HELMET

Environment Health Safety

EHS journal of L&T Construction

Volume - 5, Issue - 4 October - December 2015

We need more responsibility

and accountability to make
safety a culture
- S. N. Subrahmanyan
 Contents From the EDITOR
Safety has to be a way of life 3 It will never happen to me! are the famous words of
Safety has to be a way of life
an infamous man: Edward John Smith, Captain of RMS
Titanic. History has shown us what a titanic blunder Safety Month inaugurated at HQ Campus
Making of a safe retail 6 that was but the learning for us from Capt. E J Smith
masterpiece is that everyone is always at risk and this kind of false
bravado just does not pay. Unfortunately, a lot of people
are very much like Capt. Smith, living in fools paradise
and believing that danger will always miss them: much
Staying right on the tracks 12 like in the Final Destination series of films in which
in terms of safety everyone keeps getting killed while the hero keeps
miraculously escaping. That is reel life; at construction
sites we are faced with real life and it is the endeavor

Making a powerful impact 18 of every safety in-charge to make a construction site

as boring as possible: meaning make it completely
incident free.

Safety comes in different 22 Safety is often described as the absence of danger

shapes and sizes
A sound idea to deafen
the clamor
which is possible by meticulous planning, religiously
following instructions, being ever aware of ones
surrounds and the people one is working with and
being always prepared for danger that could be lurking
26 round every corner. January is observed as Safety
Month at L&T and month-long events are planned to
make everyone aware of the importance and relevance
of safety in our lives. The reality is that safety cannot be
a month-long event; it has to a life-long commitment.

All projects that we have featured in this issue have

Editor : Vinod Jacob Chacko
Associate Editor : Gopi Kannan. S
Process Owners : M. Kamarajan
been very challenging from a safety perspective. The
dangers have been of various shapes and degrees.
Constructing one of the largest malls in the country
calls for a different kind of safety orientation from
that required when laying rail tracks for the dedicated
freight corridor over 626 km next to a live railway

Malay Kumar Mahanta line on which a train whistles by every 20 minutes.
Stephen Philip Storey Stringing transmission lines across miles of shifting
sand dunes or marshy backwaters or laying some of
Ramachandran N
the largest pipes laid in Asia thus far posed their own
K. S. Sudheesh Kumar set of tricky questions. The good news is that in all
these cases, the safety teams were able to answer all the
Technical Associates : P. Nagarajan | Gabrial Fernandez
tricky questions and have been successful in making
Sudarsan Rajendran
life extremely boring across all these sites. We share
Md Quaisar Imam with you how they made it happen.
Sathyanarayana Seelamanthula
Murali Krishnan In all sites, danger is present, tangible and up close
but there are times when one is unaware of exposure
Mathivanan Palaniappan
to danger like when assaulted by noise beyond
S. Anantha Prasanna Venkatesh
acceptable levels. In this issue of Helmet, we speak
about the ills of noise pollution and remedies if you
Editorial team : V. Ramesh Kumar
care to listen to us!
Ashwin Chand | Mayura. K
So we invite you to celebrate this Safety Month by
Photography : V. S. Natanavelu | R. Vijay Kumar
reigniting that sense of safety in ourselves and live
Design & layout : Global Print Design, Chennai incident free every day because one can never be too
careful!
S
afety month January 2016 kicked off with an inaugural
function on 4th January at HQ campus where the
presence of senior management underlined the
importance, relevance and commitment to EHS.
In his welcome address, Mr. M.V. Satish, Whole-Time Director
& Senior Executive Vice President, Buildings, Minerals &
Metals, expressed that although the organization had secured
23 RoSPA, 22 British Safety Council, and 59 National Safety
Council awards, accidents still continued to occur at sites with
plant and machinery and fall from heights being the major
areas that needed focus. MVS urged the gathering to take a
closer look at a safer way of implementing mechanization at
sites to reduce the frequency of such reportable accidents and
advised the senior management of all ICs to demand safety
excellence from their teams. Safety has to be a way of life at
the projects, he summed up forcefully.
Safety lapses are now being reviewed at the board level
and soon the respective project manager will be made
accountable and answerable in the event of incidents, was
Mr. S. N. Subrahmanyan's, Deputy Managing Director &
President, L&T, strong message in his keynote address. He also
highlighted that despite persistent efforts, incidents at sites
were still continuing that called for stringent measures to
improve safety performance towards zero incidents.
It is important to first think Global before aspiring to grow
to such levels, said SNS and urged the safety team to adhere
to and implement global best practices for better results. He
made a special mention to reignite the fervor of the Suraksha
Jeet programme and to make the Safety Innovation School
operational at the earliest. On a positive note, SNS appreciated

2 HELMET, October - December 2015 HELMET, October - December 2015 3

 Safety
of Honour
R o ll

Helmet congratulates the following sites for achieving

ten million and more LTI free safe man-hours

35 NISER Project, Bhubaneswar

September 2011 to December 2015
14 Riverview Phase 2 Project, Lucknow
March 2012 to December 2015

33 Prestige Bella Vista Project, Chennai

April 2012 to December 2015
14 C-17 IAF Hindan Project, Ghaziabad
August 2012 to December 2015

31 The Address Wadhwa Project, Mumbai

April 2010 to December 2015
13 HCL Ph III Project, Noida
January 2013 to December 2015

