- Builders throw safety norms to winds
Concern is being expressed over the safety of construction field workers as their rights are being limited to papers. Recently, a house under construction in Gurgram collapsed leading to the death of two workers and caused severe injuries to a person. In this backdrop, the security and safety of the construction workers at work site came to the fore for discussion once again. The Labour Department officials identified several violations at the work site upon a visit to the place of the accident.
“The safety norms were not implemented at all. Safety net was provided in seventh floor alone. In fact, such nets should be provided elsewhere in the building. In fact, the norms are not being implemented at all, Labour Department officials who visited the site said. They expressed concern over limiting the rights of construction workers to paper alone. Experts say that the contractors are not willing to put in place safety precautions. In fact, the contractors feel it is better to give the bereaved family members some money rather than investing funds on safety precautions. There is every need to checkmate the lack of responsibility of one and all. The whole system is not functioning properly. They feel that every stakeholder right from builder, labour inspectors, and government to judiciary should play their role effectively to check such irregularities, it is felt. The builders also say that they alone cannot be blamed for everything. “At work place, safety precautions should be put in place. The builder alone should not be blamed. The labour inspector should also be made accountable for not visiting the site. The workers not willing to wear safety gear should also be held accountable,” The Builders’ Association of India director-general Raju John Said.
