HELMET

Environment Health Safety

EHS journal of L&T Construction

Volume - 5, Issue - 3 July - September 2015

Safety can be top priority ...

... only if driven from the top
 Contents From the EDITOR
You can beat gravity 3 The Walk, that has been regaling audiences recently,
You can beat gravity
just by being prepared and careful! is an English film that tells the true life story of a
high-wire artist, Phillippe Petit and his dream of
just by being prepared and careful!
walking between the twin towers of the World Trade
Making it count where 8 Centre. Petit fulfilled his childhood dream but he
it really matters faced death every step of his walk on the tightrope. The constant threat of falling!
Of course, our workmen are not high-wire artists
Workers, at construction sites, face the constant risk of falling
14
but they too constantly face the threat of falling and
Elevating the standards therefore our cover story in this issue of Hemet is and with time and experience they start to believe, foolishly,
about how to be safely harnessed when working at one might add, that they will have sufficient time to regain
Going the distance 20 heights. their balance if they do fall. Studies disprove this notion for it
takes a mere 4 seconds to fall a distance of 256 feet! However,
Normally, safety is compromised at sites either
a worker can still save himself with a properly maintained
A dam good safety strategy 28 due to poor planning or improper equipment or
sheer negligence. However, at hydroelectric power
and worn safety belt or full body harness attached to a secure
anchor.
projects, while all these factors could queer the pitch,
Re-engineering the processes of 38 there is one more reason that gets added to this mix The origins of fall protection equipment date back to the early
water management which is natural disaster. Unfortunately, neither 20th century when linesmen wore body belts to scale utility
do natural disasters come with prior warning nor poles. It took several decades and disasters to understand the
can they be sensed and therefore the project team dangers of using a not-so-properly designed form of body
Building a dam? Can it be safe! 44 just has to be prepared to face if, God forbid, such belt. As these belts were loosely worn around the waist, there
Yes! But its a tall order! disasters occur. was always the danger of these belts getting pulled up to the
armpits or the forces getting directly transferred to the spine
Hydroelectric power projects are fraught with
and midsection of the falling person or, worse still, letting the
dangers because they involve taming the forces
person slip through to a fatal fall.
of nature and nature hardly ever gives in easily.
The huge calamity that befell our team at the By 1917, manufacturers began looking for a body belt that
Editor : Vinod Jacob Chacko Punatsangchhu Project in the Kingdom of Bhutan would distribute the fall arrest forces throughout the body
Associate Editor : Gopi Kannan. S when a whole mountainside decided to slip down while holding the person securely in it. With the First World
on their structures is without precedent and requires War looming large, safety professionals turned to the military
Process Owners : M. Kamarajan tremendous fortitude and innovative thinking to for inspiration and a full body harness was designed after the
Malay Kumar Mahanta evolve remedial measures so that the project can parachute. Designed to keep the falling person suspended in
Stephen Philip Storey proceed. That the calamity did not claim even a an upright position in the event of a fall, the harness was also
Ramachandran N single precious life speak volumes of the quick expected to support them while they waited to be rescued. The
K. S. Sudheesh Kumar thinking and immediate action taken by the team. most striking improvement in the full body harness was that it
The only mantra they follow, as across our several
distributed the fall arrest forces throughout the body unlike a
Technical Associates : P. Nagarajan | Gabrial Fernandez of our other projects, is to be ever prepared for the
concentration of forces at the abdomen region as in the case of
Sudarsan Rajendran most unexpected and deal with it to the best of their
conventional body belts.
Md Quaisar Imam ability.
Sathyanarayana Seelamanthula A full body harness consists of straps that pass over the
Such projects also depict high levels of human
Murali Krishnan shoulders, across the chest, and around the legs (in the pelvic
courage on a daily basis. Just imagine the pressure of
Mathivanan Palaniappan region) along with metallic buckles used to tighten the grip.
digging an underground tunnel palpably feeling the
S. Anantha Prasanna Venkatesh These straps, made of different types of fabric webbing, are sewn
enormous weight of the mighty Himalayas above
together into various configurations and made from synthetic
Editorial team : V. Ramesh Kumar you. Or, contending with the force of a swift-running
fibres with material characteristics consistent with those of
Ashwin Chand | Mayura. K river cascading forcefully down a mountainside.
polyamide and polyester. Manufacturers maintain a uniform
The challenges are huge but we are able to soldier
Photography : V. S. Natanavelu | R. Vijay Kumar thickness of 3 mm and a width of 40 mm in compliance to IS
on following all the safety best practices; even then
3521. The threads used for sewing are physically compatible
Design & layout : Global Print Design, Chennai one cannot ignore the underlying safety principle
that one can never be too careful!

2 HELMET, July - September 2015 HELMET, July - September 2015 3

 with that of the webbing, but are usually
of a different colour for ready visual
Anchoring the harness Holding firmly
inspection to easily identify wear and An anchor, what you connect your lanyard or lifeline to, is a key Most full body harnesses are built to support the combined
tear. element of any personal fall protection system. The selection of weight of a person and his tools of less than 140 kg. If this limit
the anchor point depends on whether you want to restrain or is exceeded, it becomes the responsibility of the employer
For sensitive and hazardous applications
arrest a fall. To prevent or restrain a fall, the anchor should be to provide proper protection for the heavier persons with
such as in the oil and gas sector, explosive
capable of supporting 350 kg (3.5 kN) while to arrest one, it appropriate systems.
environment or for applications like
should be able to support 2250 kg (22 kN).
welding and arc flash, specialty fabrics
such as Kevlar are used which are anti- The structure to which the personal fall arrest system is
A class apart
static and flame retardant. Some versions attached to must sustain static loads applied in the directions A detailed fall protection plan should be prepared by a
also feature di-electric hardware for use permitted by the fall arrest system of at least 1630 kg (16 kN) competent safety professional for selecting the right personal
in electrical applications. with certification of a qualified person or 2250 kg (22 kN) fall protection system especially when working at heights
without such certifications. When more than one personnel with a potential fall hazard of 6.75 m (24 feet) or more. This
A fall can be dangerous! are attached to an anchorage, the strengths stated above must plan should ideally enumerate the potential fall hazards, the
be multiplied by the number of systems attached. workmans knowledge of using the system, the environment
Startlingly, studies reveal that a fall from
in which it will be used and the reaction time for rescue until
a height of 11feet has only 15 % chance A full body harness should be rigged so that the user can
which time the equipment should keep the workmen in an
of survival which also means that there neither fall freely to not more than 6 feet (1.8 m), nor make
upright and suspended condition.
is a very high chance of fatality. Medical contact to a level below. The connecting lanyards should be
researches show that the human body anchored above the users head within reach and the length of Harnesses are classified based on the purpose and it is pertinent
cannot survive impacts above 1100 kg lanyard should not exceed a maximum of 2 m. to use the right type following a thorough understanding of
(12 kN) and OSHA (Occupational Safety
and Health Administration) mandates
that the maximum impact force that a
worker can be exposed to is 6 kN as per
European standards. These significant
facts must be borne in mind while
deciding on using the right type of fall
protection equipment when working at
heights.

Safe moorings
The attachment points of the full body
harness are normally sewn into the
webbing and are made of stamped/
forged metal or even sturdy plastic.
To arrest falls, the lanyard is usually
connected to the Dorsal D-ring that
is positioned between the shoulder
straps on the back. Lateral D-rings, if
present, are mostly for positioning or for
restraint applications. Shoulder retrieval
D-rings are meant for rescue or limited
access applications, Sternal D-rings for
suspension or when climbing ladders
and Ventral D-rings for rope access and
rescue applications.