27 Delhi One Project

December 2011 to December 2015
13 Mall of India Project, Noida
September 2013 to December 2015
the Shell project team at Bangalore which had recently won
an extraordinary award from the Royal Dutch Shells overall 25 Cognizant Elcot IT Park Project,
Sholinganallur
13 ESIC Hospital Project, Coimbatore
March 2011 to December 2015
awards for HSE. Such best practices from such trendsetting
sites need to be shared across the organization for all to reap October 2012 to December 2015
the benefits fully, he finished strongly. 12 CMRL Depot Project, Koyambedu

Mr. M. Kamarajan, Head - Environment Health & Safety 25 ITC Sonar Hotel Project, Kolkata
August 2009 to December 2015
December 2010 to December 2015

(EHS), B&F IC, administered the safety pledge. In the month

long EHS initiative, L&T Constructions project sites across the 12 ESIC Hospital Project, Joka

globe will focus on innovative measures to instill and sustain a 18 Shell NTCB Project, Bengaluru
February 2014 to December 2015
November 2009 to December 2015

safe work culture. Based on a strong theme of ownership, this

years Safety message has been woven around every individual 12 UP Awas Vikas Basement Project,

willing, owning, consciously demonstrating and thereby 17 ESIC Hospital Project, Kollam
April 2010 to December 2015
Ghaziabad
August 2012 to December 2015
helping to build a positive EHS culture.

Several activities have been planned to increase awareness 16 Experion Windchants Project, Gurgaon
April 2014 to December 2015
12 Wonder Cement Line II Project,
Rajasthan
towards making EHS excellence a habit through training
programs and cultural events. Some projects also involve the June 2014 to December 2015
families of the workforce and sensitize them on safety at home 15 Godrej Garden City Ph-III Project,
apart from conducting health awareness camps. The safety Ahmedabad
July 2011 to December 2015
12 Omkar Bhoiwada Rehab Building
Project, Mumbai
audits conducted by the various sub-committees that get
formed during the safety month provide a clear insight on EHS June 2011 to December 2015
lapses if any and guide the project team on delivering results 15 Emami City Project, Kolkata
January 2013 to December 2015
by working on areas that need improvement.

15 DLF Capital Green Project, Moti Nagar

June 2014 to December 2015

4 HELMET, October - December 2015 HELMET, October - December 2015 5

 BUILDINGS & FACTORIES

A closer look OSHAS standards. Team work played a

With the prospect of a huge amount of
footfalls in the 1,70,000 sq. meter mall
day in and day out, safety was one of
the key criteria that had to be addressed
when conceiving, designing and
executing the Mall of India. However,
from an EHS perspective, a demanding
client like DLF expected only the highest
safety standards during execution which
was the challenge for the EHS team led
by Kannan Subramanian.
We worked exactly based on the
L&Ts Environment Health & Safety
Management Systems (EHSMS) and
its careful implementation resulted in
quantifiable and qualitative outcomes
that made even a giant like DLF and
expats like Du-Pont & Turner wonder
how an Indian construction company
possessed a framework on par with
major role here.
The EHSMS offers a systematic way
to identify hazards and control risks
while assuring that the risk controls
are effective. Like all management
systems, the EHS management system
also involves goal setting, planning, and
performance evaluation.
Leading Indicators
Just as a pre-trip inspection can
help prevent a vehicle from breaking
down during a road trip, the practice
of planning ahead instead of waiting
for something bad to happen can
be applied to workplace safety in
the form of leading indicators, says
Kannan. All measures were taken to
ensure that the project was completed
incident free.

T
he Indian retail industry has
witnessed a dramatic change
in recent times. From just 3

Making of a safe retail in 2000, today there are a surfeit of

malls that have become shopping and
entertainment destinations for citizens

masterpiece
across social classes. The DLF Mall of
India, touted as one of the biggest in the
country, is all set to usher in a unique
mall experience for the people of Delhi
and its environs.

