Professional Documents
Culture Documents
S
Malay Kumar Mahanta line on which a train whistles by every 20 minutes.
afety month January 2016 kicked off with an inaugural
Stephen Philip Storey Stringing transmission lines across miles of shifting
function on 4th January at HQ campus where the
sand dunes or marshy backwaters or laying some of
Ramachandran N presence of senior management underlined the Safety lapses are now being reviewed at the board level
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 importance, relevance and commitment to EHS. and soon the respective project manager will be made
these cases, the safety teams were able to answer all the accountable and answerable in the event of incidents, was
Technical Associates : P. Nagarajan | Gabrial Fernandez
tricky questions and have been successful in making In his welcome address, Mr. M.V. Satish, Whole-Time Director Mr. S. N. Subrahmanyan's, Deputy Managing Director &
Sudarsan Rajendran & Senior Executive Vice President, Buildings, Minerals &
life extremely boring across all these sites. We share President, L&T, strong message in his keynote address. He also
Md Quaisar Imam with you how they made it happen. Metals, expressed that although the organization had secured highlighted that despite persistent efforts, incidents at sites
Sathyanarayana Seelamanthula 23 RoSPA, 22 British Safety Council, and 59 National Safety were still continuing that called for stringent measures to
Murali Krishnan In all sites, danger is present, tangible and up close Council awards, accidents still continued to occur at sites with
but there are times when one is unaware of exposure improve safety performance towards zero incidents.
Mathivanan Palaniappan plant and machinery and fall from heights being the major
to danger like when assaulted by noise beyond
S. Anantha Prasanna Venkatesh areas that needed focus. MVS urged the gathering to take a It is important to first think Global before aspiring to grow
acceptable levels. In this issue of Helmet, we speak
about the ills of noise pollution and remedies if you closer look at a safer way of implementing mechanization at to such levels, said SNS and urged the safety team to adhere
Editorial team : V. Ramesh Kumar to and implement global best practices for better results. He
care to listen to us! sites to reduce the frequency of such reportable accidents and
Ashwin Chand | Mayura. K advised the senior management of all ICs to demand safety made a special mention to reignite the fervor of the Suraksha
So we invite you to celebrate this Safety Month by excellence from their teams. Safety has to be a way of life at Jeet programme and to make the Safety Innovation School
Photography : V. S. Natanavelu | R. Vijay Kumar
reigniting that sense of safety in ourselves and live operational at the earliest. On a positive note, SNS appreciated
the projects, he summed up forcefully.
Design & layout : Global Print Design, Chennai incident free every day because one can never be too
careful!
Mr. M. Kamarajan, Head - Environment Health & Safety 25 ITC Sonar Hotel Project, Kolkata
August 2009 to December 2015
December 2010 to December 2015
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
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.
T
he Indian retail industry has
witnessed a dramatic change
in recent times. From just 3
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.
implemented at site to ensure that the Implementation of Standard Twin Mast Climbing Working
All supervisors, engineers and managers
concerned supervisor or engineer looked Operating Procedure (SOP) Platform
were given safety improvement slips to
into any prevailing / possible hazards
report any unsafe act or unsafe condition yy Lift Shaft & Floor Opening The project introduced a Twin Mast
(what can go wrong) and indicated the
at site. This was seen as a positive Protection Climbing Working Platform for external
actual controls available at the work area
contribution to EHS management at site plaster work, which is safer and faster
(to prevent things from going wrong) in yy Working on Peripheral Platforms
and the employee was given positive than conventional methods. A multi-
the card. This helped in identifying and yy Builders Hoist Operations
scores while measuring his monthly functional hoist was used for carrying
eliminating or controlling risks at the
EHS performance. Street plays for a strong EHS message
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
Welding Machine located at the far end respective safety engineers to reach
of the depot detailing the world-class the Task Force Leaders (TFL) office
safety initiatives that he and his team where they are documented for further
have implemented. In my 25 years, I review. Monitoring is a challenge as
have handled engineers & workmen ours is a very linear project with about
of all nationalities and have realized 6000 workmen spread across 626 km.
that safety is a common area through Even the smallest error or oversight
which you can reach out to them to by the most insignificant person in the
make attitudinal change. At WDFC, we chain can prove to be the weakest link
are ensuring that the countrys largest that can put several lives in jeopardy.