4 HELMET, July - September 2015 HELMET, July - September 2015 5

the task. Class 1 full body harnesses are designed to restrain
a person in a hazardous work position to prevent fall or
Service life Safety
arrest a fall within 3 foot of movement. However, adequate because lives depend on it R o ll
of Honour
adjustments have to be made to keep the line rigid at all times.
While regulatory authorities do not indicate a maximum
Class 2 types are deployed at locations where there are only
service life for synthetic fiber products, they mandate that
limited fall hazards and no possibility of vertical free falls. It is
also used for retrieving victims from a tank or a tall bin. Class
the equipment must be discarded immediately if they have
been subjected to the forces of arresting a fall even once. It is
Helmet congratulates the following sites for achieving
3 full body harnesses are designed to arrest the most severe of
free falls while Class 4 full body harnesses (suspension belts)
advisable to subject the system to periodic inspections which ten million and more LTI free safe man-hours
may reveal defects, damage or inadequate maintenance
are independent work supports designed on the lines of a
based on which it can undergo corrective maintenance or be
Boatswain's chair.
permanently dispensed with. Most harnesses and lanyards 34 NISER Project, Bhubaneswar
September 2011 to September 2015
12 Mall of India Project, Noida
September 2013 to September 2015
come with specific instructions on use, inspection and
Tested on toughness maintenance which must be adhered to.
32 Prestige Bella Vista Project, Chennai
April 2012 to September 2015
11 UP Awas Vikas Basement Project, Ghaziabad
August 2012 to September 2015
Once manufactured, harnesses are subjected to a wide range
of tests to ascertain their quality. Both the harnesses and the To make it last long 31 The Address Wadhwa Project, Mumbai
11 ATC Tower Project, Gurgaon
April 2010 to September 2015 January 2012 to September 2015
lanyards are required to meet the dynamic (free fall) and
To ensure a lasting performance, the full body harness must be
static load tests as per the relevant IS standards. Testing of
raw material on flammability, UV stabilization, corrosion,
maintained as per the manufacturers guidelines. The polyester 25 Cognizant Elcot IT Park Project, Sholinganallur
October 2012 to September 2015
11 TCS Customer Care Centre, Siruseri
April 2012 to September 2015
material can be washed using a soapy solution to remove
chemical analysis and tensile strength is also carried out by the
manufacturers. Such performance tests ensure that the waist
dust, corrosives or contaminants and hung freely to dry in a 26 Delhi One Project
December 2011 to September 2015
11 Wonder Cement Line II Project, Rajasthan
June 2014 to September 2015
shady area away from direct sunlight. When not in use, the
belts, shoulder straps, hoisting straps and sole straps do not
break under a maximum tensile load of 2000 kg (19.6 kN).
equipment should preferably be stored in a clean and dry area 22 ITC Sonar Hotel Project, Kolkata
August 2009 to September 2015
11 Seawoods Ph II Project, Mumbai
December 2013 to June 2015
free from exposure to fumes and corrosive elements.
17 ESIC Hospital Project, Kollam
April 2010 to September 2015
11 Experion Windchants Project, Gurgaon
April 2014 to September 2015
The right attitude
Vertigo or fear of heights is the first aspect to check in a
16 TCS Project, Kochi
October 2011 to September 2015
11 TCS Adibatla Project, Hyderabad
September 2012 to September 2015
workman who is involved in working at heights. The solution
is that they either overcome the fear or simply dont go up the
15 Shell NTCB Project, Bengaluru
February 2014 to September 2015
11 Omkar Bhoiwada Rehab Building
Project, Mumbai
ladder. However there are also other behavioral traits that need June 2011 to September 2015
15 Godrej Garden City Ph-III Project, Ahmedabad
to be monitored to sustain a safe work environment.
yy Complacency is one of the leading causes of falls because
July 2011 to September 2015
11 Omkar Worli Sales Project, Mumbai
December 2012 to September 2015
14 Riverview Phase 2 Project, Lucknow
workmen become careless either due to experience, lack
of training, or just being unconcerned about the hazards
March 2012 to September 2015
11 L&T Realty, Sanofi Tower Project, Powai
February 2013 to September 2015
14 Experion Windchants Project, Gurgaon
yy Horseplay or pushing and shoving others when at heights
must not be tolerated at ay costs. The consequences can
April 2014 to September 2015
10 DLF Maiden Heights Ph I Project, Bengaluru
November 2012 to September 2015
14 Emami City Project, Kolkata
be fatal. January 2013 to September 2015
10 DLF Capital Green Project, Moti Nagar
June 2014 to September 2015
yy Housekeeping is extremely crucial. Hazards increase
13 ESIC Hospital Project, Coimbatore
manifold if unwanted equipment, tools and scrap material
are not cleared resulting in slips, trips and falls.
March 2011 to September 2015
10 IIT Phase-I A Project, Hyderabad
August 2014 to September 2015
13 HCL Ph III Project, Noida
The key to preventing falls from heights is by creating awareness,
January 2013 to September 2015
10 Lodha Fiorenza Project, Goregaon, Mumbai
August 2011 to September 2015
training and skill proficiency. A thorough knowledge of the 12 C-17 IAF Hindan Project, Ghaziabad
hazards, the available equipment, the application and the August 2012 to September 2015
10 DLF Crest Project, Gurgaon
September 2013 to September 2015
limitations of the protection systems will reduce and minimize
12 ESIC Hospital Project, Joka
workplace injuries and fatalities due to falls. November 2009 to September 2015
10 SNU Project, Dadri
October 2011 to September 2015
With inputs from Viraj Syntex Pvt. Ltd 12 CMRL Depot Project, Koyambedu
December 2010 to September 2015

6 HELMET, July - September 2015 HELMET, July - September 2015 7

 BUILDINGS & FACTORIES

it was in this testing safety scenario

that L&T won a prestigious mandate
to construct a 2276-room, 250-bed
super specialty facility the NMC Royal
Hospital.
Today, the edifice stands tall, completed
at breathtaking speed with quality
conforming to international standards, as
the second largest private hospital in Abu
Dhabi and the fourth and largest integrated
specialty hospital in the UAE. Safety
was of prime focus all along the course
of the project as the EHS management
system had to be aligned with the Abu
Dhabi Environmental, Health and Safety
Management Systems Regulatory Frame
Work version 2.0 Feb 2012 and had to
comply with the UAE Federal Law 1980.
At the end of the day, the EHS team can
hold their heads high for a job very well
done because the project clocked 4.8
million safe man-hours without any time
lost due to injury.
Following instructions
to the T
An understandably proud EHS Manager,
Ramesh, begins by sharing that a
detailed safety induction programme
was conducted for all who were
involved in the project and daily safety
toolbox meetings were held before the
start of work by the respective foremen
and site engineers. Every specific high-
risk activity had a consultant approved
method statement and risk assessment
and that was followed to the T, avers
Ramesh adding that these instructions
were conveyed to the workforce prior
to the start of each activity. High-risk
activities were also controlled by strictly
following a permit-to-work system and
there were a plethora of such permits,
informs Ramesh like the hot work permit
and the confined space work permit, the
excavation permit, the work at height

T
he Middle East is in the grip of rapid
trade liberalization, globalization
and internationalism which are

Making it count driving construction at an amazing

speed. Rough estimates peg the
construction industry to deliver projects

where it really matters

to the tune of USD 500 billion by the
end of this year. With so much activity
in this space, it is not surprising that the
attention of all stakeholders has turned
to the importance of EHS. Along with
attention, expectations are higher and

8 HELMET, July - September 2015 HELMET, July - September 2015 9

BUILDINGS & FACTORIES BUILDINGS & FACTORIES

avoided time lost due to injuries. We

also conducted a Safety while working
at heights awareness programme
among all the supervisors and workers
which also helped greatly. Plant and
equipment is another area that can
easily compromise safety and hence
every aspect was inspected and certified
by a 3rd party and then re-checked on
a daily, weekly and periodical basis to
identify any inherent defects.
Often safety is all about doing simple
things right, smiles Ramesh elaborating
on the Scaff-tag system that was
religiously implemented throughout
the project. A green tag indicated
safe to use while a red tag signified
unsafe to use. Every scaffold was
erected, altered and dismantled only
by a third party trained and certified
scaffold inspector and inspected by
them at regular intervals. We ensured
that any scaffold over 10 meter height
was fixed only after a design
drawing was made, inspected and
certified by a third party, emphasizes
Ramesh.
Electrical safety and heat stroke. Therefore, enough
precautions were taken to ensure that
An all-weather proof electrical workmen stayed health by providing
distribution system with spider air-conditioned rest areas and well-
boxes 30 mA tripping Earth Leakage maintained toilets along with continuous
Circuit breakers were provided for supply of cold drinking water and oral
temporary electrical supply with proper rehydration supplements twice a day.
cable routing to avoid electrical hazards. The site engineers ensured frequent job
rotation and self-paced work patterns to
Staying healthy keep the workmen fit. Working hours
were restricted between 12.30 pm and
The Middle East is known for its searing 3.00 pm from 15th June to 15th September
heat and working directly under the to avoid the extreme temperatures as per
sun can easily result in heat exhaustion a local ministerial order.

