New Delhi, 5 September Industries must follow strict safety measures to be able to boost country’s growth and competitiveness in the international market, Minister of State for Heavy Industry Kanti Singh said today.

“Apart from large industries, even small industries should focus on occupational and health safety for improving country’s growth and competitiveness in the global market,” Singh told reporters at the Safety Convention 2007.

She said companies have realised that they can suffer losses if appropriate measures are not taken for implementing safety norms.

In recent years, Kanti said: “Industries have focused on total loss control and thereby on damage control.”

Total loss control refers to conditions that can either partially or fully interfere with the progress of an organisation’s objectives, she said, adding that the cost- conscious firms must pay attention to safety measures if they want to survive competition.

National Safety awards were also given out to industries including DRDO, NTPC, OITC Ltd, GAIL, ONGC, Hindustan Zinc, Reliance Energy, Sterlite Industies, JK Tyre and Industries among others, at the convention.