railway job by a private player is right We must remain totally focused and
on track when it comes to safety, mobile, continually reinforcing the
pointing to the safety arrangements at safety messages to the many hundreds
the flash butt welding yard that ensure of construction sites on the project,
total protection to all operators. exclaims Nigel mopping the sweat
off his brow, standing in the morning
S
afety as a subject matter can be
interesting as a large group of
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
perils of leaving a construction machine We approach safety with an ownership perils of working at a railway project. We the potential of causing death or serious
unmanned while in close proximity to based concept because it is not merely often notice, much to our horror, that injuries are listed under Class 1 and
a live railway line. The driver is later the function of a single department but the existing track becomes a favorite highest thrust is given to this area. We
summoned and cautioned on this lapse a coordinated effort of all present at resting area for the workmen. With a first identify the hazards, evaluate risks,
before we proceed to the site office. the project sites. The entire project, he train plying once every 20 minutes, it is work on control measures, implement
elaborates, has been divided into four extremely risky to do so. Workmen are them diligently and follow up with
Putting systems on sections and the EHS department has categorically told never to venture into periodic reviews. Very often, we develop
further divided each of these sections the existing track area unnecessarily. an easy to follow 10 point safe work
track into 3 smaller sections of 50 km each We have even implemented punitive method which becomes sacrosanct for
Sitting in the cool comfort of the for greater focus. Fourteen such sections measures to dissuade them from the entire workforce. Workmen are also
site office, Nigel meets with his team located throughout the project make up breaking this rule, asserts Nigel and adds encouraged to report all incidents as
over various trackers and monitoring the complete EHS set-up including an that in certain stretches IP cameras have this prevents repeat occurrences and
systems that have been developed ambulance each to cater to emergencies. been set-up to monitor implementation. thereby save precious lives.
to ensure proper conduct of training
programs, audits and implementation
A colleague presents us a couple of
pocket-sized booklets in Hindi and
Class 1 focus On the pulse of a live
of EHS initiatives. In almost every
English that detail the EHS systems The team has classified the risks with issue
domain, the enormous data of monthly
and even provides key information on special emphasis on Class 1 risks that
achievement figures smartly fit onto a Topping the chart of Class 1 risks is
emergency response systems. Apart include working near live railway
simple A3 sheet. Our ultimate motto the task of having to work in close
from basic and mandatory safety lines, at heights, involving vehicles
is to achieve international safety proximity to a live railway track.
inductions, all the employees and & cranes, plant & equipment, use of
standards by meeting and exceeding Explicit permissions from the Indian
workmen are provided with this ready explosives, excavations and working
the clients and L&Ts EHS requirements. Railways are necessary to carry out
reckoner that educates them on the with electricity. All activities that have
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.
The entire construction team has 4 BSNL-MOD NFS OFC PKG- E-BSNL 1 765/400 KV GIS Varanasi
been sensitized on safeguarding October 2014 December 2015 New EXT-PGCIL
the environment and apart from November 2013 to December 2015
regular monitoring of air quality and 3 400 kV Raipur - Jagadalpur
suppression of dust with sprinkler November 2013 to December 2015
trucks, the team is also careful to protect 1 Pkg C Jharkhand-PGCIL
December 2012 to December 2015
certain rare species of flora and fauna.
Safely shifting the head hardened rails
The WDFC project was chosen by NACO 2 400 kV Jammalamadugu to
Uravuakonda TL
Creating a rubric hot, the nights can get unbearably
cold. Added to this extreme climatic
(National Aids Control Organization) for
May 2015 to December 2015 1 R-APDRP Part-B Works - KSEB,
Kozhikode - Kerala
implementing an employer-led model
For the very first time in the history of condition is the danger of encountering of train the trainer program under March 2015 to October 2015
the Indian Railways, imported automatic poisonous reptiles while working in which the EHS personnel who were 1 400/220 kV Switchyard Package,
KAPP 3 & 4 - NPCIL
track laying machines and equipment the wilderness. Even the soil is very trained by the NACO team continually
have been pressed into service. Though soft and unpredictable especially in create awareness on HIV/Aids and other July 2011 to December 2015 1 800 kV Champa to Kurukshetra -
Pkg 6 - PGCIL
state-of-the-art and built incorporating the mountainous terrain making potential diseases among the workmen
May 2015 to December 2015
all safety parameters, some simple and
easy to understand safety guidelines
excavation and blasting tough safety
challenges. In some areas, we have
across the project sites.
