Planning for safety must: expert

Ashwin Raj / TNN / Feb 27, 2006, 00:20 IST

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The death of five labourers at a construction site near Marathahalli has raised concern over safety norms in the industry.

BANGALORE: The death of five labourers at a construction site near Marathahalli on Tuesday has raised concern over safety norms in the industry.
Though the labourers are involved in high-risk jobs, faulty design and execution of work plan, lack of basic safety gear like helmets and harnesses are only a few causes of such incidents, according to experts.
While the five labourers were buried alive and four others grievously injured when the supporting wall of a temporary water tank collapsed, two persons died of asphyxiation when they were cleaning a newly constructed underground sump in Hessarghatta Road on Tuesday.
According to a safety engineer of an MNC construction company, the focus is more on the first line of defence that includes planning,work method, execution and monitoring.

"All safety measures should be considered during planning itself. Extreme caution is needed in use of good material and safety measures to avert a disaster," he added.
Helmets, safety harnesses and other gadgets are part of the secondary line of defence, he said, adding that accidents depend on three parameters �� frequency, severity and accident rate (a combination of frequency and severity).
State Chairman of Builders' Association of India K L Mohan Rao said there is a need for modernisation and for all to be updated with technology and use the best material available.

Nearly 90 per cent of material currently being used is of good quality, he added.
Rao, who also heads the Construction Industry Development Academy and Research Centre (CIDARC), said the National Code of Construction released a few months ago makes it clear that for the next two years, 30 per cent of personnel employed in construction should be trained and certified.
After three years, all personnel are expected to be trained according to the Construction Code, Rao added.
However, when it comes to such mishaps, Rao said that there are various reasons. "Nobody should be held responsible unless there is a serious flaw in planning or execution.
Accidents are accidents but preventive measures should be taken," he added.
When there are such accidents, the police take up a case against the building owner, contractor and engineer under Section 304 (A) of the Indian Penal Code �� causing death by rash or negligent act which is punishable with a fine and up to two years imprisonment.
CIDARC and an academy run by the Builders Association of India have so far trained several hundred engineers and artisans in the construction industry. Most now work with private builders.
The building by-laws of the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) have no provision for safety of workers at construction sites.
According to BMP engineer-in-chief, Rame Gowda, "The building by-laws do not have any provisions for workers' safety.
Before the plan is sanctioned, the engineer concerned, however, gives an undertaking that safety norms will be followed."

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