permit, the energy isolation permit for
both electrical and pressure. In fact,
there were also permits for removing a
hand rail or opening a manhole that had
to be strictly followed, affirms Ramesh.
Building a safe work culture is not a
one-man job but it has to be a concerted
effort with every stakeholder involved
in it and Ramesh says how, apart from
the employees, the safety message
was shared loud and clear with the
subcontractors, visitors and suppliers.
Ensuring safety under
foot
Before putting any machine to the
ground, the soil was first tested to
ascertain the water table level and soil
type to decide on the excavation and a
dewatering station was installed prior
to excavation to avoid water seepage
into the excavated areas. Step cutting,
shoring and shuttering were provided
for excavation depth of more than 1.2
meter to prevent soil collapse as per the
ADEHSMS requirements. During deep
excavation, safety of the workmen was
addressed by hard barricading, hazard
flashing lights, danger warning signage
and having safe entries and exits.
For safety overhead
We strictly followed a No work on
ladder rule and instead used light
weight mobile scaffolds with adequate
training which worked wonders,
remarks Ramesh for it significantly

10 HELMET, July - September 2015 HELMET, July - September 2015 11

BUILDINGS & FACTORIES
Keeping your house safe
and clean
Housekeeping is key to keeping the
project site safe and all workers as a rule
devoted the last 30 minutes of every
shift to it. A dedicated housekeeping
team was formed to maintain the
12
work area; they also ensured waste
Focus on PPEs
segregation and disposal every day
by the local environmental authority
Needless to say, safety helmets, safety
(WMC-Centre of Waste management).
Wood, plastic, construction debris,
shoes and hi-vests were mandatory for
all site personnel while other PPEs like
food waste and sewage water
were disposed of in the approved
hand gloves, goggles, ear-plugs, ear-
defenders and full body harnesses were
municipality area with a duly stamped
distributed whenever work demanded,
delivery note.
confirms Ramesh. We even insisted
visitors entering the site premise to don
a helmet, shoes and hi-vest.
While safety management is all
about being prepared for the worst
and making every effort to ensure
that the worst is avoided at all cost,
each project has its own unique set of
safety challenges and we, as a team,
were able to face and crack them all,-
states Ramesh with a broad smile.
We take pride in having safely built a
health infrastructure for UAEs ever
growing needs.
HELMET, July - September 2015
Safety
of Honour
R o ll
Helmet congratulates the following sites for achieving
two million and more LTI free safe man-hours
19 Kandla Mundra Road Project
April 2011 to September 2015
4 Hyderabad Metro Track & OETS Project
January 2013 to September 2015
14 Samakhiali Gandhidham Road Project
October 2012 to September 2015
3 Mumbai Monorail
June 2013 to September 2015
13 Delhi Agra Road Project
October 2012 to September 2015
3 Vriddhachalam-Ariyalur Railway
Construction Project
December 2011 to September 2015
10 Sangareddy Road Project
April 2014 to September 2015 3 Hospet-Harlapur Railway Construction
Project
January 2013 to September 2015
7 Ganjbasoda-Sanchi Railway Construction
Project
March 2010 to September 2015 2 Sindhudurg Airport Project
February 2013 to September 2015
6 Kannur International Airport Project
November 2013 to September 2015 2 Maithon Railway Siding Project
March 2010 to September 2015
5 10MTPA Tata steel Electrified Rail corridor
Project
July 2009 to September 2015
2 Rahuri-Daund Railway Electrification
Project
September 2010 to September 2015
5 Chennai Metro Track works Project
February 2011 to September 2015 2 Rajpura Railway Siding Project
April 2011 to September 2015
5 KMDA Flyover Project
November 2012 to September 2015 2 Bina-Ganjbasoda Railway Construction
Project
December 2012 to September 2015
4 Hosur Krishnagiri Road Project
January 2014 to September 2015
2 Wadi-Raichur Railway Electrification
Project
4 Sambalpur Rourkela Road Project
January 2012 to September 2015
July 2014 to September 2015
HELMET, July - September 2015 13

A
s the Indian economy makes
its presence felt in the
Elevating the
global arena, infrastructure
development is very evident across the
country, especially in the metros and
so also is rampant urbanization. This
standards
sudden and heavy influx of population
is putting enormous pressure on
the transportation infrastructure of
cities and civic authorities are at their
wits end to evolve strategies to overcome
this menace.
14 HELMET, July - September 2015 HELMET, July - September 2015
TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE
Kolkata, The City of Joy, is perhaps one
of the fastest growing cities with a high
migration rate from the neighboring
states and even from Bangladesh.
Since most of the roads have been
planned and constructed during the
British Raj, they are no longer able to
manage the congestion and the citys
residents are paying a heavy price. Alive
to this growing problem, the Kolkata
Metropolitan Development Authority
(KMDA) proposed the construction of
several elevated corridors to fly over
dense parts of the city and to ease the
traffic on the existing carriage ways.
L&T was entrusted with the task of
completing a cluster of five elevated
sections and Rail Over Bridges, all critical
parts of the larger elevated corridors.
Read on to know how team L&T fought
a tough battle crossing hurdles and
meeting incredible targets to connect
the dots of the ambitious infrastructural
plan which has brought some joy to the
people of Kolkata.
Being a cluster of projects located
around a radius of 70 km, monitoring
and ensuring safety of the workforce
and the public was a herculean task. It
was the young and dynamic Abhishek
Chakraborty and Jethin who managed
the EHS portfolio taking into confidence
the entire team, shares Subhendu Gosh,
Project Manager, singing praises of the
duo. Despite the high rate of workmen
attrition, the young safety engineers
were able to effectively manage and
implement EHS systems and policies
across all the project sites.
Identification of issue is
problem half solved
We have taken the Integrated
Management System (IMS) approach on
EHS at our projects and top priority was
accorded to planning and preparation
of risk assessments. A simple but
effective document called HIRA (Hazard
Identification and Risk Assessment)
15
TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE
was followed for all critical activities.
Created with contributions from all the
stakeholders of the site, this document
helped identify, assess and mitigate
risks well in advance obviating the need
for knee-jerk reactions, shares Jethin
as Abhishek joins the conversation
by saying that this method statement
was reviewed thoroughly and finalized
along with the preparation of Safe Work
Methods (SWM) which were effectively
communicated down the line to reach
16 HELMET, July - September 2015
the workforce on a task-to-task basis.
We also had in place site specific and
on-site emergency plans which laid the
foundation for the excellent EHS track
record of the KMDA projects, adds
Abhishek.
The safety duo recall that the KMDA
project was a nightmare from an EHS
point of view as the construction was
happening over existing roads which
were busy 24x7. Apart from the
HELMET, July - September 2015
TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE
safety of our workforce, we also had to
consider the safety of the general public.
This put a lot of pressure on us as the
media would get involved even for a
minor incident, and blow things out of
proportion. We therefore ensured that
every aspect was addressed to ensure
that nothing untoward occurred. Edges
had proper protection apart from safety
nets at appropriate locations to arrest
fall of material. At critical zones like Park
Circus, we used very closely netted cloth
to prevent the fall of even cementicious
liquid, remarks Jethin adding that
height barriers with chain lights were
installed apart from barricades with
retro reflective signage to alert drivers.
Increasing awareness
Every single workman was put through
a complete and comprehensive induction
programme apart from periodic work-
based training programmes. Through
work permits and lift cards, we ensured
that only trained and authorized personnel
were engaged in critical activities, shares
Abhishek adding that adequate safety
stewards were posted at the sites for the
last mile connect. These safety stewards
also interacted closely with the site
engineers to identify and mitigate minor
risks not covered under HIRA.
Providing a safe access
Being a flyover and ROB project,
access to the deck slab was crucial for
the workforce. A conscious decision
was made to erect and use formwork
based safe access systems only with
proper safety net cladding to ensure
safety.
No shocks with proper
planning
With welding, cutting and grinding
happening simultaneously at all
sections of the project site, electrical
cables crisscrossed the expanse posing
imminent danger. This hazard was
controlled through the use of ELCB
and proper routing of cables apart from
ensuring double earthing of electrical
installations. All joints had cable
jointers for added safety.
While working on the ROB portions, we
had to be extremely cautious because of
the 25 kVA electrical live line just below
17
TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE

