Business

Bengal workers on ‘Zero Harm’ way at upscale site

By Ratnajyoti Dutta

Posted on February 6, 2016

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While at work Dhiman Bala, a bending machine operator at a housing project in New Town is fortunate to remain unhurt as he wears personal protection equipments unlike his not so lucky counterparts working elsewhere in an unsafe environment.

With security pledge of ‘zero harm’ to himself and colleagues at the realty site of Tata Housing’s Avenida, spread over 13 acres of land, Bala, 35 years old, who hails from Nadia district of West Bengal, starts his day cheerfully.

“Haven’t seen any of my colleagues at this site getting hurt due to security lapses,” Dhiman claims. The project started about twenty months ago, in the upcoming satellite township of the eastern metro city.

On an average, daily 1400-1500 workers like Dhiman are engaged in the making of six towers at Rs 575 crores Avenida project at Rajarhat, near the International Airport, named after Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

Estimates put the loss time injury frequency rate at Indian construction projects between 0.35-0.5, while construction entities operating in the Gulf nations target the rate at 0.3.

Echoing similar sentiment on safety measures, Biswajit Mandal, a helper to Dhiman, said that it is mandatory to wear helmet, shoulder pad, reflective jacket and safety shoes while at work. “Supervisor’s vigilant eyes are always chasing us,” said Mandal.

Avenida residential project will offer 598 flats after its completion in March 2018. “We are committed to provide healthy and safe workplaces to ensure ‘Zero Harm’ to any person,” said Amitava Paul, Vice President-Engineering, Tata Housing Development Company Ltd.

A digital notice board showing the daily safety report card since the commission of the project corroborates Paul’s claim of ‘Zero Harm’ at the project site. The board proudly reflects over 3.5 million safe man-hours at the site.

“It is necessary to ensure no harm policy for workers at any site, on a national canvass, like Singapore and Hong Kong.” said Deepak Mazumdar, member, Construction Industry Professional Training Council (CIPTC).

[Ratnajyoti Dutta, an ex-Reuters journalist, is the Editor-In-Chief of Construction Standard, India’s first monthly e-newspaper for the construction sector.]

In association with  www.constructionstandard.net

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