6 HELMET, October - December 2015 HELMET, October - December 2015 7

BUILDINGS & FACTORIES
Safety improvement
slips
All supervisors, engineers and managers
were given safety improvement slips to
report any unsafe act or unsafe condition
at site. This was seen as a positive
contribution to EHS management at site
and the employee was given positive
scores while measuring his monthly
EHS performance.
8 HELMET, October - December 2015
Safe-to-start work card
A safe-to-start-work card system was
implemented at site to ensure that the
concerned supervisor or engineer looked
into any prevailing / possible hazards
(what can go wrong) and indicated the
actual controls available at the work area
(to prevent things from going wrong) in
the card. This helped in identifying and
eliminating or controlling risks at the
workplace that could otherwise cause
incidents and injuries.
The EHS team also conducted site
inspections, daily walk-downs, training
programmes along with regular EHS
meetings to monitor and provide
current information about effective
performance, activities and processes
of the EHS management system
implemented at site. The higher
number of people trained, the safer the
work environment is going to be, says
Kannan.
Ensuring upward
communication
Upward communication was
encouraged among the workmen and a
Dictaphone was effectively used for this
purpose. Suggestions and near misses
reported by the workmen were recorded
regularly and this information helped
the EHS team in ensuring Occupational
Health and Safety.
On spot appreciation
to workmen for safe
behaviour
To further motivate workmen and
reinforce positive EHS behavior, a
reward system was introduced which
was implemented in addition to the
existing monthly reward system. The
EHS committee members during their
walk downs rewarded the workmen for
reinforcing safe behavior at work.
Implementation of Standard
Operating Procedure (SOP)
yy Lift Shaft & Floor Opening
Protection
yy Working on Peripheral Platforms
yy Builders Hoist Operations
BUILDINGS & FACTORIES
yy Temporary Electrical Distribution
System
yy Barricades for Excavation
yy The implementation level was
assessed on a monthly basis by the
team
Kaizen
The project team introduced the concept
of Kaizen for improving productivity
which led to the creation of a culture of
improvement that was more a way of
Caps for rebar
life than a policy.
Sewage water treatment plant Engineering revisions
Based on L&Ts corporate EHS Policy-
MCWP (Mast Climbing Working
Instead of External scaffold
Platform)
Conserve natural resources, minimize
waste generation & environment Material Hoist Instead of manual handling
emissions, a sewage treatment plant was
Boom lift / Cradle Instead of Scaffolds External
installed at site to reduce the ground
water consumption and buying of raw Spider lift / Scissor Lift Instead of Scaffolds Internal
water.
Plaster machine Instead of Manual
Recycled water was used for internal Delay Start Mechanism Proactive control measures
consumption such as landscape
work curing processes, toilets, dust Hydro jet water pumps Instead of acid wash
sprinkling, gardening and permissible
Chemical earthing Alternation
construction activities after quality
Anti-collision / Anemometer for tower
testing. Proactive control measures
cranes
In-house scaffolds
In line with the specification of the hired
scaffold, the site team made its own
scaffolds of the same standard thereby
reducing the number of hired scaffolds.
Over 40 such scaffolds were made by
the site team during the peak periods of
August and September 2014.
Twin Mast Climbing Working
Platform
The project introduced a Twin Mast
Climbing Working Platform for external
plaster work, which is safer and faster
than conventional methods. A multi-
functional hoist was used for carrying
Street plays for a strong EHS message
HELMET, October - December 2015 9
BUILDINGS & FACTORIES

materials like sand bags, blocks, cement bags and other items
used for finishing with an additional guide railing provided for
Safety
of Honour
safety. R o ll

Finishes

Ceiling finishes were achieved using a Long Neck Ceiling

Grinder for the removal of enamel paint from the concrete Helmet congratulates the following sites for achieving
ceiling. The result was quick, easy, highly reliable and excellent.
two million and more LTI free safe man-hours
Completed incident free, the project has been recognized with
honours from the British Safety Council and National Safety
Council respectively. Its P&M has been awarded for top class
19 Kandla Mundra Road Project
April 2011 to December 2015
3 Mumbai Monorail
June 2013 to December 2015
operations and the project is LEED certified by Indian Green
Building Council.
15 Delhi Agra Road Project
October 2012 to December 2015
3 Vriddhachalam-Ariyalur Railway
Construction Project
December 2011 to December 2015

14 Samakhiali Gandhidham Road Project

October 2012 to December 2015 3 Hospet-Harlapur Railway
Construction Project
January 2013 to December 2015
7 Ganjbasoda Sanchi Railway
Construction Project
March 2010 to December 2015
2 Maithon Railway Siding Project
March 2010 to December 2015

Award for significant 6 Sambalpur Rourkela Road Project

July 2014 to December 2015 2 Rahuri Daund Railway
contribution to the Electrification Project
September 2010 to December 2015
EHS profession 5 10 MTPA Tata Steel Electrified Rail
Corridor Project
July 2009 to December 2015
2 Rajpura Railway Siding Project
April 2011 to December 2015

5 Chennai Metro Track works Project

February 2011 to December 2015 2 Bina-Ganjbasoda Railway
Construction Project
Mr. G. Madhava Kumar, Cluster EHS Manager, B&F IC Hyderabad Cluster, has won a prestigious award from D. L. Shah Trust
December 2012 to December 2015
and American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) for his significant contribution to the EHS profession in India. The award
was won amidst several such high quality submissions made by professionals from across the country. Mr. Madhava Kumar 5 KMDA Flyover Project
November 2012 to December 2015
received the award from Mr. Michael Belcher, President, ASSE, in the presence of Mr. Hari Taneja, Head, DL Shah Trust, and
other jury members at an event held at The Lalit Hotel, Mumbai, on October 15, 2015.
2 Wadi-Raichur Railway
Electrification Project
Committed to advancing the safety profession in India, the D. L. Shah Trust and American Society of Safety Engineers 4 Hyderabad Metro Track & OETS Project
January 2013 to December 2015
January 2012 to December 2015
announced the creation of an ongoing professional awards program. Consisting of three similar awards in the fields of
Occupational Safety and Health, Environmental Protection and Sustainability, the awards program recognizes excellence
and commitment to protecting people, property and the environment.

