Deaths of at least five workers, including two on Sunday morning, from electrocution near Thokar Niaz Baig during the ongoing construction of Orange Line Metro Train project has proved that the government is in a hurry to complete the project instead of ensuring safety of the labour.

The incident clearly shows poor monitoring of the construction, particularly health and safety measures for workers that are supposed to be ensured by contractors under the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report of the project.

`Health risks and work safetyproblems may occur at a workplace if working conditions are unsafe and/or unfavourable, and due to storage, handling and transport of hazardous construction material. So, workers must be provided with safe and healthy working environment considering risks inherent to a particular sector and specific classes of hazards in a project area,` reads the EIA report.

The report also mentions obligatoryinsurance against accidents for labourers, provision of basic medical training to specified work staff and basic medical service and supplies to workers and a layout plan for camp site, indicating safety measures taken by a contractor such as firefighting equipment, safe storage of hazardous material, first aid, secu-rity, fencing and contingency measures in case of accidents.

Similarly, under the report work safety measures and good workmanship practices are to be followed by contractors to ensure there are no health risks to labourers. Contractors are also bound to provide protection devices, adequate sanitation, washing, cooking and dormitory facilities, including satisfactory light, proper maintenance of facilities, protective clothing for labourers handling hazardous materials such as helmet, adequate footwear for bituminous pavement works, protective goggles, gloves etc.

Moreover, contractors are also required to strictly ensure these protective clothing are worn during work, elaboration of a contingency plan in case of major acci-dents, instruction to foremen to strictly keep non-working persons, particularly children, off work sites; and adequate signage, lightning devices, barriers, yellow tape and persons with flags during construction to manage traffic at sites, haulage and access roads.

Looking at these measures one would imagine these are foolproof arrangements, but in reality these are not followed. Had someone from the contractors supervised drilling work at Ali Town (Raiwind Road) near Thokar Niaz Baig on Sunday, the government could have saved lives of Bashir and Anwar and averted burn injuries to Boota and Sajjad.

Earlier, three workers had died during construction at various sites of the project, but the gov-ernment did not take notice. It finally took notice after the deaths on Sunday when they were reported in the media. As the government continues to construct the project speedily, it must consider safety of workers first by getting contractors` working protocols and standard operating procedures monitored and the EIA report implemented in letter and spirit.

L ast week, the City District Government of Lahore`s (CDGL) education wing issued a list of over 1,100 officials who will be imparted training for performing duties during various exams being conducted under the Punjab ExaminationCommission.

During the workshops from Jan 19 to 23, over 1,100 officials would be trained to perform duties as cluster heads, resident inspectors and superintendents.

`The training is very important in view of building capacity of officials. For next examinations, more officials will be selected for training and those already trained would impart them training,` an official of the CDGL told Dawn.

He said officials would be trained in their respective tehsils.

However the executive district officer (education) is authorised to change the duties of staff with a justification in case of any wrong entry, duplication or overlapping to avoid confusion. khalidpak284@yahoo.com