India, Sept. 22 -- The Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health (DISH) has issued notices to 61 factories for violating safety norms during a month-long special inspection conducted after an ammonia gas leak at a seafood processing unit in Tiruvallur district in June killed 18 people.

The Labour Department has meanwhile set up a committee to examine the implications of shifting workers' accommodation away from factory premises.

The inspection drive was carried out in August, with 21 teams led by joint directors checking 342 factories across Tamil Nadu. The facilities inspected included seafood processing units, dairy plants and other food processing industries where ammonia is used.

The teams examined ammonia storage arrangements, e...