Safety lapses at ammunition factories must be eliminated, not just reduced: Defence production secy

Defence production secretary Sanjeev Kumar said safety lapses at ammunition factories must be eliminated, not just reduced, citing irreversible loss of life.

Recent accidents at defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs) and private explosives manufacturing units prompted the ministry of defence to review safety practices.

Kumar said the issue is not a lack of safety standards but failure to implement them sincerely, leading to complacency.

He advocated greater use of technology such as sensors, CCTV cameras, automated monitoring systems, and data analytics to enforce compliance.

Data shared in Parliament in March 2025 shows ordnance factories reported 62 industrial accidents in 2024, down from 75 in 2023.