Material Handling Safety in 2025: New Standards and Compliance Tips

In an interaction with Industry Outlook, Subrata Dasgupta, Director of TCA Hindustan, discusses advanced safety protocols, real-time monitoring, and operator training to meet India’s updated 2025 material handling standards. He highlights technology-driven safety, automation, and compliance excellence in India’s evolving material handling industry.

Subratadas gupta holds a double engineering degree along with an MBA. He began his career as a project head in consultancy for the steel and power sectors and later served as a plant head. After gaining firsthand insight into the various issues faced in material handling at the ground level, he decided to leave his job and establish manufacturing units with the vision of resolving these operational and project-level challenges. His extensive past experience forms the backbone of TCA Hindustan’s proven and successful product line.

How are Indian manufacturing and logistics companies adapting to the 2025 updates in material handling safety standards, and which industry-specific trends are shaping compliance efforts today?

The conveyor and components manufacturing industry in India is recognized as one of the most trusted and reliable sectors. Manufacturing processes and products often inspected and certified by leading organizations like TPL (Tata Projects Ltd), ensuring strict adherence to safety and quality standards. As manufacturers and suppliers of essential components for raw material and finished product handling, including conveyors and accessories, this industry serves as a critical part of the industrial supply chain. Consequently, it plays a significant role in shaping compliance efforts in the current industrial landscape.

What role does real-time sensor-based monitoring play in enhancing workplace safety for high-volume material handling zones, and how are companies leveraging this technology?

In industries that depend on precision manufacturing of raw materials, such as compounds used in conveyor belts, metals, welding, and bearings in components, and real-time sensor-based monitoring is essential. The selection and production of raw materials, which are thoroughly tested and inspected at every stage, achieve accurate and reliable results only through continuous real-time monitoring. Real-time monitoring at every phase is critical in manufacturing, as it directly impacts safety and the proper functioning of operations, especially given the high-volume material handling involved across all zones. Leveraging real-time monitoring throughout production processes ensures that each batch moves to the next stage only after fully meeting the specifications of the previous stage. Real-time sensor systems provide the testing data and results that guarantee consistency, safety, and quality at every step of manufacturing.

With stricter audits in place, how are firms restructuring their internal training programs to align with the latest compliance mandates around load handling and operator safety?

Strict audits are essential in manufacturing, as they directly contribute to achieving accurate and reliable outputs. To support this, regular training programs are conducted, and often on a weekly basis, covering both general operational practices and the latest regulatory requirements. These programs emphasize the proper and safe handling of materials, along with safe operating procedures that all operators, laborers, and staff members must follow to maintain safety and compliance throughout the manufacturing process.

Also Read: AI-Powered Industry 4.0: Redefining the Future of Manufacturing Ops

How do ergonomics-focused interventions in manual handling reduce musculoskeletal risks, and how are cobots managing repetitive tasks with safety compliance and with frameworks adapt to automation?

 Most material handling is performed using EOT cranes, which do not pose musculoskeletal risks. Ergonomics-focused interventions in manual handling tasks generally help reduce strain and injuries through improved tools, techniques, and work design. In Indian warehousing, new ergonomic benchmarks are being adopted to mitigate such risks, especially with growing labor-intensive operations. However, in setups without warehouse operations, the integration of collaborative robots (cobots) for repetitive tasks and their alignment with updated safety protocols is not applicable. That said, automation, including AI-driven systems, autonomous equipment, and Human-Machine Interfaces (HMI). It is essential and a necessity in modern manufacturing. As such technologies are integrated into operations, future compliance frameworks are expected to evolve accordingly, ensuring safe and efficient interaction between humans and machines through robust system architecture and programming, thus minimizing operational risks.