The Council of Industrial Safety was registered as a society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 on 5th August 1999 and as a Public Trust under the Bombay Public Trust Act, 1960, on 19th September 2000 with the name of National Safety Council – Maharashtra Chapter.

    LATE SHRI M. L. GORE - FOUNDER MEMBER OF COUNCIL

GENESIS OF NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL-MAHARASHTRA CHAPTER (By Late Shri. M. L. Gore)

During the post-independence era, our Country had launched ambitious development plans for rapid industrialization for raising the standard of living of our people. The emphasis was mainly on increasing production of goods and services and generating employment. In the process, the aspects of Occupational Safety, Health and Hygiene were not given as much attention as was required, in selecting sites for new industries, designing factory buildings, safe machinery and equipment etc. As a result accidents, fatal as well as non-fatal, in factories went on increasing.

The then Government of Bombay and those in authority at that time became concerned about the rising trend in industrial accidents. The Government was well aware of the experience in Countries like USA and UK which had shown that, much more could be achieved, if non-official agencies develop activities to educate the employers and workers alike, on the need of ensuring safety, health and hygiene in factories.

MAHARASHTRA TAKES THE LEAD:
The Labour Advisory Board, Bombay, consisting of representatives of employers, employees and government in its meeting held on 28th January 1954 recommended the establishment of a non-official organization to cultivate public opinion about industrial health, hygiene and safety in factories and assured its full co-operation if such an organization was set-up.

BIRTH:
Encouraged by this support, the then Government of Bombay announced on 24th October 1955 establishment of a non-official Council under the name of "The Council of Industrial Health, Hygiene and Safety" which was formally inaugurated by the late Shri Shantilal H. Shah, the then Labour Minister, Government of Bombay on 28th November 1955. Maharashtra thus took a lead and became the pioneer in our Country to set-up a non-official voluntary organization to work in the field of Accident Prevention. The name of the Council was later changed to "The Council of Industrial Safety" in December 1958. The Council received Grant-in-Aid for the first two years from the Government of Bombay, but thereafter it became completely self-supporting.

DECLRATION ON INDUSTRIAL SAFETY With a view to focusing the attention of the industry on the subject of "Industrial Safety" a declaration was issued with the signatures of 20 leading industrialists in the country to industrial organizations headed by Shri Dharansey M. Khatau. The Bombay Mill Owners' Association took the lead and undertook to do organizational and administration work of the Council. The Association provided space to locate the Council's Office.

The President's Conference on Industrial Safety held in December 1965, recommended to set up an Apex Body at the National Level to carry out independently the activities in the field of industrial health, hygiene and safety. As a result of this recommendation, the National Safety Council was established on 4th March 1966. This Council was affiliated to the National Safety Council in April 1971, and functioned as its Maharashtra State Branch.

Since the inception, we had the good fortune of having the support from eminent industrialists like Late Shri Dharamsey M. Khatau, late Shri Lalchand Hirachand, late Dr Ramnath A. Podar and late Shri S. P. Mandelia as the Presidents of the Council. Shri Arvind R. Doshi is the present Chairman of the National Safety Council - Maharashtra Chapter.

PRINCIPLES:
The Chapter shall be an independent non-commercia, non-profit making, non-political and autonomous Chapter working as a Chapter of the National Safety Council.