the structure. The induction range of these high power lines

are well over 2 m. We introduced catenary tubes to reduce
Safety
of Honour
the induction and instead of safety nets, we used plywood, a R o ll
non-conducting material, to the reduce risk of electrocution,
says Abhishek talking about the precautions taken to build
structures above the main railway line.
Helmet congratulates the following sites for achieving
The fitness check
one million and more LTI free safe man-hours
To ensure proper maintenance of plant, machinery, tools
and tackles, a system was implemented through which the
site engineer had several check points which he verified and
ticked-off to authorize compliance. Right from the radius and 10 TSL Project, Kalinganagar, Odisha 1 220 kV & 132 kV TL- WBSETCL PKG-I
condition of the crane to the wear and tear of lifting tools and September 2012 to September 2015 March 2013 to July 2015
tackles, all equipment were checked for fitness. The system
also included checks on ambient aspects including visibility 3 TFL-IE-BSNL-MOD NFS OFC PKG- E-BSNL
October 2014 to October 2015
1 400/220 kV Switchyard extention NPCIL
RAPP 7&8
and illumination for conducting night work. Once the check
February 2011 to June 2015
was completed by the site engineer, the document was
2 400 KV D/C Bihar Sharif-Sasaram to Varanasi
reviewed by the EHS personnel and submitted to the project
EHS management.
TL Project
September 2012 to December 2015
1 33 kV & 11 kV Network Upgradation
Work for Nabakalebara in Puri
Mock drill June 2014 to June 2015
2 HMRP Power Supply & Scada Package E&I

The litmus test

April 2012 to May 2015 1 TFL-IE-BSNL-MOD NFS OFC PKG- D-BSNL
October 2014 to August 2015
Mock drills were conducted as a litmus test to check the 1 ODSSP Phase-1 Package-7
system. Such drills provided insights into the time it took for an
April 2014 to September 2015
1 765 kV Srikakulam to Vemagiri
TL Project -ER 03
ambulance to reach the site and to gauge the reaction of workmen
in the event of any untoward incident. Kept in secrecy, the mock
1 R-APDRP Project Ludhiana East
February2015toSeptember 2015
June 2014 to August 2015
drills involved a workman acting unconscious or injured and
the EHS personnel keeping a tab on how fellow workmen and 1 BRGF-Murshidabad 1 400 kV Jammalamadugu to Uravakonda
TL Project
the site execution team reacted during such crisis situations. January 2014 to September 2015 July 2014 to April 2015
The results along with critical review were later shared with the
entire team to further sharpen their reaction time.

A systematic approach Ministry of Interior, Qatar conducts three day intensive

Retro reflective signage
safety workshops at L&T
The KMDA project involved several critical activities such
as erection and launching of bow string girders, steel warren The Public Relations department of the Ministry of Interior (MoI) conducted
a three day safety workshop at L&T's Training Hall, Mesaimeer, between 27
truss, and RCC and steel girders over live railway lines. Instead
to 29 July 2015. The first day session on Pedestrian accidents & remedies
of a task-based approach, we adopted a system-based approach
were conducted by the Traffic Department and the Civil Defense General
including the HIRA, SWM and Behaviour Based Safety training,
Directorate while the second day had workshops on drug & alcohol addiction
which paved the way for excellence in safety, claims Abhishek. apart from do's and donts on Qatar's Customs and Traditions handled by
Jethin adds that apart from prominent display of awareness Drugs Prevention and the Public Relations Departments.
and motivational posters, the EHS team also ensured active
On the third day, the Traffic & the Public Relations Departments jointly held
participation of workmen in events such as Safety Month,
an interesting session on Common Traffic Mistakes Among Drivers which
Road Safety Week and other important days observed to focus
was well received by the over 150 workmen who attended these workshops.
on safety. Outstanding and safety conscious workmen were
This safety workshop being a first-of-its-kind, was covered in leading dailies
appreciated and presented with awards on a monthly basis to such as Gulf Times and Qatar Tribune.
Cable jointers recognize and reward compliance, he concludes.

18 HELMET, July - September 2015 HELMET, July - September 2015 19


Tower erection using gin pole technique
T
he Power Transmission
& Distribution IC of L&T
Construction is engaged in
executing a slew of long-distance high
voltage transmission line projects
Going the distance
across the country among which the
Varanasi-Kanpur power corridor is a
vital link which when commissioned
will add 6000 MW of power to the state
of Uttar Pradesh. Partnering Power Grid
Corporation of India (PGCIL), L&T has
completed a major section of this line
20 HELMET, July - September 2015 HELMET, July - September 2015
POWER TRANSMISSION & DISTRIBUTION
Height work training to workmen
across 281 km. Passing through the
heart of rural India, the project involved
raising and stringing close to 800 towers
across a composite power network
comprising 3 different voltages over
25 incident-free months. How did they
achieve it? Heres what the safety in-
charge had to offer.
Establishing a safe
ground
We drive past strategic sections of
the alignment that spans landscapes,
hamlets, towns and large stretches of
agricultural lands reflecting the vastness
of the project. Glancing at the safety in-
charge, I remark, To just have a look at
the entire stretch might take a couple
of days! Anoop acknowledges with
a smile, Securing the right of way to
commence work needed deft handling
as the villagers were familiar with
the compensation pattern due to the
presence of other transmission lines
along this section. In some stretches,
doing the preparatory arrangements
itself took a lot of time as we had to
join hands with the police and the
local administration to ensure the
safety of our workmen and employees.
Reclining on one of tower basements,
Anoop quips, Over here close to 100
policemen were deputed for three days
to facilitate the tower erection works
and, for the team, it was all about going
the extra mile to ensure that the ground
was secured.
21
POWER TRANSMISSION & DISTRIBUTION
Physical verification of tower receipt
PEP talk at site
UNSCRAMBLE
THE WORDS TO REVEAL THE SAFETY SLOGANS
1. SSOHE TRFSI, TESP EXTN
2. ROU TOMTO, TAFSEY IN OTTO
3. KAME YTAESF A AYW FO EILF
4. FASTEY YAPS TWIH PAPHY YADS
5. AYTFES SI VOYDEERSBY UBSSSINE
22
Passing on the steel
batons seamlessly
The projects success lay in tagging
the steel components which made
assembling facile, highlights Anoop,
With a huge volume of 781 towers,
the challenge for the team was in
implementing a secure logistics system
for material handling. To make the
process foolproof the project team
deputed a team of ITI fitters who were
well versed with the tower materials
across the 3 stores. Pointing at one
of the towers, Anoop elaborates on
the dynamics, On an average a tower
weighed between 70 to 120 t and
comprised more than 4000 elements
and the onus was on the safety team
to lay a safe track for facilitating
work which ranged over a week to
a fortnight depending on the tower
dimensions. We opted for an easy way
to maneuver new generation pick and
carry crane to load the tower members
on 11 t tractor trailers which did quick
sorties to the work spots. The objective
was to be quick and also safe during
the lifting and moving process,
emphasizes Anoop.
Answers on page 43
HELMET, July - September 2015
POWER TRANSMISSION & DISTRIBUTION
Raising the steely
members
Looking at one of the towers
being erected in the last leg of
the alignment, Anoop relates,
These are the largest ones and
are raised with the support of gin-
poles, section wise. For medium
and smaller towers, the team
deployed the derrick and pulley
method of lifting. The safety
team innovated on the process by
developing a SOP that specified
the safe load weight lift for each
section along with the requisite
tools and tackles and workmen
to be engaged. Anoop elaborates,
To make the scheme even more
secure, the safety team oriented
the tower gangs through a series
of training programmes on the
operating procedures. I ask him
if this is a standard norm across
all such projects, to which he
clarifies, The system has always
been there but it has undergone
considerable customization at
site to suit the type of works. He
cites an example of how the team
made pictorials of the cage wise
and section wise tower erection
procedures and briefed workmen
in detail before each phase of
lifting.
Stringing activity in progress
HELMET, July - September 2015 23
POWER TRANSMISSION & DISTRIBUTION POWER TRANSMISSION & DISTRIBUTION

