The International standard allowable accident frequency rate is 0.5. We have been able to keep it same at 0.21 between 2011 and 2016. Our motto is safety first, as safety is the concern for one and all, says K.P. Sreehari, Head Quality & Environment, Health and Safety, L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad). So far, So good.
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Save for issues of right of way and alignment change, work on the Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR) project has been relatively incident-free. But questions are bound to be asked about the construction, monitoring and safety aspects in view of the recent and the not-so-recent incidents where flyovers collapsed while under construction, including a mishap at Punjagutta.
L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad (L&TMRH) and HMR have made an unique arrangement in the form of an Independent Engineer (IE) to begin with. Louis Berger, a globally-renowned engineering firm, is the IE and the consultancy cost of Rs. 83.60 crore is shared by HMR and L&TMRH.
“We do not interfere with the IE. They critically check designs and drawings, give recommendations, inspect and monitor quality of work at every stage to ensure that the system is built as per prescribed technical specifications, performance criteria and safety standards,”’ explains HMR Managing Director N.V.S. Reddy.
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Initially, HMR had formed a separate independent rung of retired railway and engineering experts. Checks began at the foundation stage itself for constructing piers/pillars where, after manual chiselling of the rock underneath, a concrete platform is laid before the pier rises above.
While each pillar of the rail has been installed with seismic arresters (the first metro in India), the viaduct atop the piers forming the carriageway is also done carefully with the help of overhead, high-capacity gantry cranes with most work done during nights for more safety and from the traffic point of view.
“We review all work plans prepared by the vendor. There are regular inspections for each stage of work and are done as per protocol,” testifies Mr. Sreehari. Even when crossing over road junctions, caution has been the watchword.
For instance, at Khairatabad and before in Punjagutta and elsewhere, ground supported staging with wide gaps was devised to allow traffic to flow. The steel support structures have been deeply anchored to the ground as a “precaution against any heavy vehicle crashing into the structures.”
A two-layered protection with safety net is also in place to prevent any material falling on road users. Anywhere up to four months are taken for concreting the viaduct, positioning and stressing of tendons, arrangement of bearings and removal of support shuttering are being carried out in nine stages.
“Checks and surprise checks happen are a continuous process. Our motto is – first time right! Apart from heavy duty machinery, there is lot of human interface with engineers, supervisors, workmen etc., We have to continuously work on their mind through training, pep talks and monitoring. It is safety first always,” avers L&TMRH V.B. Gadgil.
L&TMRH bagged the ‘Best Upcoming Metro Rail’ & ‘Excellence in Safety’ at the 5{+t}{+h}Annual Metro Rail Summit last month.
Workforce is trained well in safety measures through pep talk and monitoring by experts