Case Studies

Ramesh, you have served as an Inspector of Factories and Boilers since 2019. Can you tell us about the core responsibilities of this role?

As an Inspector of Factories and Boilers with the Government of Kerala, my core responsibilities are to ensure the safety, health and welfare of workers in factories, and to protect the public from risks arising from industrial and boiler operations.

In my role, I facilitate and enforce compliance with a broad range of occupational safety, health, welfare and boiler safety legislation through regular inspections, technical scrutiny and systematic monitoring of industrial establishments. In practice, my key tasks include:

• conducting statutory inspections of factories and boilers
• investigating industrial accidents and dangerous occurrences
• verifying compliance with safety management systems
• completing risk assessments and producing safety reports
• ensuring emergency preparedness arrangements are appropriate
• reviewing and approving factory building plans, machinery layouts and fire protection systems
• overseeing occupational health measures in hazardous processes

Beyond enforcement, the role has a strong preventive and developmental focus. As a result, my time is also spent:

• developing and delivering safety training and awareness programmes for inspectors, industry management and workers
• providing technical guidance to occupiers
• promoting best practices in risk control

Increasingly, the position also involves stakeholder coordination, capacity building and contributing to digital and systemic reforms which aim to strengthen occupational safety and health governance across the state.

 

Since your appointment, you have completed four NEBOSH qualifications, with Gold Learning Partner, NIST Global. Can you share your thoughts on each and explain how they have helped you:

• NEBOSH International General Certificate in Occupational Safety and Health – This qualification provided a strong foundational understanding of occupational safety and health principles, hazard identification and risk control. It significantly improved my ability to systematically assess workplace risks during inspections and helped me engage more effectively with employers and workers on practical, legally aligned safety improvements.
• NEBOSH HSE Certificate in Process Safety Management – This programme strengthened my understanding of major accident prevention, barrier management and loss of containment risks. The insights gained help me to conduct more informed and effective inspections of refineries, chemical plants and other hazardous process industries, particularly when evaluating process safety controls and safety critical systems.
• NEBOSH International Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety – Undertaking this qualification marked a decisive turning point in my career. The content broadened my perspective from procedural compliance to comprehensive, risk based safety thinking and deepened my passion for understanding hazards, controls and system interactions. The programme enhanced my analytical capability, technical judgement and professional confidence, enabling me to address complex safety challenges more effectively. It also strengthened my identity as a full time occupational safety and health professional, committed not only to enforcement but to improving safety culture, influencing leadership decisions and driving sustainable risk reduction across industries.
• NEBOSH Health and Safety Management for Construction (International) – Building on the knowledge gained from my other NEBOSH qualifications, this programme strengthened my understanding of construction phase risks, contractor coordination and temporary works. It directly supports my statutory role in overseeing construction safety and ensuring compliance in complex, high risk construction environments.

What was the best thing you learned through your NEBOSH studies?
My NEBOSH studies have changed how I approach enforcement. My work is not about fault finding or short term compliance; it’s a risk based, evidence driven process that identifies root causes, strengthens preventive controls and delivers sustainable safety improvements.

Shortly after completing your NEBOSH Diploma, you were appointed Programme Coordinator for NEBOSH training within the Inspectorate. Can you tell us a little bit about the programme and your role?
Under the visionary leadership of our Director, Sri P. Pramod, the Department of Factories & Boilers, Kerala set out to build capacity by enhancing the health and safety knowledge, awareness and practice of our Inspectors. In 2025, the Department engaged with NEBOSH leadership, including Chief Executive Officer Andy Shenstone, and secured funding through NEBOSH’s Social Purpose Programme to train 44 Inspectors. The training is now being rolled out, with 25 Inspectors being enrolled on the NEBOSH Level 6 International Diploma for Occupational Health and Safety Management Professionals and 19 studying the NEBOSH International General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety.

As the Programme Coordinator, my role involves planning and coordinating the programme between the Department and the four NEBOSH Gold Learning Partners delivering the training. I facilitate enrolment, monitor progress, resolve any operational issues and ensure alignment with departmental priorities. I also support Inspectors academically and administratively throughout the learning journey.

This initiative represents a significant milestone and a proud achievement for both the Department and the Government of Kerala. It establishes a meaningful collaboration with NEBOSH and lays a strong foundation for future international partnerships and long term OSH capacity building.

I understand that in addition to your Inspector role, you have contributed to numerous safety initiatives in the State of Kerala. Can you share details please?
Alongside my statutory role as an Inspector, I have been actively involved in systems reform and OSH modernisation initiatives aimed at strengthening governance, transparency, and preventive capability in Kerala. I serve as:

• The State Nodal Officer for the Kerala State Occupational Safety and Health Grievance Redressal and Complaint Management System. This provides members of the public and factory workers with a mechanism to report safety, health, and welfare concerns.
• Project Nodal Officer for the Geographic Information System (GIS) Factory Information Management System. which enables spatial mapping, risk profiling, and data-driven decision-making for enforcement and emergency response.
• The State Nodal and Coordination Officer for the development of Kerala’s Occupational Safety and Health Profile, developed in collaboration with the International Labour Organization. This supports evidence-based policy formulation and is a first initiative of its kind at a state level in India.
• Coordinator for the Accident Prevention through Safety Surveillance (APSS) Project, which focuses on proactive hazard identification and behavioural safety monitoring in hazardous factories.

Additionally, I have contributed to the conceptualisation and design of a state-level OSH e-learning and virtual training platform aimed at expanding access to structured safety education and strengthening institutional capacity in the long-term.

Since 2023, I have also served as a member of the Kerala OSH Rules Committee, where I have had the opportunity to contribute to the modernisation of the State’s OSH regulatory framework. With a vision of zero accidents and zero occupational diseases, the committee has considered a broad range of risks including ergonomics, confined spaces, hot works, work at height and psychosocial risks.

When you look back at your career so far, what achievements are you proud of?
I am most proud of contributing to safer workplaces through a balanced approach to enforcement, capacity building, and system reform. This includes leading inspector upskilling initiatives where NEBOSH has played a part, supporting OSH digitalisation projects, and contributing to the modernisation of safety regulations to strengthen prevention, transparency, and long-term safety culture. I also value the recognition I have received for these efforts including:

• Being recognised as the Government of Kerala’s best HSE article writer
• Receiving acknowledgement for the part I played in the planning and coordination of the Surakshitham 2.0 and 3.0 International OSH Conclaves
• Recognition for coordinating the State-Level Boiler Operator Safety Examination.

Recognitions like these reaffirm the impact you can have by combining technical rigor with collaborative leadership.

What do you enjoy most about being a health and safety professional?
The role allows me to protect lives, support workers, contribute to safer systems that create lasting impact, while continuously learning and growing myself. It gives me the opportunity to prevent harm before it occurs by identifying risks early, influencing decisions, and translating safety principles into practical action.

What advice would you give someone who wants to build their career in health and safety?
Build your career on strong fundamentals and strive for more than just achieving compliance. Develop a clear understanding of risk, systems, and human behaviour, as these are central to effective health and safety practice. Invest in credible, globally recognised learning and continuously update your knowledge to keep pace with evolving industries, technologies, and hazards.

Gain meaningful field experience. Exposure to real workplaces sharpens professional judgement, builds confidence, and helps translate theory into practical solutions. Learn to communicate clearly so you can influence decision-makers and balance enforcement with guidance and facilitation.

Above all, approach health and safety with integrity, empathy, and a strong sense of purpose. The profession is ultimately about preventing harm, protecting lives, and creating safer and healthier workplaces that deliver lasting value to workers, organisations, and society.