Keeping a safe tab of safety stewards across locations over a

One of the foremost tasks that the
project team took up was to identify
the challenging alignments across
the Double Circuit 765 kV and 400 kV
lines between Varanasi-Kanpur and
Sarnath and also across the loop-in
loop-out Double Circuit 400 kV line
from Sasaram to Allahabad. As all the
lines passed through thickly populated
settlements, there was the need to re-
route the lines frequently. Pausing
beneath one of the towers whose base
area seems big enough to accommodate
a tennis court, Anoop mentions, When
you have a straight line it is more or
less easy to raise the towers but in this
project towers had to be joint in a large
scale and hence posed a big challenge
because the alignment followed a zig-
zag pattern. The entire alignment was
divided into 20 km stretches and the
monitoring of works was done by a team
period of 7 to 25 days for a single stretch
based on the tower orientations. It was a
demanding work phase reveals Anoop.
We had to start as early as 6 am during
summer when temperatures soared to
50 and take appropriate breaks to protect
ourselves from the heat and in winter
accordingly adjust the work timings to
escape the biting chill weather.
Hooked to the life lines
We spot a gang of workmen equipped
with the requisite safety PPEs ascending
a tower of about 50 m high in less than
15 minutes. It takes a lot of guts to
climb these towers and the men from
Bihar and Jharkhand take the honours
in doing such critical works says Anoop.
It is important to have a foolproof
safety system that protects the crew
while working at heights. The project
team in addition to the individual safety

Stringing across Railway crossing under progress

Crossing over with Putting it all

caution
The good thing in this project was that
we didnt have many cross over works
says Anoop, However negotiating the
railway crossing was a tough task as it
was a single line linking Varanasi with
the adjacent villages and was always
busy. Our team took up the crossing
works during the initial phases and
evolved a detailed pre-task sequence
after getting a comprehensive clearance
from the concerned authorities. The
whole processes were split into various
activities and close to 100 workmen
were engaged in the stringing works.
Major road crossings were executed by
blocking the traffic for a limited period
of time and scaffoldings were arranged
for smaller cross-overs.
together
Knitting the strings together was
either done manually or by deploying
the tensioner and puller machines
depending on the type of tower and
its reach. Similar to the tower works,
load was calculated for stringing based
on the span between towers. While
stringing, it was important to cordon
off the entire stretch as the wires
can cut through any infringement
during the lifting and sagging
process. Communicating with locals
was taken up through mega phones
and a team was deployed till the
completion of the activity to ensure
the safety of people and the cattle in
the vicinity.
Operation of TSE for stringing activity Workmen engaged in conductor make-off

24 HELMET, July - September 2015 HELMET, July - September 2015 25

POWER TRANSMISSION & DISTRIBUTION

equipment, provided fall arrestors at

strategic legs where movement was
Safety
of Honour
likely to be more and equipped the R o ll
crew with vertical and horizontal life
lines. The workmen could access the leg
members of a tower by either walking
across the slender steel joints or position Helmet congratulates the following sites for achieving
themselves in a secure manner by sitting
on them and move. As the crew was five million and more LTI free safe man-hours
experienced, they walked over the tower
members by hooking to the life lines
which made the task doubly secure.
11 Vizag Vessel Project 6 Mumbai Monorail Project
Partnering a conscious
client 10 DMRC CC 28 Project 6 DMRC CC 05 Project
The onus of safe execution is a
collective initiative which rests with
both the contractor and the client and 10 DMRC CMC 1 Project 6 Narmada Project
PGCIL, being one of the prime power
infrastructure developers, ensured that
the way forward was secured. One of 10 Swalkote Project 5 DMRC CC17 Project
the first issues addressed at site from
the clients side was on safe working
at heights through an orientation
programme for workmen. Team L&T
6 Kolkata RVNL Project
added might to the cause by roping in
the services of a professional agency that
demonstrated and trained workmen on
how to safely conduct and manage crisis
while working at heights. This session
also included a special training on Correct answers
how to bring down a person in need of yy Incomplete working platforms in
medical care. scaffold
yy No evidence of toe guards
Reaping the merits of yy Workmen using ledger pipes as
working platforms
good practices Spot the yy Numerous workmen at three different
levels on a single scaffold

HAZARDS
While systems played an important role
in the safe execution of works, L&T also yy Some workmen have not anchored
the safety harness
implemented a best safety performance
yy Workmen working on H-Beam
reward scheme for subcontractors and
workmen. The multi-pronged thrust on
WINNERS yy Working platforms not tied properly
yy No ladder access to the working
safe initiatives enabled the team to clock
Mr. Sunthararajan.C platform
more than 3 million safe man-hours and Engineer EHS, HCI IC yy No evidence of handrails
add one more illustrious benchmark to yy Work area close to live road
the long list of high voltage transmission Mr. Vigneshkumar without barricading - possibility of
Engineer B&F IC unauthorized entry
lines executed by L&T.

26 HELMET, July - September 2015 HELMET, July - September 2015 27

 HEAVY CIVIL INFRASTRUCTURE
infrastructure that, once completed, will
produce 1200 MW of clean, green energy
to feed the energy-starved northern
states of India, thanks to a buy back
agreement between India and Bhutan.
Spilt into three packages, L&T won the
mandate to design and commission the
scope under Package 1 of Phase 1 that
includes the upstream and downstream
coffer dams, diversion tunnels, a dam,
an intake and desilting arrangement
including hydro mechanical works.
The project command area is around a
rapidly flowing river and steep valleys
that keeps posing tough questions to the
team to create and sustain a safe work
culture. Since there was no dedicated
EHS department on the client side
(Punatsangchhu Hydroelectric Project
Authority), the onus of establishing
norms and implementing them was
entirely on L&T.
Towards Zero Harm
Vision
To ensure compliance to L&Ts EHS
policies and procedures as well as to
those of the statutory bodies of the
P
unatsangchhu Hydro Electric
Project (PHEP), part of an
A dam good
ambitious vision of producing
20,000 MW by 2020, is being constructed
by L&T in the Himalayan Kingdom of
safety strategy
Bhutan and has already witnessed a host
of new benchmarks that have made the
world sit up and take notice. Deploying
sophisticated equipment and innovative
construction methodologies, team
L&T has been redefining the landscape
to create a world-class hydro power
28 HELMET, July - September 2015 HELMET, July - September 2015
Royal Government of Bhutan, the safety
team has worked towards achieving a
Zero Harm Vision, shares K.K Gupta,
Segment Head. It was N Ramesh Kumar
(NRK) who first landed here and later
Bruno Francisco Brotas was brought on
board to bring in global expertise. Bruno
has introduced a slew of EHS measures
based on his rich global experience
of working on various construction
projects and the two of them are now
admirably holding fort.
Before starting any work, we prepare
a work method statement along with
a risk assessment to identify and
mitigate all adverse conditions that
can potentially impact the workforce
and the environment. This data that is
reviewed by the EHS team, approved
by the Project EHS head and finally by
the Project Director becomes the basis
on which safe work method is prepared
and communicated to the line function
and subsequently to the workforce. We
hold this entire process sacrosanct for
each and every process, says Bruno
keenly observing the excavation taking
place deep down in the dam pit.
29
HEAVY CIVIL INFRASTRUCTURE HEAVY CIVIL INFRASTRUCTURE

Inducting safely on AV equipment, informative signage and

an array of PPEs that line the walls with
board detailed descriptions.

