How safety can be ensured in Metro rail construction?

All the concerned departments and all concerned companies need to sit together on a common platform and decide on the safety issues related to the Metro and 

Make a Policy for safety

Establish an Organisation which will drive this safety policy, people, place

etc.

Planning - Plan how to put the policy into action by designing measures to avert accidents or to minimize them

Start Implementation of the safety policy

Monitoring - Monitor whether implementation is happening properly or not

Review - Review every equal interval of time, say Monthly, Quarterly and make necessary changes in implementation procedures, in people etc.

Audit - The complete the audit of the whole process at the end of the year, after audit findings are OK continue or make necessary changes

Big projects have a pitfalls.The stake holders should be committed to the principle that occupational injury and illness is preventable.That is where the setting up of safety management system is of paramount importance to regulate site safe system. Its function will be to regularly audit safety and health system at the site.Before starting the projects,the comprehensive plans should be in place to educate contractors,workers,visitors.It should be mandated that every person,contractor,visitor leave the site free of injury.

'Fool' proof is not working..we have to think ahead.

This is a subject matter of Engineers. They must look into "Safety First" - the thumb rule.

Equally, other stake-holders, including the general public are also to participate. Our towns/ cities have thick population. We must observe safety rules which comes in our jurisdiction :-

-- keep safe distance from the site

-- dont allow children to approach the site/s

-- try to prevent miscrients to steal vital structures built for safety

-- follow the guidelines prescribed by the Authority etc.

Before starting the excavation or divering the traffic, systmatic planning of diversion of traffic and pedestrains is necessary. Aquire the area for construction considering your swing of excavator/Dozer. Most accidents happen due to carelessness, poor design of scaffolding/shuttering, lack of safety equipments, barriers, etc.

Conduct a safety management programme to workers and public, show the route map showing different alternate routes. Before launching of girders check the condition of cranes, guide the workers, restrict the traffic away from danger zones.

Workers should be provided with high quality equipments to ensure their safety. Good quality gears will increase their efficiency & help them to deal with any faults effectively, thereby preventing a major accident to happen.

We need to notice that for Delhi metro there was no major accident in the Phase I. But, due to political pressures to complete Phase II by Commonwealth games, work has been started on various sites. We understand from media reports that due to lack of adequate supervisory staff with DMRC, adequate inspections at sites and at offices for checking drawings is not happening, thus leading to accidents.

Thus, foremost actioin to be taken is to have realistic schedules and adequate inspections. Also, such accidents should be dealt with severly and the depts. dealing with these projects should be made accountable for such incidents. By default the accidents will reduce.

Vanita Ahuja

Yes freinds, we must stick standard practices. Then only we can avoid all these accidents/losses and can improve our self as well as develop our country.

The collapse of the pillar in the Delhi metro is a typical example.

In this forum, I raised a question about why  inverted "L" section pllars are used in Delhi metro instead of  "T" section or "Y" section pillaras. The rail bridge columns sitting on the cantilever portion put eccentric load to make the pillars weak an unstable.

And why alternate pillars are having  cantilever portion in opposit direction. I am unable to understand the logic behind the design. Could anybody explain please.

This all raise doubts on proper design, strength of materials as well as quality /adequacy of materials and proper workmanship in the Delhi Metro construction.