10 HELMET, October - December 2015 HELMET, October - December 2015 11

 TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE
Welding Machine located at the far end
of the depot detailing the world-class
safety initiatives that he and his team
have implemented. In my 25 years, I
have handled engineers & workmen
of all nationalities and have realized
that safety is a common area through
which you can reach out to them to
make attitudinal change. At WDFC, we
are ensuring that the countrys largest
railway job by a private player is right
on track when it comes to safety,
pointing to the safety arrangements at
the flash butt welding yard that ensure
total protection to all operators.
A global twist to the
regional fare
Across WDFC, it is mandatory for
workmen to assemble and take the safety
pledge followed by a brief tool box talk
at the beginning of every shift. Safety
communication is key across the safety
function and within minutes, pictures
of the event and safety observations
are shared through WhatsApp by the
Working in close proximity to a live railway line
S
afety as a subject matter can be
interesting as a large group of
Staying right on the
workmen realize as they hang
onto every word from the towering figure
of Wirtz Nigel Cameron, Head EHS, who
is explaining its importance in everyday
tracks in terms of safety work life. With his discourse laced with
a bit of Hindi, this British safety expert
has been addressing them as part of the
tool box talk at the expansive Bhagega
depot. Ending his sharp briefing, Nigel
starts to walk over to the Flash Butt
12 HELMET, October - December 2015 HELMET, October - December 2015
respective safety engineers to reach
the Task Force Leaders (TFL) office
where they are documented for further
review. Monitoring is a challenge as
ours is a very linear project with about
6000 workmen spread across 626 km.
Even the smallest error or oversight
by the most insignificant person in the
chain can prove to be the weakest link
that can put several lives in jeopardy.
We must remain totally focused and
mobile, continually reinforcing the
safety messages to the many hundreds
of construction sites on the project,
exclaims Nigel mopping the sweat
off his brow, standing in the morning
heat of the arid and windswept region.
Stopping by a stationary and unmanned
grading machine, Nigel peers inside and
pockets the keys that are in the ignition.
Unable to find the operator, he points to
a green sticker and explains that it is a
fitness certificate for the equipment to
be deployed at the project. Going over
to the Plant & Machinery department,
Nigel approaches the in-charge to
investigate why the grader has been
left unmanned and gets granular on the
13
TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE
perils of leaving a construction machine
unmanned while in close proximity to
a live railway line. The driver is later
summoned and cautioned on this lapse
before we proceed to the site office.
Putting systems on
track
Sitting in the cool comfort of the
site office, Nigel meets with his team
over various trackers and monitoring
systems that have been developed
to ensure proper conduct of training
programs, audits and implementation
of EHS initiatives. In almost every
domain, the enormous data of monthly
achievement figures smartly fit onto a
simple A3 sheet. Our ultimate motto
is to achieve international safety
standards by meeting and exceeding
the clients and L&Ts EHS requirements.
14
We approach safety with an ownership
based concept because it is not merely
the function of a single department but
a coordinated effort of all present at
the project sites. The entire project, he
elaborates, has been divided into four
sections and the EHS department has
further divided each of these sections
into 3 smaller sections of 50 km each
for greater focus. Fourteen such sections
located throughout the project make up
the complete EHS set-up including an
ambulance each to cater to emergencies.
A colleague presents us a couple of
pocket-sized booklets in Hindi and
English that detail the EHS systems
and even provides key information on
emergency response systems. Apart
from basic and mandatory safety
inductions, all the employees and
workmen are provided with this ready
reckoner that educates them on the
perils of working at a railway project. We
often notice, much to our horror, that
the existing track becomes a favorite
resting area for the workmen. With a
train plying once every 20 minutes, it is
extremely risky to do so. Workmen are
categorically told never to venture into
the existing track area unnecessarily.
We have even implemented punitive
measures to dissuade them from
breaking this rule, asserts Nigel and adds
that in certain stretches IP cameras have
been set-up to monitor implementation.
Class 1 focus
The team has classified the risks with
special emphasis on Class 1 risks that
include working near live railway
lines, at heights, involving vehicles
& cranes, plant & equipment, use of
explosives, excavations and working
Railways are necessary to carry out
with electricity. All activities that have
HELMET, October - December 2015
TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE
the potential of causing death or serious
injuries are listed under Class 1 and
highest thrust is given to this area. We
first identify the hazards, evaluate risks,
work on control measures, implement
them diligently and follow up with
periodic reviews. Very often, we develop
an easy to follow 10 point safe work
method which becomes sacrosanct for
the entire workforce. Workmen are also
encouraged to report all incidents as
this prevents repeat occurrences and
thereby save precious lives.
On the pulse of a live
issue
Topping the chart of Class 1 risks is
the task of having to work in close
proximity to a live railway track.
Explicit permissions from the Indian
any activity 3.5 m from the centre of
the track. This includes exercising Barricades at the flash butt welding area
speed regulations and, if necessary,
stoppage of services for a brief period.
