IIT Madras Introduces Online PG Diploma Course On Safety Training To Combat Factory Accidents

In an effort to curb the increasing number of industrial accidents throughout India, IIT Madras has launched a first-of-its-kind Postgraduate Diploma in Process Safety. Specifically designed for working professionals in industries such as chemical, mining, energy, and allied industries, the programme will be offered completely online, enabling candidates to continue working while enhancing their safety knowledge.

Applications are already open and will be accepted through May 31, 2025, and the entrance examination will be conducted on July 13, 2025. Interested applicants may apply at https://code.iitm.ac.in/processsafety.

Provided by the Centre for Outreach and Digital Education (CODE), the diploma will seek to meet essential safety failures that often lead to injuries and deaths in risky industries. The course coordinator Prof. Rajagopalan Srinivasan stated that India experienced over 240 workplace accidents in 2024, deaths over 400 people and 850 suffering serious injuries, particularly in the chemical and pharma industries. He added that the majority of incidents were as a result of inadequate safety training and awareness.

Course Length and Format

The course format is trimester-based September to December, January to April, and May to August and can be completed in 1 to 2 years, depending on the number of courses one undertakes in each period.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility is a BE/BTech in Chemical, Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Instrumentation, Petroleum or related disciplines, or an MSc in Chemistry, with at least two years of work experience.

The program demonstrates IIT Madras' focus on raising workplace safety standards in India and equipping professionals to spearhead safer working environments.