted in the 24th Session of the Standing Labour Committee.

On March 4, 1966, the Ministry of Labour, Government of India, established the non-profit body, National Safety Council. The registration of the council was done under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. The NSC was also registered under the Bombay Public Trust Act of 1950.

The National Safety Day campaign itself was born half a decade later, on March 4, 1972, to mark the National Safety Council’s day of formation.

The National Safety Day is significant in the way it seeks to raise awareness about safety guidelines, particularly road safety, workplace safety, the safety of human health and the environment. The activity is jointly termed as Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) campaign.

Materials designed by the NSC in the form of printed or electronic messages are distributed and shared to raise awareness about the council’s activities. The campaign intends to make safety and health issues a natural extension of lifestyle and work culture by making people participate in Occupational Health and Safety (OSH) activities.

The theme for this year’s National Safety Day/Week campaign is disasters and the need to prepare for a safer future where such calamitous events can be prevented.