We installed a fencing system to
demarcate the sensitive zones. All
vehicles and construction equipment
are strictly prohibited from entering
the fenced zone. For abundant safety,
we have a look-out and a flagman
whose only job is to alert the team on
train movements. According to the
EHS team, the biggest issue is that the
IR cables that should be buried 1.5 m
belowground are most often found
at much shallower depths, sometimes
even in uncharted territories. This
is why excavation is carried out
with immense caution and in case
of any infringement, the matter is
immediately escalated to the highest
level so as to avoid penal action which
could even mean imprisonment
because stoppage of train services falls
under the terrorists act.
HELMET, October - December 2015 15
TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE
Safely shifting the head hardened rails
Creating a rubric
For the very first time in the history of
the Indian Railways, imported automatic
track laying machines and equipment
have been pressed into service. Though
state-of-the-art and built incorporating
all safety parameters, some simple and
easy to understand safety guidelines
have been prepared for the workforce
operating these machines. While the
flash butt welding machine warranted
complete barricades and special eye
wear, the tamping, ballast regulation
and new track construction machines
required sound operating knowledge
and seamless coordination among the
operators. The head hardened rail yard
was demarcated as out of bounds during
the shifting of the 250 m long rails as
there was the danger of unauthorized
entry causing incidents.
Taming an unforgiving
terrain
Rajasthan can be quite unforgiving.
While the days are swelteringly
16
hot, the nights can get unbearably
cold. Added to this extreme climatic
condition is the danger of encountering
poisonous reptiles while working in
the wilderness. Even the soil is very
soft and unpredictable especially in
the mountainous terrain making
excavation and blasting tough safety
challenges. In some areas, we have
to cross underground oil and gas
pipelines with extreme caution, be it
for controlled blasting or even simple
hill cuts, describes Nigel. Two years of
working in Rajasthan has conditioned
the team, he feels, that is now competent
enough to handle even unprecedented
floods and heavy monsoons. We are
not sure if we have tamed the wild or
got ourselves tamed in the process, but
the consequence is that we are now well
acclimatized, winks Nigel.
A conjoint operation
Speaking on community welfare
initiatives, the EHS team shares that
apart from periodic health awareness
camps and tree plantation drives, the
project team has laid great emphasis on
a special Back to School campaign that
promotes education by providing free
study kits to underprivileged children.
A good rapport has been forged with
the many communities through such
initiatives to create a hassle-free work
environment. Additionally, the villages
have also been made aware to avoid
riding on the newly laid formation beds
which could affect project quality as
well as very risky for individuals.
The entire construction team has
been sensitized on safeguarding
the environment and apart from
regular monitoring of air quality and
suppression of dust with sprinkler
trucks, the team is also careful to protect
certain rare species of flora and fauna.
The WDFC project was chosen by NACO
(National Aids Control Organization) for
implementing an employer-led model
of train the trainer program under
which the EHS personnel who were
trained by the NACO team continually
create awareness on HIV/Aids and other
potential diseases among the workmen
across the project sites.
A hands-on approach
Our focus is on living injury free each
day and we are very particular that we
do not hinder train operations on the
existing track. Our monitoring and
management systems ensure that EHS
awareness is high and that we only
have to sustain it to get tangible results.
Our weekly audits, surprise checks
and stakeholder engagement have all
created a high level of EHS performance
and we have already crossed 15 million
incident free man hours. Safety starts
right at the design stage, believes
Nigel and should be managed through
proper planning and right through the
execution process.
HELMET, October - December 2015
Safety
of Honour
R o ll
Helmet congratulates the following sites for achieving
one million and more LTI free safe man-hours
4 BSNL-MOD NFS OFC PKG- E-BSNL 1 765/400 KV GIS Varanasi
October 2014 December 2015 New EXT-PGCIL
November 2013 to December 2015
3 400 kV Raipur - Jagadalpur
November 2013 to December 2015
1 Pkg C Jharkhand-PGCIL
December 2012 to December 2015
2 400 kV Jammalamadugu to
Uravuakonda TL
May 2015 to December 2015 1 R-APDRP Part-B Works - KSEB,
Kozhikode - Kerala
March 2015 to October 2015
1 400/220 kV Switchyard Package,
KAPP 3 & 4 - NPCIL
July 2011 to December 2015 1 800 kV Champa to Kurukshetra -
Pkg 6 - PGCIL
May 2015 to December 2015
1 2 X 600 MW STTP Athena
January 2012 to December 2015
Correct answers
yy Lack of protection against soil collapse
and excavation area not barricaded
yy Exclusion zone not provided around
excavation - Vehicle movement near
edge of excavation
Spot the yy Safety beacon lights not installed
yy Water stagnation in excavation area
HAZARDS
and workmen engaged in pile head
chipping
yy Stock pile and construction material
WINNERS
stored close to the edge of excavation
yy Gas cylinders placed near excavator
D. Sriram yy Excavator swing area not isolated
Asst. Manager EHS, Buildings & Factories yy No safe access & egress into
excavation
Umang Chimalwar
Asst. Manager EHS, Heavy Civil Infrastructure yy Improper usage of PPE like helmets &
reflective jackets
Maulick Shah yy Improper housekeeping
Manager, Ahmedabad Cluster, Buildings & Factories
HELMET, October - December 2015 17
 POWER TRANSMISSION & DISTRIBUTION
a sandy zone with close to 5 km of the
alignment running through backwaters
and 3 km of underground cabling
along the shoreline. Working in such
challenging terrains called for a range of
