SHAKTI and mines and geology minister Gaddam Vivek Venkat Swamy on Wednesday urged industries to conduct regular safety training programmes for employees and adopt new technologies and best practices to strengthen workplace safety. Inaugurating a two-day workshop on “Process Safety of Combustible Dusts”, the minister directed the Director of Factories to frame rules incorporating best practices to address dust-related hazards. The workshop was organised by the Telangana chapter of the National Safety Council in collaboration with the department of factories. SHAKTI department secretary Harichandana Dasari advised industries handling combustible dust to adopt a systematic approach to hazard identification and risk management. She said industries should move beyond conventional compliance and adopt an integrated system covering preventive maintenance, process safety management and emergency preparedness.