1 2 X 600 MW STTP Athena
January 2012 to December 2015
have been prepared for the workforce to cross underground oil and gas A hands-on approach
operating these machines. While the pipelines with extreme caution, be it
flash butt welding machine warranted for controlled blasting or even simple Our focus is on living injury free each Correct answers
complete barricades and special eye hill cuts, describes Nigel. Two years of day and we are very particular that we yy Lack of protection against soil collapse
working in Rajasthan has conditioned do not hinder train operations on the and excavation area not barricaded
wear, the tamping, ballast regulation
the team, he feels, that is now competent existing track. Our monitoring and yy Exclusion zone not provided around
and new track construction machines excavation - Vehicle movement near
enough to handle even unprecedented management systems ensure that EHS
required sound operating knowledge edge of excavation
awareness is high and that we only
and seamless coordination among the floods and heavy monsoons. We are
not sure if we have tamed the wild or have to sustain it to get tangible results.
Spot the yy Safety beacon lights not installed
operators. The head hardened rail yard yy Water stagnation in excavation area
HAZARDS
got ourselves tamed in the process, but Our weekly audits, surprise checks and workmen engaged in pile head
was demarcated as out of bounds during
the consequence is that we are now well and stakeholder engagement have all chipping
the shifting of the 250 m long rails as
acclimatized, winks Nigel. created a high level of EHS performance yy Stock pile and construction material
there was the danger of unauthorized
WINNERS
and we have already crossed 15 million stored close to the edge of excavation
entry causing incidents. yy Gas cylinders placed near excavator
A conjoint operation incident free man hours. Safety starts
D. Sriram yy Excavator swing area not isolated
right at the design stage, believes
Taming an unforgiving Speaking on community welfare Nigel and should be managed through
Asst. Manager EHS, Buildings & Factories yy No safe access & egress into
excavation
terrain initiatives, the EHS team shares that proper planning and right through the Umang Chimalwar
Asst. Manager EHS, Heavy Civil Infrastructure yy Improper usage of PPE like helmets &
apart from periodic health awareness execution process. reflective jackets
Rajasthan can be quite unforgiving. camps and tree plantation drives, the Maulick Shah yy Improper housekeeping
While the days are swelteringly Manager, Ahmedabad Cluster, Buildings & Factories
project team has laid great emphasis on
T
he Power Transmission
avoiding some stretches that had a type
of soil called Sabhka known for its low
Backing up through
& Distribution IC of L&T
bearing strength and compressibility. certified P&M
Construction has added yet
Though the land related challenges
Making a powerful
another benchmark to its list of All major activities such as foundation
were approachable, the tough part was
illustrious projects by upgrading the works, installation of tower elements,
where the alignment cut across 5 km
existing power infrastructure system stringing, and underground cabling
of slushy backwaters. We raised an
for Saudi Aramco, the worlds largest were executed safely by deploying
impact
island to erect the towers in this stretch
crude oil exporter at its Abu Ali gas plant client certified Plant & Machinery
by dumping sand from an adjacent dry
to enable the facility meet its future (P&M). During tower works, the wind
bed in a phased manner. A total of 684
electrical demand load. The project factor had to be constantly monitored
piles across 155 locations were cast in
involved construction of a double and it was mandatory to suspend work
place after defining the safe zones for
circuit overhead transmission line in if the wind speed went above 32 km/hr,
the tower and gantry locations.
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
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
Tower erection in progress international safety accolades.
84 km, L&T has completed 90% of the spiral submerged arc welding process
works that will link 21 dams along the and later inspected for hydro and non-
stretch. Here are insights from Ganesh destructive quality tests. Close to 83801
Sadashiv Gadade, Sr. Engineer EHS on RMT of steel was bent to a dia of 3000
how the team achieved this milestone mm with each unit weighing close to
with a zero incident record within a 17 t and having a plate thickness of 17.5
stringent schedule of 24 months. mm.
and sizes; each as important scheme, the largest lift irrigation project
undertaken in India which envisions
filling up of 115 irrigation dams across
most reliable pipe manufacturers were
roped in to handle the requirements
to 22 m to mitigate the hydraulic
gradient. By deploying a pilot vehicle,
as the other
of the packages. As the manufacturing the team assessed the ROU and made
the eleven districts in 900 villages of process involved a huge amount of timely improvisations to facilitate the
Saurashtra from the surplus waters of quality welding, separate teams were transportation of pipelines from the
the Narmada river. Entrusted with two formed to inspect the works which was stockyard after winning the trust of the
key packages Link 3 and 4 running to carried out through a special helical locals and the government bodies.