on-field innovations to be implemented
to facilitate execution. Heres what
Christopher A Fontecha, Manager EHS,
had to say on how Team L&T achieved
the milestones adhering to the highest
safety standards.
Double checking the
two-way alignment
As the alignment was strategically
divided at Wasit and Abu Ali running
to 26.24 and 29.94 kms respectively, two
EHS committees were formed to double
check the prerequisites, highlights
Christopher. Further, each stretch
functioned as an independent site and
the execution teams were guided on
the high risk activities through job
safety analysis reports by the respective
committees.
Defining the access
zone
As most of the alignment was across
an arid terrain, it was imperative to
chart a secure access route, begins
Christopher, and the EHS team worked
in tandem with the survey units to
predefine the route for execution by
T
he Power Transmission
avoiding some stretches that had a type
of soil called Sabhka known for its low
& Distribution IC of L&T
bearing strength and compressibility.
Construction has added yet
Though the land related challenges
Making a powerful
another benchmark to its list of
were approachable, the tough part was
illustrious projects by upgrading the
where the alignment cut across 5 km
existing power infrastructure system
of slushy backwaters. We raised an
for Saudi Aramco, the worlds largest
impact
island to erect the towers in this stretch
crude oil exporter at its Abu Ali gas plant
by dumping sand from an adjacent dry
to enable the facility meet its future
bed in a phased manner. A total of 684
electrical demand load. The project
piles across 155 locations were cast in
involved construction of a double
place after defining the safe zones for
circuit overhead transmission line in
the tower and gantry locations.
18 HELMET, October - December 2015 HELMET, October - December 2015
Working out the
methodology
The client was on the ball with a
specific quality and safety system and
timely audits for all activities hence it
was imperative to develop a thorough
method statement. To create a secure
work system, an internal safety plan
was formulated after approval from
the client which detailed the work
procedures and schedules. Workmen
were trained on 5S implementation
through mock drills to prepare them
to meet the specific work-in-progress
audits conducted by the client, says
Christopher. The team identified
most of the intense tasks such as
excavation, preparing the access
routes, civil and mechanical works
and stipulated sequential steps after
making a thorough review of the work
process based on the on-site conditions.
Vehicular routing was meticulously
planned as the project involved the
movement of a large number of heavy
equipment such as rigs and cranes on
sandy terrain and a Minimum Vehicle
Safety Management Programme was
also put in place. Christopher adds, At
some stretches of the alignment, the
road access was re-routed to balance
the heavy traffic that hindered the
ground works.
Backing up through
certified P&M
All major activities such as foundation
works, installation of tower elements,
stringing, and underground cabling
were executed safely by deploying
client certified Plant & Machinery
(P&M). During tower works, the wind
factor had to be constantly monitored
and it was mandatory to suspend work
if the wind speed went above 32 km/hr,
19
POWER TRANSMISSION & DISTRIBUTION
shares Christopher. The towers were
erected by deploying 250 t telescopic
cranes and the stringing works with
tensioners; pullers and man lifts were
used for wire clipping and jumper
installations.
Tower erection in progress
20
Strategizing the cross
overs
Execution of cross overs called for
some in-depth strategizing as the line
passed over a highway and substation
controlled by the Royal Commission of
Jubail and Saudi Electricity Company.
Safety
A comprehensive safety document R o ll
of Honour
was evolved at site taking into
consideration the requirements of the
external stake holders for executing the
works. Working inside the energized Helmet congratulates the following sites for achieving
substation required thorough vigilance
and the team secured the passage way four million and more LTI free safe man-hours
by installing goal posts and flags to mark
the sensitive zones. Further, a dedicated
person was assigned to monitor the
movement of the crane boom and
15 Storm Water Drainage Works - Jabalpur 4 Nalgonda UGD & WSS
ensure that it was well away from the
energized lines.
6 Hoshiarpur & Jalandhar Sewerage Scheme 4 GDWSS Hyderabad
Ensuring robust 5 Hogenikal Waater Suply Project PKG 5 3 UFW-D2B - Bangalore
support 5 Kamal Vihar Project Raipur 3 Garden Reach Water Supply Project
Considering the desert environment
and the possibility of strong winds while
working at heights, the project team
4 GIDC-DAHEJ Water Supply Project, 3 Ratangarh - Sujangarh Water Supply
25 & 50 MGD Project
availed the most appropriate PPEs such
as the latest model of safety harnesses
with provision for work positioning belt,
4 UGDS & WSIS - Nizamabad 3 Jawai Cluster Distribution Project
back rest and additional D rings in the
front for anchoring the rope grab device
4 Trans Varuna Sewerage Work - Varanasi
on to the vertical lifeline along with
suspension trauma prevention straps.
The erection and stringing gangs were
also provided with an emergency rescue
kit to quickly bring down those who
required medical attention.
Reinforcing the clients
trust
L&Ts role in putting together a major
part of the power system in a secure
manner was acknowledged by the client
as it facilitated the other EPC players
Spot the
HAZARDS
to seamlessly integrate the subsea and
underground works. For the safety team
there were lots of gains after the hard
work beams Christopher, We achieved
an overall Project Safety Index of 93%, If you have spotted the hazards, rush it to
clocked more than 8 lakh million safe ngfernandez@lntecc.com.
man hours and bagged two major
international safety accolades.
HELMET, October - December 2015 HELMET, October - December 2015 21

