Metro speeds up but danger lurks

Metro speeds up but danger lurks

July 13th, 2009
By Our Correspondent

Bengaluru, July 12: The recent death of a worker at a site where demolition work for Metro Rail was on, raised questions over safety practices being followed by the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL)
Sunday’s mishap in Delhi where an underscontruction bridge for the Metro Rail resulted in the death of six people has brought into sharper focus the need for greater safety in large public infrastructure projects.
Three people lost their lives in the last seven months at different sites during construction work on the Metro Rail.
The construction work is expected to pick up pace as the deadline set for the first phase is by the end of 2010. While safety experts say more needs to be done to safeguard the lives of workers at Metro Rail sites, BMRCL officials claim that all the safety measures in place are adequate.
BMRCL officials also maintained that safety standards were being followed thoroughly at the work sites but it is only due to miscalculations that fatal accidents have taken place.
“The recent accident happened because of some miscalculation. All the safety norms were in place at the time this incident took place. The worker at the demolition site expected the wall to crumble. But it collapsed on him when he tried to pull it down. A staff member who is in charge of safety is always available to monitor the demolition site,” said BMRCL managing director N. Sivasailam.
“Safety of the workers and the houses adjoining the work site is being closely monitored to prevent a mishap. However, such accidents which are very unfortunate do happen despite all safety measurers being put in place during work on the project. Moreover, there are guidelines that are supposed to be followed by the workers. For example, at a demolition site workers are told to avoid climbing on heaps of debris. Safety measures do exist but they need to be followed strictly,” added Mr Sivasailam.
BMRCL has appointed safety engineers and consultants who keep track of safety requirements at all the construction and demolition sites. There are safety inspectors who visit the workplaces and ensure that contractors abide by safety requirements.
“We are conducting meetings and safety exercises at the construction sites of Namma Metro,” said an official.