“I DON’T THINK I CAN CHANGE ANYTHING AT L&T!”
There is a disarming honesty to Assistant Manager, Prabhu Mudaliyar, when he shrugs his shoulders and declares that everything at L&T is so perfect that he couldn’t find anything to change or be changed. Being posted at the Bengaluru International Airport was a blessing in disguise for Prabhu for not only did he get an opportunity to work on a challenging airport project but more so because he was able to return home to his native Bengaluru after being posted in other parts of India for 13 years.
“The high point for me at BIAL has been the hydro-seeding (mulching) machine that we have developed in house,” he shares enthusiastically. It is obviously a subject close to his heart for he takes pains to explain the process. “Hydro-seeding or turfing is the last activity often involving huge areas to be covered quickly, so time is always a constraint. The traditional method is timeconsuming and at BIAL with 12 lakh sq. m of area to be hydro seeded in just 60 days, we realized that we could only achieve it with mechanization. Moreover, there was only one vendor with this machine in the market that was imported costing INR 10 lakhs. That’s how we decided to fabricate a new hydro-seeding machine. We did it for just 4 lakhs and with it our productivity has zoomed!” He says mimicking an airplane taking off. “It is simple in fabrication, effective in operation with a motor coupled with a reduction gearbox that drives the auger in the compartment where the mulch material is mixed homogenously.
Speed is maintained to avoid spillage and damage to the seeds.” The auger blade is designed to carry the mulch materials and mixed proportionately with water. The discharge pump with motor is a specialized one of a non-clogging type that can discharge high viscosity of materials. “We have the option for either an engine driven or motor driven machine but have opted for the motor driven one; it is also maintenance free.”
While returning to his native place in Bengaluru was his most memorable moment, he is equally delighted to spend more time with his wife, Kavithasri, who is a homemaker, and find the opportunity to follow his many hobbies like cricket, playing chess and reading. “While traveling to site, I manage to catch up on the news by reading newspapers, articles or watching web-based serials.”
“A place where you are free to learn anything and everything,” is how he describes the work culture at L&T Construction. “The support from the seniors is always there and such kind of support gives you the freedom to think laterally and the confidence to take up new ideas to implement,” he says, sounding very sure of himself and the company he keeps.
Staying safe in the middle of ‘live’ traffic!
This officer was lucky to escape with his life, but the sad fact is that many are not so lucky. ‘Live’ traffic is one of the menaces that safety managers of road projects must constantly contend with.
The success of any EHS strategy is in being on top of all ‘safety-threatening’ factors but, in this case, EHS teams have a host of factors to face that are not entirely in their control. “How can we plan for the mistakes of bad or drunken drivers, control dense, snarled traffic, look out for jaywalking pedestrians or careless cyclists,” laments B. Rajeev Ramakrishna, EHS In-charge for the Hospet-Devangere-Chitradurga Road Project (HCRP).
For Ramakrishna and Project Manager, R Prabhakaran, traffic woes and other safety trouble spots like workmen tripping, injuries from cranes & machineries, exposure to heat and vibrations, collapse of structures or equipment being used cannot be speed-breakers as they have a crushing deadline of three and half years to complete the 120 km project and, of course, the added responsibility of keeping their safety record clean.
“How can we plan for the mistakes of bad or drunken drivers, control dense, snarled traffic, look out for jaywalking pedestrians or careless cyclists.”
- B. Rajeev Ramakrishna
EHS In-charge — Hospet-Devangere Chitradurga Road Project
Risk assessment with an action plan evolved at the planning stage is the ideal way to go and Prabhakaran feels that the success of safety at HCRP is attributable to 5 factors: user involvement, senior management support, clear understanding of requirements, proper planning and realistic expectations. He quickly adds, “these elements by themselves will not guarantee success but if handled well, our chances to succeed are better.”
Road laying
Dense, unruly traffic is an acute problem for Safety In-charge, at the Delhi-Agra Road Project (DARP), Vireshkumar Ramesh Nawale too. “You can imagine the volume of traffic on a National Highway that starts from the national capital, passes through the industrial towns of Faridabad and Ballabhgarh, religious places like Vrindavan and Mathura before reaching Agra, easily the country’s biggest tourist destination. The highway was fully operational, and our work zone was just beside it!” Against this challenging backdrop, the team led by Chief Project Manager, Rajesh Kumar Jha have been tasked to widen the existing 4 lane NH‑2, that involves 14 flyovers, 14 VUPs, 10 PUPs 1 Viaduct, 359 km of carriageway, 204 km of service roads and 204 km length of drains.
“Positive motivation backed by a practical and collaborative approach are best to ensure success of work place safety and a safe work environment,” declares Jha, referring to his team’s wide range of fail proof safety arrangements adopted to manage all work-related hazards. To start with, they developed a general traffic safety arrangement plan involving an advance warning zone as per IRC SP 55, relevant signage, safety cones, temporary traffic diversions and zig-zag road patterns with water barriers to control high-speed drivers. “We have introduced virtual and robotic flagmen that are actually mannequins to signal and control traffic at congested junctions to avoid the risk of placing our own people in such dangerous situations,” informs Nawale. In addition, public awareness and defensive driving programmes are regularly organized with the support of the traffic police but as Jha reminds us grimly, “all these are aimed at keeping the risks to as low as reasonably practicable.”