Orienting the crew on oil pipeline crossing
Safety comes in different shapes
and sizes; each as important
as the other
22 HELMET, October - December 2015
L
&Ts Industrial Water Supply BU is
executing a slew of lift irrigation
schemes across the country
among which is the Saurashtra Narmada
Avtaran Irrigation (SAUNI) Yojana
scheme, the largest lift irrigation project
undertaken in India which envisions
filling up of 115 irrigation dams across
the eleven districts in 900 villages of
Saurashtra from the surplus waters of
the Narmada river. Entrusted with two
key packages Link 3 and 4 running to
HELMET, October - December 2015
WATER SMART WORLD & COMMUNICATION
84 km, L&T has completed 90% of the
works that will link 21 dams along the
stretch. Here are insights from Ganesh
Sadashiv Gadade, Sr. Engineer EHS on
how the team achieved this milestone
with a zero incident record within a
stringent schedule of 24 months.
Assessing from ground
level
As the alignment predominantly passed
through farmlands it was important to
assess the risk factors before we stepped
in, highlights Ganesh. The first task was
a line survey to review the type of land
ownership, ground elevation, soil profile
and the bottlenecks along the way such
as major land and water body crossings.
The alignment passed through 2 major
rivers, national and state highways, hilly
terrain, railway crossing and a crude
oil line, points out Ganesh, so it was
imperative to schedule the works with
as little disturbance as possible and
complete the tasks in a secure manner
by signing off with a No Objection
Certificate from the various stake
holders. The project team approached
the task in a phased manner by dividing
the alignment into stretches and specific
teams were earmarked to achieve the
milestones.
Casting the conduits
with precision
Measuring close to 10 feet, these were
some of the biggest pipelines in Asia,
shares Ganesh about the sheer size of
the fabricated conduits. Two of the
most reliable pipe manufacturers were
roped in to handle the requirements
of the packages. As the manufacturing
process involved a huge amount of
quality welding, separate teams were
formed to inspect the works which was
carried out through a special helical
spiral submerged arc welding process
and later inspected for hydro and non-
destructive quality tests. Close to 83801
RMT of steel was bent to a dia of 3000
mm with each unit weighing close to
17 t and having a plate thickness of 17.5
mm.
Customizing a safe
channel way
Mitigating the risks involved during
excavation was crucial as 85% of the
pipeline passed through hard rock
indicates Ganesh. We were the first
among all the EPC contractors to plan
the schedule for pipe laying in a safe
manner that involved establishing a
range of innovative material handling
systems. To start off, the EHS team
informed the locals about the hazards
through megaphones and cordoned off
the area. To make the system further
fool proof, the team deployed safety
accessories such as blasting mats to
minimize the risk of hazards. More
than 12,00,000 cu.m of hard rock was
excavated by the team as per the SOPs
using licensed blasters after obtaining
permissions from the Collector and
Mamlatdar. The above ground
clearances were equally important for
at many locations, power lines were
passing along the ROU and the team had
to come up with on-site solutions such
as height extension of the electric poles,
availing temporary shutdowns to meet
the safety requirements.
About 2.5 km of the alignment passes
through a hilly terrain which called
for enhancing the trench depth up
to 22 m to mitigate the hydraulic
gradient. By deploying a pilot vehicle,
the team assessed the ROU and made
timely improvisations to facilitate the
transportation of pipelines from the
stockyard after winning the trust of the
locals and the government bodies.
23
WATER SMART WORLD & COMMUNICATION
Going by the rulebook
The EHS team formulated a Being a long span project it was important
comprehensive task list after taking
updates from the survey and customized
SOPs for the different activities along
the alignment. Elaborating on the risk
management done at site, Ganesh says,
Hazards identification was carried out
involving experienced execution teams
to track and focus on critical aspects of
safety during execution. To make the
system more robust, workmen were
oriented before every activity with a
rewards scheme to motivate achievers.
As we were dealing with mega
dimension pipelines, on the job training
was imparted through e-learning
videos, emergency preparedness and
mock drills to assimilate the actuals
risks involved.
Joint welding
24
Permit to work
to establish a system to monitor work
across sections and the project team
implemented the Permit to Work
system which provided access to work
spots, minimized risks and assessed
the safe conditions at site. The 'Safe
Execution Cards system was introduced
which added value to the existing safety
initiatives such as monthly safety walk
downs, PEP talks and rewards schemes.
At times, it was necessary to illustrate
through examples, asserts Ganesh.
When one of the agencies was found
violating safety norms, the project team
was quick to identify and terminate the
services which sent a strong message
that we were serious about adhering to
a safe work culture at site.
Streamlining the piping
laying process
The crux of this project was in getting
the right kind of heavy lift equipment to
handle the pipe laying. We approached
this task in a phased manner by zoning
100 m as one stretch and allocated 8
pipes within that area and deployed a
dozen 75 t cranes thereby guaranteeing
a safe working radius of 12 m to
facilitate the process. The EHS team
also ensured on-site inspections and
load tests of the heavy equipment for
safe laying of pipes and implemented
the task only through authorized
operators.
Having put the pipes in line, a secure
strategy for joint welding was evolved
by creating a 500 mm deep and 1000
HELMET, October - December 2015
WATER SMART WORLD & COMMUNICATION
mm wide weld pit inside the pipeline
trench that could accommodate a crew
of 4. A special type of fall arrestor
system was introduced and by listing
out all procedures, the team ensured
that the task was safely completed
with the clients approval. Close to 456
t of electrodes have been consumed
at site for the jointing works and post
welding works covered a range of
assessments tests, stable backfilling
and levelling."
Crossing over
with care
Crossing over the 24/7, 365-day live
10 m crude oil pipe line was most
challenging and to mitigate the risks
involved, the EHS team carried out
a detailed survey to assess the on-
site conditions by roping in officials
of Bharath Oman Refineries and
Leading the safety
finally concluded that the only way charge
forward was through push method
Working alongside multiple EPC
of excavation as blasting around the
contractors was an advantage according
site premises was prohibited. A skilled
to Ganesh. We were looked upon as the
crew was handpicked for executing
best and the onus was to lead by example
this task and the EHS team drew up a
and set benchmarks for others to follow.
detailed mock-up scheme to further
Team L&T drove this point down the
illustrate the actual hazards and the
line and ensured that in addition to the
precise procedures to be followed.
systems and procedures implemented
Ganesh concedes that the task was
there were also a range of on-site
laborious with the excavation through
environmental conscious initiatives
rock breakers and even manual at
such as segregating welding rod waste,
some critical areas. To further stabilize
finding value for it in the scrap market
the works, a MS casing pipe was
and using the money for workmen
installed during the pipe pushing and
welfare which largely motivated the
laying works. The project team was
team and made sure that the site clocked
able to complete this critical task
1 million incident free hours, he
within one and half months which
sums up with the satisfaction of a job
earned the appreciation of the client
well done.
and the BORL officials.
HELMET, October - December 2015 25

