Sanitary supervisor fails to ensure safety of staff, suspended

Coimbatore: City corporation commissioner Raja Gopal Sunkara on Tuesday placed the sanitary supervisor of ward 78 under suspension for forcing conservancy workers to work in an unsafe environment without any safety gears.
The commissioner also ordered city health officer Dr Satish Kumar to conduct an inquiry into the incident and submit a report to take further course of action.
“Supervisor Manickam made conservancy workers to work in an unsafe environment near Perur Main Road on March 19. Workers recorded a video of them working and brought it to the notice of the commissioner,” a corporation official said.
“Workers were forced to enter into a covered storm water drain without safety gears. They were to clear a clog from the drain. The drain was closed with cement slabs and sandbags and construction materials were piled up on the slabs. The cement slabs could have collapsed under the weight of materials when a worker was inside the drain,” the official added.
Explaining the incident, Subramani, one of the conservancy workers, said he along with two other workers were pressed into clearing the storm water drain on Saturday. “I was the one who had to enter into the drain. I initially resisted it, stating that it was unsafe, but Manickam forced me to enter into it without any safety gears,” Subramani said.
Subramani said when Manickam came to know that they had raised a complaint against him, he harassed them to sign a blank paper and withdraw the complaint.