“Success of safety at HCRP is attributable to 5 factors: user involvement, senior management support, clear understanding of requirements, proper planning and realistic expectations.”
- R Prabhakaran
Project Manager – Hospet-DevangereChitradurga Road Project
Keeping P&M safe
Safety of P&M is just as crucial for site teams and to address this issue, the Chennai EHS Cluster team introduced two initiatives – the VECT (Verify & Ensure Controlling Traffic) and Green Card – shares Subhamoy. “Through VECT, accountability of all activity on a ‘live’ road is squarely on the front-line execution team from Day 1 and these control measures are changed as per the demands of a particular site as each site is unique.”
Work at site only begins after the carefully chosen VECT managers confirm that it is safe for work to begin. “VECT forms are available at each location and these are rigorously monitored on a weekly and monthly basis,” he adds. The Green Card is a system-oriented safety process to keep P&M safe at site that involves a joint inspection by the Project EHS & P&M teams, signed off and thereafter regularly monitored. If deviations are detected, they are immediately addressed and rectified. “Both these initiatives have significantly helped improve our safety performance in the Transportation Infrastructure IC and enhance our brand value too,” avers a satisfied Subhamoy.
“Positive motivation backed by a practical and collaborative approach are best to ensure success of work place safety and a safe work environment.”
- Rajesh Kumar Jha
Chief Project Manager, Delhi-Agra Road Project
Higher the height, taller the risk!
The Ghoshpukur-Salsalabari Road Project involved several activities at critical heights such as erection of RCC, PSC and steel girders over live railway lines all of which was beside ‘live’ traffic. “Instead of a task-based approach that is usually adopted, we went for a systembased method including HIRA, SWM (Safe Work Method) and behaviourbased training to address safety,” reveals Project Manager, Niloy Mukherjee. The EHS In-charge, Tushar Gangopadhyay chips in that the EHS team involved workmen, local villagers and even the local administration in their safety regimen. “We used events like the Safety Month, Road Safety Week, Environment Day to drive EHS awareness.” Malay Kumar Mahanta — Head EHS TI IC, mentions, “Introduction of systems like the formation of an EHS Committee, the implementation of the Reverse the Risk (RtR) system, Permits to Work (PtW) and widespread safety awareness campaigns went a long way in sensitizing workmen to avoid unsafe practices and acts.”
“We have introduced virtual and robotic flagmen that are actually mannequins to signal and control traffic at congested junctions to avoid the risk of placing our own people in such dangerous situations.”
- Vireshkumar Ramesh Nawale
Safety In-charge, Delhi-Agra Road Project
Lifting of precast elements
Safety orientation for workmen
To maintain safety when working at heights, the team erected and used formwork based safe access systems with safety nets. “With workmen having to work at heights of up to 14 m, we evolved a sound lifting plan,” shares Tushar. “One key consideration was to certify whether the ground surface was suitable with adequate compacting to place plants, equipment and operating cranes as there is the constant threat of the ground caving. ” The Erection Engineer was responsible to ensure that all personnel, including those of the sub-contractor, were given EHS training and made aware of different aspects like first aid, fire safety, defensive driving, etc., familiarizing them with the procedures and risks involved in girder erections to eliminate or at least reduce risk.
“Introduction of systems like the formation of an EHS Committee, the implementation of the Reverse the Risk (RtR) system, Permits to Work (PtW) and widespread safety awareness campaigns went a long way in sensitizing workmen to avoid unsafe practices and acts.”
- Malay Kumar Mahanta
Head EHS TI IC
“Initially, we had to work near an OHE line and our number of near-miss cases was not funny,” Niloy shakes his head. To overcome this challenge the team evolved an insightful zoning plan: green where the clearance between OHE line and FRL (Finished Road Level) was more than 5.5 m; blue where the clearance was more than 4 m but 5 m or less; and red if the clearance was less than 4 m, all marked with reflective stickers.
“In essence, identifying risks, analysing and responding to them adequately is the difference between a successful and not-so-successful EHS strategy.”
- Niloy Mukherjee
Project Manager, GhoshpukurSalsalabari Road Project
Smart risk management
“In essence, identifying risks, analysing and responding to them adequately is the difference between a successful and not-so-successful EHS strategy,” states Niloy. Towards this end, he and his EHS team have put together a Risk Profile of their project by listing down both routine and non-routine activities based on which they developed their SWM. “After all, it was not only a question of the safety of our own people,” smiles Tushar, “it involved the safety of the general public too.”
In the final analysis, safety is dependant on our emergency preparedness and team work, according to Nawale that is echoed by all EHS managers. Rigorously following the Golden EHS rules, distributing EHS guidebooks like those given to workmen at DARP, constant training, walk-downs, regular housekeeping are some of the methods that keep lives safe on ‘live’ roads as L&T continues to build projects that make India proud!