Due to an acute shortage of staff, the Department of Labour is unable to carry out crucial checks to ascertain whether norms of safety, health and hygiene are complied with in construction sites in the city and its vicinity.
The Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health under the Labour Department has to issue a registration certificate to any construction activity where more than 10 people work at a site, whose value is above Rs. 10 lakh. However, this requirement is often ignored. It is to ensure that buildings have these certificates that the department does spot inspections.
Against the sanctioned strength of 27 officers in the rank of deputy directors and other ranks to make field visits all over Tamil Nadu, there are just 5. In Chennai there is just one officer to cover Kancheepuram, Vellore, Tiruvannamalai and Villpuram districts.
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Department officials said they checked for provisions of safety nets around the building under construction, provision of decent accommodation and access to sanitation for women. If these facilities were found wanting, the department would initiate action against the erring builder. However, the penalty for violations is a fine of a meagre Rs. 1,000.
Meanwhile, the federation of All Civil Engineers Associations of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry has urged the State government to form a council of civil engineers as part of other measures to ensure safety. The role of geotechnical engineers, architects, structural engineers and project engineers were important, but there was no defined responsibilities, R.Thayumanavan said in a statement.