We deployed a lot of machinery and

equipment at the initial stage of the
project as we were working towards
excavation figures that were running
into several lakhs. In a new country,
where pressure on hiring local workforce
is high, we have to be very cautious
about appointing operators and drivers.
Ten excavators, 45 dumpers, two dozers,
ten ROC with compressors and two
drill jumbos were operating in an area
measuring just about 300 m x 150 m.
With exposure to such high risks, we
could not compromise on the safety of the
team and hence it was made mandatory
for all workmen to undergo an intensive
induction process that would give them
a quick but strong exposure to the EHS
practices adhered to at L&T, says NRK
giving us a walkthrough of the fully
equipped induction facility replete with
Safety at work
To drill down the message deeper and
to instill a stronger sense of safe work
culture, a typical day at the site begins
with a safety pledge and a pre-start
verification of work. The EHS in-charge
briefs the workmen on the activities for
the shift which involves details on class-1
risks along with all the control measures.
This meeting is also an opportunity
to create increased awareness on risks
by sharing short case studies and near
misses from other projects.
The right ambience for
the drill
Construction of diversion and intake
tunnels, adits and desilting chambers

involve huge amounts of underground
excavation which was risky in this case
because of the geological condition of
the young fold mountains that changed
from hard to soft rock within just a
few meters. The tunneling team had to
proceed with utmost caution using the
innovative methods. From an EHS point
of view, we kept tabs on the ambient
quality by monitoring and improving
illumination, air quality and gas levels.
A system of random checks has been
created apart from periodic ones before
each and every shift, NRK explains as
we walk into the mouth of the large
tunnel that leads into the belly of the
mountain.
At the entrance of the adit, the excellent
quality of work is clearly evident as
the floor is dry and clean unlike the
usual scenario of a slushy tunnel floor with shotcreting ensured that there was
due to leaks through fissures from the no settlement of the roof following the
walls. Over to the sides of the tunnel, excavation.
a temporary cable tray neatly carries
all the wires and from the roof hangs Banking on the right
the large ventilator duct that ensures
clean breathable air for the workforce to
solution
operate comfortably inside the gigantic The excavation target for the dam
structure. structure stood at a staggering 64 lakh
cu.m. Through the open pit method,
The first view of the underground
the team meticulously excavated most
desilting chamber is truly breathtaking.
of the targeted quantity before disaster
We walk further to see a flight of stairs
struck suddenly. The right bank of the
with handrails on the wall end leading
dam started settling downwards on
down to the bottom of the chamber
three axes due to a shear zone failure.
that we gingerly descend without once
For the EHS team, it meant sleepless
taking our hands off the rails. Once at the
nights. Sophisticated instruments
bottom, NRK explains that controlled
were immediately installed and the
blasting was carried out along with
movements of the landmass were
road heading to excavate this incredibly
monitored day and night.
large structure and rock bolts along

30 HELMET, July - September 2015 HELMET, July - September 2015 31

HEAVY CIVIL INFRASTRUCTURE
It was on a night shift on July 17,
2013 that I first noticed a small crack
on the shotcreted section of the right
bank bench. Initially, we all thought it
must be a surface crack and left it at
that. Three days later we noticed that
the structural steel elements at the
grouting tunnel below were getting
twisted out of shape. This was when
we realized that we were up against
something really big and dangerous.
The tunnel and the bench areas were
immediately marked out of bounds
and inspections were conducted only
with explicit permission from the top
management accompanied by the
safety team. Two days later, to our
horror, we found that the crack on the
floor portion of the tunnel was being
View of adit under pressure from shear zone failure
View of the road that has settled a couple of meters
32 HELMET, July - September 2015
pushed against each other, standing high like a pyramid
and, at the same time, the crack on the bench had become
a gaping hole. Experts were consulted from across the globe
for mitigation strategies. By the afternoon of 25th July 2015,
we noticed that the batching plant and the cable car bench
were settling down and that was the final alarm bell for
us. It was decided to stop traffic during nights and by this
time micro piling works had already begun which stabilized
the movement to a certain extent. This was followed by
heavy grouting and rock anchors which were driven into
the rock to stabilize it, recalls NRK with a shudder. As
a safety precaution, the ropeway and the cable car were
also carefully dismantled. Survey point instruments are
monitoring the movements which have now reduced to a
few mm per day following these mitigation methods, NRK
says with visible relief. To be doubly sure of the stability,
the team now awaits the driving of 2 m concrete piles deep
into the rocks before the execution team can reach the
toe portion of the dam through excavation. This natural
GLOF siren
HELMET, July - September 2015
HEAVY CIVIL INFRASTRUCTURE
disaster has delayed the project by almost two years which
the client plans to make up by replacing conventional
concrete with Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) for the dam
structure.
The siren call
Being glacier-fed, Bhutanese rivers are always fraught
with the danger of GLOF (Glacier Lake Outburst Flood)
along the valleys they flow. PHEP being located on the
banks of River Punatsangchhu is also at high risk. The
Bhutanese Government has prepared a scheme wherein a
satellite operated GLOF siren has been fixed every 2 km to
alert people of an impending crisis and to move to higher
levels to escape from the path of the raging floods. Bruno
recalls the mock drills that were conducted to monitor
the effective implementation of evacuation and team
L&T proved its adherence to safety standards by
scoring high during such drills.
33
HEAVY CIVIL INFRASTRUCTURE
A matter that needed
suppression
Dust emission is inevitable at a
construction site. Especially with heavy
duty dumper trucks plying day and
night carrying boulders and muck. What
with 800 trips in 24 hours, it is only
natural that dust, if left unchecked, will
pose a severe threat to the users of the
national highway. To settle this issue, two
dedicated sprinkler tankers were engaged
to continuously sprinkle water along the
highway around the project area.
Lock Out, Tag Out
Another danger that lurks is of
equipment or machinery getting
switched on while maintenance
personnel are engaged with it. To prevent
such incidents, a work permit system
has been implemented wherein the
workmen locks and tags the equipment
34
so that nobody can even accidentally
switch it on while maintenance work
is in progress. The LOTO system is
meticulously followed for maintenance
work on plant, machineries and all
power driven equipment. At PHEP,
electrical hazards are also considered as
a Class 1 risk and to mitigate untoward
incidents, all the connections are routed
through ELCB which are inspected
periodically by a qualified tester.
A venomous affair
Being a mountainous region, the project
site and the quarry area is always under
the threat of snakes and other venomous
reptiles and with the nearest medical centre
50 km away, it is dangerous not to stock
anti-venom medicines at the site. But
Government norms did not allow for
stocking of such medicines and it was
only after a prolonged and persistent
representation, that the authorities
HEAVY CIVIL INFRASTRUCTURE
The accolades say it all
yy Merit certificate for achieving 6 million safe man
hours during April 2009 to Oct 2010
yy Winner of the Annual EHS Trophy 2009-2010
(Category Minor)
yy Winner of the Annual EHS trophy 2010-2011
(Category 3 Million Man Hours during the year)
yy ROSPA award Silver category in 2011 and 2012
yy Merit certificate for achieving 2.5 million safe
man hours work in 2013
yy Safety Recognition award 2014, from the Ministry
of Labour and Human Resources (Royal Govt. of
Bhutan)
yy International safety award from British Safety
Council 2015
allowed anti-venom medicines to
be stocked at the projects first aid
centre much to the relief of the project
management.
The green cover
The Bhutanese love nature and their
Government has drawn stringent statutes
to fiercely protect their environment. But
development comes at a cost and any
hydel project of such massive scale will
impact the ecology to some extent. L&T
ensured that none of the laws governing
the protection of the environment were
flouted and implemented afforestation
programmes by planting saplings in the
backfill areas of the valley, converting
them into new tracts of virgin forests.
Both noise and air quality levels are
continuously monitored and the project
team has vowed to keep the river as
clean as possible in its course along
the project area.
HELMET, July - September 2015 HELMET, July - September 2015 35
HEAVY CIVIL INFRASTRUCTURE
Driven from the top
Safety at PHEP is a function driven from the top. Right
from the Segment Head, the Project Director to the Line
Managers, everybody plays an active role in the planning and
implementation of safety systems. A culture has been developed
to carefully review near misses and first-aid cases to prevent
reoccurrence of such incidents. With the project firing on all
cylinders and excavation being carried out 24x7, possibilities
of such incidents, especially during night shifts, are high. The
top management has volunteered to conduct night vigilance
project tours on a rotational basis to keep the morale high and to
mitigate any noticeable and dangerous inaccuracies on the spot.
In the comforts of their cabin, Bruno and NRK unanimously
agree that the support from the top management has been
extremely encouraging and it is only with this support that the
EHS team has been able to function so efficiently. There was
a recent initiative called the e-TICS (Tracking of Inspections
Compliance Status) where risks noticed in a site is updated
online and, if not mitigated within the specified time limits,
get escalated up to the IC Head level. It is only natural that any
site would want a lesser log of e-TICS. But at PHEP the project
management encouraged us to lodge as many e-TICS as were
noticed since it brought to light the lapses and corrections that
can prove lifesaving. Reason why we were really high on our
e-TICS, shares NRK.
We have been conferred the authority to judiciously use
stop work and notify the gravity of an unsafe situation to the
A DRIVE
TOWARDS
SAFETY IN CARS
36
Safety
of Honour
R o ll
Helmet congratulates the following sites for achieving
four million and more LTI free safe man-hours
15 Storm Water Drainage Works, Jabalpur 4 Kamal Vihar Project, Raipur
6 Hoshiarpur & Jalandhar Sewerage Scheme 4 GDWSS, Hyderabad
5 Hogenikal Waater Suply Project-PKG 5 4 Rehabilitation and O&M of 110 MGD
Bhagirathi WTP
4 GIDC-DAHEJ Water Supply Project,
execution team. With the frenzied rate of project progress, it
25 & 50 MGD 4 Trans Varuna Sewerage Work, Varanasi
is only natural that our colleagues might get annoyed when
we stop work owing to non-compliance or on identifying a 4 Nalgonda UGD & WSS 4 Dhanbad Water Supply Project, KKCO
threat. But every single stop work notification has been taken
in the right spirit as the entire project team acknowledges and
appreciates the impact such initiatives have on saving limbs
4 UGDS & WSIS, Nizamabad 3 UFW-D2B, Bangalore
and lives, adds Bruno saying that it has been truly gratifying to
work in such a positive work atmosphere that holds the safety
of its employees and stakeholders as primary.
As part of L&Ts Safety Day events on July 04,
an initiative on car safety was introduced for the
safety of guests traveling in the companys cars.
The instructions include an audio clipping
containing safety instructions for the driver
and the passengers along with an hazard
Spot the
HAZARDS
observation card which the passengers can
fill out if they find anything amiss.
One more step along the way
to live safely! If you have spotted the hazards, rush it to
ngfernandez@lntecc.com.
HELMET, July - September 2015 HELMET, July - September 2015 37