A sound idea to deafen the clamor
A
construction site is more often heard rather than
seen. Despite sophistication and mechanization of
construction activities, construction sites continue
to be high risk sources for noise related ill health. Concrete
pumps, DG units, impacting tools, creaky hoists and blasting
can all produce noise that is far beyond accepted levels.
While the list of sources for noise creation in a construction
site is pretty long, what is more worrying is that a pair of
equipment working in tandem can have a multiplier effect
on noise levels and equipment of various trades operating
together in a busy construction site can exponentially
increase noise output.
It is equally worrying that many people are not even aware
of this serious threat that can impact both their physical and
psychological wellbeing. A simple thumb-rule to know if
you are exposed to noise pollution is to observe if you can
have a normal conversation while standing about 2 m away
from another person. If you have to raise your voice to be
heard even for a few minutes in a day, it means that you
are a victim of noise pollution! Experts opine that getting
exposed to 80 decibels of noise over 8 hours can potentially
harm an individual and noise above 115 decibels has to be
completely avoided.
Exposure to noise can cause both acute and chronic disorders
including acoustic trauma or a gradually developing noise
induced hearing loss which may result in the following
discomforts:
yy Normal conversation becomes difficult
yy Trouble using the telephone or watching television with
normal sound
26
Maximum allowed exposure as per Indian
legislation
Total Time of Exposure
(continuous / or number of Sound pressure level
short-term exposures) per (in dBA)
day (in hours)
8 90
4 95
2 100
1 105
110
yy Difficulty in catching certain sounds or getting confused 115
with similar sounding words
yy Ringing, whistling, buzzing or humming in the ears The mitigation move feedback to make suitable alterations to
perfect the programme.
Because they can be mass produced, are
economical and disposable, ear plugs
yy Depression and loss of sleep
The surest way to prevent occupational have become a popular choice in the
Of the more popular hearing protection construction industry. However, it is
deafness is to reduce noise at source
devices are the ear plugs which are important to follow the manufacturers
through innovative engineering
small foam based implements that are
Typical noise levels at construction sites methods. However, there are limitations instructions to get the right fit inside
inserted to block the ear canal. Sold the ear for effective noise reduction.
to this approach. Not all equipment /
as both disposable and reusable types, Usually it is advised to pull the ear
processes can be modified to produce
DECIBEL - dB(A) EQUIPMENT there are custom molded versions also lobe upward and outward to straighten
lesser operating noise. For instance,
available in the market for a perfect the ear canal before inserting the plug
while a generator unit can be silenced
Pile driver fit. Ear muffs are other very popular using clean hands. Experts also insist
Double protection 112 using special padding and muffling
recommended 110 Air arcing gouging hearing protection devices that are that ear plugs should be worn all the
above 105 dB(A) 108 Impact wrench devices, a grinding tool cannot be,
made of sound-attenuating material time when in a noisy environment to
107 Bulldozer - no muffle owing to the nature of the process. But
102-104 Air grinder and soft ear cushions that fit around derive its full benefit. Intermittently
based on the risks involved, workmen
102 Crane - uninsulated cab the ear and come with hard outer cups.
Bulldozer - no cab can certainly use hearing protection to removing the plugs, even for a short
101-103
These cups are held together by a head
97 Chipping concrete minimize the impact of noise reaching duration, can substantially reduce its
96 Circular saw and hammering band.
their ears. effectiveness.
96 Jack hammer
96 Quick-cut saw
Based on the level of noise, comfort, and It is also necessary to frequently check
95
94
Masonry saw
Compactor - no cab
Listen to what the the desired noise reduction, a suitable the ear plugs / muffs for wear and tear,
Hearing protection
recommended
90
87
Crane - insulated cab
Loader/backhoe - insulated cab
experts have to say option can be chosen. Normally, if any, and replace the cushions in the
earplugs are meant for environments case of muffs. Some versions of ear
above 85 dB(A) 86 Grinder
85-90 Welding machine Considered the last line of defense, that remain noisy for long periods of plugs are washable to remove skin oil
85 Bulldozer - insulated cab hearing protection devices help reduce time and it would be inconvenient to
Speaking voice and dirt which can cause infection.
60-70
exposure to noise that is beyond keep removing and reinserting them Periodic cleaning of hearing protectors
85 decibels. However, it should be often. For such intermittent exposure is mandatory to avoid infection and if
chosen following a complete hearing to noise, ear muffs are more suitable.
Though there are regulations to control noise levels at damaged or dirtied beyond redemption,
industrial settings, these are hardly adhered to or diligently conservation program that begins with While ear plugs are personal, compact, it would be a sound idea to replace them
implemented. professional noise assessment, selection convenient and easy to wear, ear muffs with new ones to deafen the clamor.
of the right hearing protectors based are large and do not fit easily over other
on the results and later followed up on PPEs such as helmets and goggles.
HELMET, October - December 2015 HELMET, October - December 2015 27
 L&T-ites take to the roads to
create awareness on safety

ROAD SAFETY
TIME FOR
ACTION NOW!

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways observed Road Safety Week between 10 and 16 January
2016. Project sites across L&T conducted rallies and demonstrations to infuse this years Road Safety
Week theme, "Road Safety Time for Action," among road users. At HQ Chennai, a Walkathon was
conducted from L&Ts Manapakkam Campus to the Porur junction on 10th of January 2016 in which
about 300 enthusiastic L&T-ites and their family members participated to increase the awareness on
road safety.

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.