Going by the rulebook Permit to work Streamlining the piping mm wide weld pit inside the pipeline
trench that could accommodate a crew
The EHS team formulated a Being a long span project it was important laying process of 4. A special type of fall arrestor
comprehensive task list after taking to establish a system to monitor work The crux of this project was in getting system was introduced and by listing
updates from the survey and customized across sections and the project team the right kind of heavy lift equipment to out all procedures, the team ensured
SOPs for the different activities along implemented the Permit to Work handle the pipe laying. We approached that the task was safely completed
the alignment. Elaborating on the risk system which provided access to work this task in a phased manner by zoning with the clients approval. Close to 456
management done at site, Ganesh says, spots, minimized risks and assessed t of electrodes have been consumed
100 m as one stretch and allocated 8
Hazards identification was carried out the safe conditions at site. The 'Safe at site for the jointing works and post
pipes within that area and deployed a
involving experienced execution teams Execution Cards system was introduced welding works covered a range of
dozen 75 t cranes thereby guaranteeing
to track and focus on critical aspects of which added value to the existing safety assessments tests, stable backfilling
a safe working radius of 12 m to
safety during execution. To make the initiatives such as monthly safety walk and levelling."
facilitate the process. The EHS team
system more robust, workmen were downs, PEP talks and rewards schemes. also ensured on-site inspections and
oriented before every activity with a At times, it was necessary to illustrate load tests of the heavy equipment for
Crossing over
rewards scheme to motivate achievers.
As we were dealing with mega
through examples, asserts Ganesh. safe laying of pipes and implemented with care
When one of the agencies was found the task only through authorized
dimension pipelines, on the job training violating safety norms, the project team Crossing over the 24/7, 365-day live
operators.
was imparted through e-learning was quick to identify and terminate the 10 m crude oil pipe line was most
videos, emergency preparedness and services which sent a strong message Having put the pipes in line, a secure challenging and to mitigate the risks
mock drills to assimilate the actuals that we were serious about adhering to strategy for joint welding was evolved involved, the EHS team carried out
risks involved. a safe work culture at site. by creating a 500 mm deep and 1000 a detailed survey to assess the on-
Joint welding
2 100
1 105
110
A
construction site is more often heard rather than yy Difficulty in catching certain sounds or getting confused 115
seen. Despite sophistication and mechanization of with similar sounding words
construction activities, construction sites continue
to be high risk sources for noise related ill health. Concrete
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
pumps, DG units, impacting tools, creaky hoists and blasting yy Depression and loss of sleep
The surest way to prevent occupational have become a popular choice in the
can all produce noise that is far beyond accepted levels. Of the more popular hearing protection construction industry. However, it is
deafness is to reduce noise at source
While the list of sources for noise creation in a construction devices are the ear plugs which are important to follow the manufacturers
through innovative engineering
site is pretty long, what is more worrying is that a pair of small foam based implements that are
Typical noise levels at construction sites methods. However, there are limitations instructions to get the right fit inside
equipment working in tandem can have a multiplier effect inserted to block the ear canal. Sold the ear for effective noise reduction.
to this approach. Not all equipment /
on noise levels and equipment of various trades operating as both disposable and reusable types, Usually it is advised to pull the ear
processes can be modified to produce
together in a busy construction site can exponentially DECIBEL - dB(A) EQUIPMENT there are custom molded versions also lobe upward and outward to straighten
lesser operating noise. For instance,
increase noise output. 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
It is equally worrying that many people are not even aware 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
of this serious threat that can impact both their physical and 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
psychological wellbeing. A simple thumb-rule to know if 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
you are exposed to noise pollution is to observe if you can 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
have a normal conversation while standing about 2 m away 101-103
These cups are held together by a head
97 Chipping concrete minimize the impact of noise reaching duration, can substantially reduce its
from another person. If you have to raise your voice to be 96 Circular saw and hammering band.
their ears. effectiveness.
heard even for a few minutes in a day, it means that you 96 Jack hammer
96 Quick-cut saw
are a victim of noise pollution! Experts opine that getting Based on the level of noise, comfort, and It is also necessary to frequently check
exposed to 80 decibels of noise over 8 hours can potentially
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,
harm an individual and noise above 115 decibels has to be 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
completely avoided. 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
Exposure to noise can cause both acute and chronic disorders 85 Bulldozer - insulated cab hearing protection devices help reduce time and it would be inconvenient to
Speaking voice and dirt which can cause infection.
including acoustic trauma or a gradually developing noise 60-70
exposure to noise that is beyond keep removing and reinserting them Periodic cleaning of hearing protectors
induced hearing loss which may result in the following 85 decibels. However, it should be often. For such intermittent exposure is mandatory to avoid infection and if
discomforts: 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
yy Normal conversation becomes difficult
implemented. professional noise assessment, selection convenient and easy to wear, ear muffs with new ones to deafen the clamor.
yy Trouble using the telephone or watching television with of the right hearing protectors based are large and do not fit easily over other
normal sound on the results and later followed up on PPEs such as helmets and goggles.
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.