Clarifier bridge erection through a customized derrick and wire rope method
Re-engineering the processes of
water management
38 HELMET, July - September 2015
L
&T Constructions Water Smart
World & Communications IC
pioneered a first-of-its-kind
refurbishment of a 32 year old water
treatment plant for Delhi Jal Board at
Bhagirathi without hampering the daily
distribution of water to close to 40 lakh
people of East Delhi. Putting together the
new system, one of the largest WTPs in
the country, in a phased manner called
for some robust safety measures backed
by innovative engineering as the plant
HELMET, July - September 2015
WATER SMART WORLD & COMMUNICATION
Poly Aluminum Chloride (PAC) discharged from tankers at the new chemical house
was opened up for the first time after
three decades and there were myriad
challenges for the team to mitigate.
Stepping in after commissioning of the
enhanced system, the editorial gets up
close and personal with the safety in-
charge.
Ensuring a safe chemistry
As we are taken through the various
facets of the project, Vaibhav, the safety
in-charge meets us while overseeing the
discharge of Poly Aluminum Chloride
(PAC) from a tanker at the newly
constructed chemical house. Armed
with protection masks, he leads us
into the facility. Demolishing the old
chemical house was one of the most
critical tasks of this project highlights
Vaibhav, As there were huge piles of
alum, the process commenced only
after formulating a secure strategy and
involved trained workmen to manually
move the chemicals. This is the only
multi storey setup in the plant which is
newly constructed. As we move forward,
Vaibhav elaborates, We deployed
a PC 200 breaker to bring down the
old structure in a secure manner and
facilitated the works by providing a
2.5 m ramp to reach up to the top of the
building. All through the demolition, the
chemicals were transferred in a phased
manner. Presently, around 1000 t of
alum and PAC are stored with provisions
for saturation, dozing and the chlorine
tonner capacity has been enhanced
from 4 to 16 cylinders. Opening one of
the ducts for an overview of the piping
layout, Vaibhav points out, The team
devised a safe strategy while revamping
the chlorine storage rooms which
were at 3 locations across the WTP.
39
WATER SMART WORLD & COMMUNICATION WATER SMART WORLD & COMMUNICATION

Demolition of the old chemical house Moving a part of the 2800 mm dia RCC duct from the new bifurcation chamber

A secure lifting tackle with an I beam to 64 t was a precision task as we had to

was provided to lift and move the do it without affecting the existing inlet
1500 kg cylinders. Each chlorine main during the last leg of the project.
point is provided with a self-contained The team deployed the diamond rope
breathing apparatus and various cutting method for cutting it fine and
manual leak arresting mechanisms to in about 20 days the interconnection
handle any chlorine leak emergency. was achieved with the new bifurcation
chamber.
Jointing the inlet mains
with precision Installing a foolproof
work process
Adjacent to the chemical house is the
inlet main through which water flows Drawing close to one of the clarifiers,
from the upper Ganga canal to the WTP. Vaibhav briefs, There are 8 such tanks in
Vaibhav points to a huge concrete pipe this plant and the scope of work involved
that lies nearby, Cutting and removing dismantling the existing bridge weighing
a segment of the 2800 mm diameter around 12 t and installing the new one
RCC gravity inlet main weighing close that weighed close to 15 t. To secure the
Precision cutting of the RCC duct through diamond rope cutting method. Carving cut outs in civil structures for new equipment installation

