Ensure every work site has safety equipment

MSEDCL staff reconnected power supply to the bridge on Saturday. Pic/Hanif Patel

Construction of the station building on the west side of Naigaon railway station near Mumbai is in progress under the proposed 5th and 6th line project between Borivli and Virar.

Recently, at 1.35 pm, two labourers slipped and fell while fixing lintel shuttering (a temporary mould used in construction to support and shape concrete). Thankfully, a safety net was in place, and both were immediately protected from injury, according to a Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation spokesperson.

As a precaution, they were taken to the hospital, where a medical examination confirmed that they were fine. The biggest takeaway is for all employers and contractors to have safety protocols in place on-site.

Safety measures naturally depend on the kind of work being undertaken. When required, the workforce should wear hard hats. Non-slip, tough footwear. Gloves if the work demands it, and special eyewear to protect the eyes. We see some welding work being done at certain places, with little to no safety gear. Nets should be non-negotiable for those working at a height. They must be installed and the space below completely covered.

The workers can also have harnesses when working at higher levels as yet another safety measure. This should be one more safety layer, if and when possible. The contractor must be responsible for designating a chain of command within the team of workers, with the person at the helm, giving clear, audible instructions. Every work site must have safety equipment in place, with labourers' lives given priority. Rightly or wrongly, and in fact extremely unfortunately, it is these persons who perish at times due to an entirely avoidable accident simply because there was no safety gear. Lives are never cheap, and every employer must ensure and provide so that workers are sheathed and shod for safety.