Safety norms go for a toss at work sites

Thiruvananthapuram: The incident where four

migrant labourers

got killed in an accident at a construction site at Pangappara came as a shock to the city residents on Monday evening. But, to those who are aware of affairs on ground, the accident was not something quite unexpected. It is not a secret that most of the migrant labourers work in unsafe conditions in the city and in suburban areas.

In February last year, a migrant labourer died in a similar incident while he was engaged in works for Kazhakoottam-Karode road widening project at Akkulam. Similar to the Pangappara incident, mud collapsed over Shambu Ram, hailing from Jharkhand, during excavation works and he died before he was pulled out from the debris.

A controversy broke out following 47-year-old Shambu Ram’s death over the way excavation was done at the site owned by Nirmithi Kendra at Akkulam.

Instead of step cut, the mud was excavated by making vertical cut in a hillock. However, the environment impact of excavation was heavily debated, totally ignoring the human rights violations that made migrant labourers work in unsafe conditions.

In February this year, another migrant labourer, who worked for the same contractors which is executing the widening of Kazhakoottam-Mukkola road, died after he was hit by a tipper truck at the construction site at Kovalam. Thirty-year-old Kadar Sankar, hailing from Andhra Pradesh, was killed after he was hit by the truck which was taking reverse on the work site.

In December last year, another migrant labourer was killed after he fell from the 7th floor of a 11-floor flat under construction at Pullani near Karyavattom. Twenty two-year-old Amal Roy from West Bengal was alleged to be a victim of unsafe working conditions.

Labour commissioner K Biju said that a detailed investigation will be conducted with regard to the factors which led to the Pangappara accident. He said that contractors have to ensure safety of workers as per Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act. “We conduct routine inspections and have taken corrective measures in case of violations,” he said.

Senior CPI leader C Divakaran MLA sought urgent intervention of the state government to ensure safe working conditions for migrant labourers. “It is negligence from the part of contractors to arrange enough safety equipment that resulted in the accident leading to loss of lives. Authorities fail to ensure that there are enough facilities for labourers while giving license for construction. This has resulted in the death of four at Pangappara,” he said.

C S Venkiteswaran, associate professor of Gulati Institute of Finance and Taxation, who has conducted studies on migrant labourers in the state said that negligence from the part of government to ensure

safety norms

for migrant labourers, builders failing to provide

safety gear

and also negligence from the side of labourers in using proper safety gear are some of the major reasons for such accidents. “There is no proper monitoring to ensure that the right safety equipment is provided,” he said, adding that the plight of migrant labourers working under unsafe conditions points to the failure of labour organizations in the state.