Vishwakarma Rashtriya Puraskar and National Safety Awards for the Year 2011 Presented

Union Labour and Employment Minister Sis Ram Ola on 18 September 2013 presented the Vishwakarma Rashtriya Puraskar & National Safety Awards for the Performance Year 2011 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

194 applications for Vishvakarma Rashtriya Puruskar and 187 applications for National Safety Awards were received for the Performance Year 2011. 116 awards were for Vishvakarma Rashtriya Puruskar, and in different categories of National Safety awards there are 63 winners and 35 runners-up awardees.

About the Vishvakarma Rashtriya Puraskar and National Safety Awards

• The Vishvakarma Rashtriya Puraskar and National Safety Awards scheme was launched in 1965 to motivate the brilliant workers and industrial units who deliver their best to curb mishaps and increase in the industrial (occupational) safety measures and work for the promotion of the interests of both the management.
• The Vishvakarma Rashtriya Puraskar (VRP) was earlier known as Shram Vir National Awards. The Vishvakarma Rashtriya Puraskar and National Safety Awards are operated by the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
• These awards were started off in the year 1965.
• These Award schemes are operated by its technical wing, i.e., the Directorate General Factory Advice Service and Labour Institutes (DGFASLI), Mumbai. DGFASLI renders the advice as well as services to the workers, their representatives as well as managements in the factories.
• VRP is awarded in recognition of outstanding suggestions given by a worker or group of workers and implemented by the management during the previous calendar year resulting in improvement in quality, productivity and working conditions such as safety, health and environmental conservation in the industrial undertakings where Suggestion Schemes are operational.
• The recipients of the award are given cash prize and a certificate of merit in three categories
• VRP is awarded in the form of cash prize and a certificate of merit in three categories: Class ‘A’ – Five (5) of 75000 Rupees each, Class ‘B’ – Eight (8) of 50000 Rupees each and Class ‘C’ – Fifteen (15) of 25000 Rupees each.
• There are 28 puraskars being shared by 116 winners out of a total of 194 applications received from different industries for the Performance Year 2011.
• The NSA is given in recognition of outstanding safety performance of industrial establishments, construction sites, ports and installations under AERB to stimulate and maintain the interests of both the management and the workers in accident prevention programmes.
• The awards are given under twelve schemes, out of which ten are meant for Factories, Construction sites and Installations under AERB and two are for Ports.
• Under each award, a Shield and a Certificate of Merit is given to each of the Award Winners and Runners-up. The establishments are classified in different schemes on the basis of working of highest man-hours.

Criterion for the Awards

• Lowest Average Frequency Rate over a period of three consecutive years ending in the contest year as compared to the National Average for that group of industries.
• Accident Free year based on man-hours worked during the contest year.
• For the Performance year 2011, the total number of NSA Award Winners and Runners-up in all the ten schemes added up to 98 (63 winners and 35 runners-up), which were selected out of 187 applications received under various schemes.