40 HELMET, July - September 2015 HELMET, July - September 2015 41

WATER SMART WORLD & COMMUNICATION
1024 pillared underground clear water reservoir
A diver with complete PPEs entering the underground reservoir
42
entire process, the project team designed
and fabricated a customized lifting
arrangement with special tower/derrick
and rope arrangement which won a
PRAISE award from the management.
Through another innovation we
managed to work over the filter beds
by staging a scaffold on rails while
doing the roof revamping. For replacing
the pumps below the filter house, we
erected a gantry crane so that the
civil flanges remained intact while
replacement.
Revamping a dark
chamber
The making over of the WTP is very
much evident as one gets to see the
state-of-the-art systems installed across
all the facilities except for one place
where it is camouflaged by a vast stretch
of green. Providing details on the dark
chamber, Vaibhav says, This is the
biggest open space in the plant under
which are the 5 reservoirs that store
water coming from the filter houses
and supply to the clear water sump.
With access available only through four
openings and having been closed for
over three decades, it called for some
very secure strategies to be implemented
before any kind of work could happen.
Summoning the operator to open
one of the vents, we get a peek inside
which only seems to be outer surface
of the chamber. Vaibhav mentions,
On the safety front we installed an
axial flow exhaust fan to remove the
chorine fumes, provided lighting and
installed a blower system to reduce
the moisture level before taking up the
works. A team of over 250 workmen
were deployed to manually wipe the
silt after the deposits were sucked out
through negative suction head pump
sets. Vaibhav emphasizes, The whole
process was closely monitored by the
HELMET, July - September 2015
Customized gantry crane installed at filter house to facilitate mechanical works
core team as the chamber had 1024
pillars which prevented the use of any
kind of support machinery.
Insulating the power
banks
Taking us to the heart of the control
center, Vaibhav indicates, At the touch
of a button, the entire operations of
the plant can be accessed but to make
it happen power is essential on a 24/7
basis. During execution, the team had
to install numerous power banks to
sustain and manage water distribution
in a phased manner. Putting together
the networking was tough as the cables
had to be laid without puncturing the
main lines and the pump operators were
kept informed about the availability
of temporary power lines. The safety
team devised a lock out tag out system
which indicated the status of work to
UNSCRAMBLE CORRECT ANSWERS
1. SHOES FIRST, STEP NEXT 2. OUR MOTTO, SAFETY IN TOTO 3. MAKE SAFETY A WAY OF LIFE
4. SAFETY PAYS WITH HAPPY DAYS 5. SAFETY IS EVERYBODYS BUSINESS
HELMET, July - September 2015
WATER SMART WORLD & COMMUNICATION
the operators. This was very essential as
operators shifts changed every 8 hours
Keeping a vigilant eye
and the new person taking charge had to Unauthorized movement of men
be aware of the live line and 17 pumps or material never occurred in this
were installed across five phases. project exclaims Vaibhav, The plant
was continuously monitored by the
Shielded with a range client and the site security and access
to sensitive work spots was permitted
of PPEs only after thorough screening. CCTV
cameras were installed at strategic
A project of such intensity had a vast
locations and workmen were allowed
range of PPEs to protect the team
to process areas after passing through
working on different platforms. For the
door frames and hand-held metal
above ground works, standard harnesses
detectors. The site was equipped with
and tools were provided along with
a dispensary where the workmen were
customized scaffolds. Excavation works
periodically screened for health issues.
were taken up only after identification of
Frequent mock drills were conducted
the below ground utilities and erection
for workmen, employees and clients
of various electrical and mechanical
on safety and disaster management
equipment by trained riggers. The
which enabled us to achieve more
safety team played a pivotal role in
than 4 million safe man-hours, smiles
synchronizing the different shutdowns
Vaibhav.
and ensured secure buffer arrangements
for work to be carried out across fronts.
43
 BUILDING
A DAM?
Can it be safe! Yes!
But its a tall order!
D
ams are truly awe-inspiring
manmade structures that
astound one with their
immensity, strength and sheer
presence. There is always an uncanny
calm around dams; as if they are
waiting in animated suspense for
something dramatic to occur and that
is quite possible because these colossal
structures that store mind-boggling
44
amounts of water have to continuously
contend with a most unpredictable
aspect nature! Over the years, dam
construction has improved with
better technology, greater knowledge
of design principles and superior
understanding of the characteristics
of foundations and dam materials
yet, dam disasters are not uncommon
and this article attempts to enumerate
some vital safety steps that have to be The safety of a dam covers all stages in its
taken while building a dam. life cycle commencing with the inception
stage through to the planning and
Surprisingly, dams are a bit like people: design stages followed by construction
one is never quite like another, they and commissioning, ongoing operation,
are temperamental, unpredictable,
maintenance and surveillance and, in
liable to react completely differently
certain cases, decommissioning. One
in two identical situations all of which
can only breathe easy of having ticked
makes dam construction extremely
all the relevant boxes if a dam has been
challenging.
built in compliance with the prevailing
HELMET, July - September 2015 HELMET, July - September 2015
engineering standards for safety, if it is
being operated safely, if its condition is
assessed periodically and the operators
of the dam are well prepared for
all conceivable emergencies. Sadly,
however, one can never be too sure
because trouble could be lurking round
the corner due to a variety of reasons:
overtopping, inadequate spillway
capacity, spillway gate failure, issues
with the enormous amount of piping
or even due to natural forces like
earthquakes or flash floods that may
exceed the anticipated flow.
Since each dam is unique, it is very
difficult to find a useful reference
to either diagnose symptoms or
take corrective action. Dams have a
foundation below and the manmade
45
structure that towers above and
there is an intricate interaction that
is constantly played out between the
two very much like in a marriage. The
slightest unpleasant ripple in this finely
balanced relationship can spell disaster
much again like human relationships!
Risks associated with dams broadly
include situations relating to operation,
maintenance, testing, retrofitting old
dams, safety of people, environment and
the like.
A safe design of a dam can be loosely
defined as The integration of hazard
identification and risk assessment
methods early in the design process
to eliminate or minimize the risks
of injury throughout the life of the
product being designed. It begins at
the conceptual and planning stages
involving and balancing the objectives
of practicality, aesthetics, cost and
functionality, which at times can be
competing.
Safety Risk Management is an
integral part of the construction
planning of a dam and combines
technical, consultative, systematic and
1. Identify 2. Evaluate
3. Determine
Hazards / the Risk /
controls
Aspects Impact
managerial approaches to identify
any foreseeable hazards that have
the potential to harm those involved
in the construction process must be
identified at the earliest opportunity
and necessary mitigation measures
implemented.
At L&T, for example, Heavy Civil
Infrastructure ICs risk management
process is applied through the five steps
to risk management and is the key
driver for risk control within the IC.
4. Implement 5. Review &
controls update
The procedure demands some key
requirements:
yy All relevant parties including design,
construction & safety teams must be
involved in risk assessments and the
risk management process;
yy Risk assessments & safe work
method statements must be
developed and approved prior to
the commencement of any work
activity g;
yy All identified risks and risk
mitigation plans must be
documented, approved and simply
communicated to all parties
yy Regular reviews undertaken should
be updated and communicated
when change has occurred.
Designing a dam is not just about
eliminating risks but it is to evolve a
systematic safety based approach to
determine the right solution. Synergy
of design intent during implementation
is crucial to the safety of the dam and
since design is not just about drawings,
specs and reports, the designers role
is absolutely critical. Once the design
is approved, it is time to start with the
construction of the dam but throughout
this process, continuous evaluation or
re-engineering ensures that the finalized
design is compatible with the prevailing
conditions.
A veritable army is required to build a
dam: architects, engineers, hydrologists,
geologists, environmentalists,
seismologists, social scientists, industrial
designers, clients, developers, builders,
owners, job managers, health and safety
professionals, ergonomics practitioners,
suppliers (including manufacturers,
importers, plant-hire), constructors,
installers, traders, maintenance personnel,
Government regulators, inspectors
the list is never-ending. All that is then
required is for all these stake holders to be
in perfect sync with one another to create
a masterpiece much like a symphony
orchestra playing in complete sync to
create wonderful harmony.
Once constructed, a well-articulated
Dam Safety Programme is imperative to
oversee design construction, operation
and maintenance, surveillance, safety
review, remedial action, education,
training and emergency preparedness in
addition to constant vigilance, frequent
sampling and testing and ceaseless
inspections and quality control. Again,
like people, dams also age due to the
constant pressure from water, seismicity,
temperature and winds therefore
surveillance is crucial. These could be
routine inspections, periodic dam safety
inspections, comprehensive inspections
or special emergency inspections
especially after an earthquake or heavy
flooding or any occurrence of such events.
The frequency of these inspections is
dictated by the overall performance of
the dam and the existing conditions like
they could be more frequent for a dam in
a seismic prone zone. Technology does
not, however, replace visual surveillance
and electronic data has to be regularly
compared, where possible, with manual
readings to check and corroborate quality
and veracity of data.
The safety plan is supplemented by an
Emergency Response Plan that identifies
emergency conditions which could
endanger the integrity of the dam and
require immediate action, prescribes
procedures to be followed in the event
of an emergency and provides timely
warning to appropriate emergency
management agencies to implement
protection measures for downstream
communities.
While the safety of dams are regularly
monitored during operation and
maintenance, extensive safety reviews
are conducted based on their type, height,
age and record of any past incidents of
distress; and frequency of such reviews
could vary from 5 to 10 years. Such safety
reviews could possibly include detailed
study of the structural, hydraulic,
hydrologic and geotechnical design
aspects and of the records and reports
from surveillance activities as well as a
review of the dam safety management
documentation. The frequency of Safety
Reviews can be altered due to the
identification of a deficiency or weakness,
changes in standards, acceptance criteria
or technology, changes in arrangements
at the dam or a requirement by a higher
authority or dam regulator.
Despite all precautions, dam
construction and maintenance is a lot
about skill, capability, management,
never letting your eyes off the ball and
the associated uncertainties! Yes, it
definitely is a tall order!!

46 HELMET, July - September 2015 HELMET, July - September 2015 47

 SAFETY IS AS SIMPLE AS
ABC

ALWAYS BE CAREFUL

Edited by Mr. Vinod Jacob Chacko for L&T Construction from L&T Construction Headquarters, Manapakkam, Chennai - 600 089. The views
expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the Management. The contents of this magazine may not be reproduced without
the written permission of the Editor. Not for sale. Only for circulation among employees of L&T Construction. Printed at NPT Offset Press
Pvt. Ltd., Chennai.