Key Responsibilities:

1. Safety Department Build-Out & Leadership:

- Establish org structure, reporting lines, KPIs, governance framework, and hiring roadmap

- Set and own measurable leading indicators (near-miss reporting rate, PTW compliance, training completion, drill frequency) reported to Directors monthly

- Build a culture where every engineer and technician has the authority and confidence to raise safety concerns without fear of reprisal

- Represent safety at Engineering Design Reviews, test readiness reviews, PDR/CDR gates, and design change boards

2. Process Safety & Risk Management:

- Participate in HAZOP studies for the test stand, propellant storage, and launch pad P&IDs as a safety reviewer - ensure deviations, recommendations, and close-out status are reflected in safety controls

- Participate in QRA, consequence modelling, and explosion hazard studies; apply the outputs to define exclusion zone radii and blast wall specifications

- Contribute safety requirements to SIL assignment, functional safety requirements specification, and proof-test schedules for SIS functions (test stand, pad)

- Review all engineering design changes (MOC) that affect propellant flow paths, containment, venting, pressurisation, or ignition sources HSE safety review is a hard gate

- Establish and maintain a site Hazard Register all hazards scored with likelihood / severity / controls; reviewed semi-annually

3. Inerting, Purging & Safe Isolation:

- Write and own all propellant system inerting and purging procedures - pre-chill nitrogen purge, post-test GN2 purge, O2 monitor confirmation, maintenance-safe isolation checklist

- Define minimum O2 concentration confirmation criteria before any confined-space entry into purged systems

- Specify and commission the dedicated GN2 inerting manifold; verify flow rates, pressure, and O2 monitor interlocks before first propellant use

- Ensure no maintenance or inspection work begins on any propellant-wetted component without a completed inerting confirmation record and a valid confined-space PTW

4. Hot-Fire Test Safety - Pre-Test, During, Post-Test:

- Prepare and own the HSE block of the Test Readiness Review (TRR) checklist - no test campaign progresses to propellant loading without written HSE clearance

- Define and enforce exclusion zones (personnel, vehicles, structures) - zone radii derived from QRA thermal radiation and overpressure contours, updated for each thrust level

- Personally present or designate a senior safety officer as the HSE controller on console during all hot-fire tests

- Ensure ESD is armed, gas detectors confirmed operational, fire suppression in standby, ERT at muster, and communications verified before propellant loading commences

- Lead post-test secure-down: propellant systems purged and inerted; facility declared safe before general access is restored; post-test inspection of stand structure and blast walls

- Maintain a test-day hazard control log deviation from any pre-test safety condition triggers an operations hold

5. Manufacturing & Facility Safety:

- Oversee all factory safety: machinery guarding, LOTO procedures, crane/hoist inspection schedule, PTW for hot work, confined space, and working at heights

- Own the inspection schedule for all lifting accessories (slings, shackles, spreader bars) colour-coded quarterly certification, no quarantine-tagged equipment in use

- Ensure all electrical equipment in hazardous-area-classified zones is Ex-rated (ATEX / IECEx / BIS IS 2148) and documented on the area classification drawing

- Manage contractor HSE induction, daily toolbox talks, and HSE performance monitoring; recommend contractor exclusion where safety is compromised

- Ensure static bonding and grounding integrity at all propellant transfer points - quarterly resistance testing, <10 to earth, log maintained

6. Emergency Response - Command, Readiness, Training:

- Act as Incident Commander for all site emergencies until handed over to civil authorities - command post location, radio protocol, and chain of command defined and drilled

- Maintain an Emergency Response Team (ERT) of 4 SCBA-qualified, cryogenic-rescue-trained first responders per shift at all propellant-handling sites

- Ensure fire truck / tender is in service, staffed, and driver-trained at all times during test operations; quarterly maintenance log submitted to Head of Safety

- Operate a dedicated emergency communication system (radio + PA + siren) with a tested backup; site-wide alarm audible at all personnel locations confirmed at commissioning

- Maintain muster point accountability within 2 minutes of alarm; headcount protocol to HSE controller within 5 minutes

- Run quarterly full-evacuation drills; bi-annual HAZMAT/cryogenic-release simulation with post-drill hot wash and mandatory CAPA tracker

- Maintain a 24 7 emergency contact tree - Head of Safety, site safety officers, company directors, statutory emergency helpline, local fire station, nearest hospital / trauma centre

7. Launch Pad & Field Campaign Safety:

- Prepare a Campaign-Specific Safety Plan (CSSP) for every launch or integration campaign approved by Directors and submitted to range/pad authority before mobilisation

- Define pad exclusion zones for LOX loading, LCH4 loading, and fuelled vehicle for each campaign; enforce with physical barriers and radio-controlled access

- Coordinate with range safety authority (ISRO/SDSC-SHAR, or private pad) submit Preliminary Hazard Analysis (PHA), emergency response co-ordination agreement, and propellant quantities declaration

- Ensure firefighting readiness (deluge arm-test, water availability, foam stock) and medical readiness (paramedic, ambulance, trauma kit) are confirmed before any propellant loading

- Lead post-launch site recovery verification of residual propellant disposal, system safeing, structural inspection, and personnel de-brief

8. Permit-to-Work Authority:

- Head of Safety is the issuing and closing authority for high-risk PTWs: hot work near flammable propellants, confined space entry, LOTO on high-energy systems, critical lift (>5 t or above personnel), and any propellant system operation (fill, transfer, pressurisation, vent)

- Maintain a live PTW register - all open permits visible to HSE controller at all times

- No PTW may be issued without a completed pre-job risk assessment and toolbox talk record

9. Compliance, Licensing & Regulatory Interface:

- Support and track all statutory licences and approvals required before each facility phase opens gas cylinder/LOX licence, Factory Inspector clearance, fire NOC, pollution control consent with licence applications and ownership held by the responsible engineering / operations function

- Notify the appropriate authority of MAH (Major Accident Hazard) threshold inventory status per MSIHC Rules 1989; contribute to the On-Site Major Accident Prevention policy and document (MAPP / OSMP)

- Ensure all pressure vessels are IBR-registered and hydro-tested on schedule; maintain vessel log books

- Ensure all hazardous area electrical equipment carries valid BIS IS 2148 or ATEX/IECEx certification; no unapproved substitution

- Participate in all regulatory audits and inspections; track closure of observations within stipulated timelines; provide Directors with written status

10. Training, Competency & Safety Culture:

- Develop and deliver a propellant handler training programme - mandatory for all staff who approach LOX/LNG/LN2/CNG/GOX/GN2 systems: cryogenic hazards, PPE, emergency action, asphyxiation response

- Run SCBA (self-contained breathing apparatus) competency checks for all ERT members quarterly; certificate and re-qualification managed by HSE

- Deliver site-specific induction to every employee, contractor, and visitor before first site access - records held by HSE document controller

- Produce an annual training needs analysis (TNA); present gaps and plan to Directors quarterly

- Conduct toolbox talks before every high-risk operation; log attendance; use near-miss learnings as teaching material

11. Incident Management & Continuous Improvement:

- Lead reporting, investigation, and closure of all incidents, near-misses, unsafe conditions, unsafe acts, and process deviations

- Apply a structured root-cause analysis tool (SCAT, TapRooT, or equivalent) for all LTI, MTI, and high-potential near-misses

- Maintain a CAPA tracker with due dates; escalate overdue items to Directors monthly

- Report leading and lagging safety KPIs to Directors monthly; present trend analysis and improvement actions quarterly