PARTHA ROY, KOLKATA: Indian Chemical Council (ICC) is actively promoting awareness on chemical hazards and preventive measures to protect individuals, workers, communities, and society during emergencies and crises, as part of one of its flagship initiatives aimed at saving lives.
ICC’s Eastern Regional Office organized an awareness program focused on chemical hazard management, particularly immediate responses following accidents. The seminar, titled “Chemical Burns Management – Stopping Incidents from Becoming Accidents,” was held on January 30, 2026, at the Bengal Club in Kolkata. It highlighted the latest developments in first-aid measures to minimize the impact on human lives during chemical incidents.
Water showers remain the most common first-aid method employed by chemical industries across India to rinse hazardous chemicals from the human body, reduce chemical burns, and sanitize factory floors. However, to improve first-aid effectiveness and prevent serious consequences, interventions must address three key phases of the chemical injury mechanism: 1) Removing the chemical from the surface to halt contact (similar to using water); 2) Stopping penetration and extracting any absorbed chemical; and 3) Neutralizing the chemical activity to end the reaction. It is also crucial to act within the first 10 seconds after an accident to reach a safety shower.
Experts at the seminar emphasized that Diphoterine solution, a specialized chemical composition, can effectively intervene within those critical 10 seconds to minimize the harmful effects of hazardous chemicals. This solution is active against a wide range of agents, including acids, bases, oxidizing agents, reducing agents, chelating agents, solvents, and alkylating agents, making it an advanced active decontamination option.
Smt. Prajnaparamita Jana, Secretary of ICC-Eastern Region, welcomed participants and provided an overview of the ICC’s role in promoting safety and security in the chemical and associated industries across India, including measures related to chemical weapons. The ICC leads several major initiatives to manage hazardous chemicals and mitigate their impacts, such as handling challenges from chemical accidents. Key programs include Responsible Care, Nicer Globe, Indian Phosgene Council, Indian Bromine Platform, ICC CWC Help Desk, and an MOU with the Central Bureau of Narcotics.
Founded in 1938 in Kolkata as the Indian Chemical Manufacturers Association (ICMA) by Acharya P. C. Ray, Rajmitra Dr. B. D. Amin, and a group of industrialists, the ICC was established to promote the interests of the emerging Indian chemical industry and foster industrial self-reliance. Its headquarters later moved to Mumbai.
Shri D. Sothi Selvam, Director General of the ICC, plays a pivotal role in providing leadership for various policy measures and their implementation to enhance safety standards across the chemical sector in India and globally. Addressing top industry leaders and stakeholders at 20th National Convention of the UN Global Compact Network India (UN GCNI) in Kolkata on December 12, 2025
, Shri Selvam mentioned Responsible Care ( RC) is not just an industry initiative – it is the Chemical industry’s contribution to the global sustainability agenda. Selvam also mentioned trust is social licence to operate. Nearly,100 large companies are RC logo holders representing a major share of the country ‘s chemical production.
In his concluding remarks, Shri Chandan Sengupta, immediate Past Chairman of ICC-Eastern Region, stressed the importance of upscaling and elevating first-aid safety measures through new scientific developments and innovations.