Letter by Rajasthan Bijli Workers Federation (AITUC) to the Chairman of Rajasthan Discom.
Respected Chairman
Rajasthan Discom
Subject: Regarding making it mandatory to have at least two personnel for doing electrical work.
Dear Sir,
It is well known that the work of electricity is very risky and there is a need to be very careful while doing it. Electric workers are losing their lives in electrical accidents while doing electrical work. After studying the above accidents, we have found that many electrical accidents can be prevented if it is made mandatory to have at least two personnel to do electrical work. At present only one employee is employed in a shift at various 33/11 KV substations. Most of the substations are built in remote rural areas where many types of thoughts come in the mind of the employee working during long duty. These thoughts have a psychological effect on the employee, due to which he is not able to concentrate while doing electrical work and due to any possible mistake, an accident occurs. Many times, it has also happened that after an accident with the employee working on the substation or feeder, he has been hanging on the pole for hours in an injured condition because there was no one there to help him. Similarly, there have been incidents of dead bodies of electrical workers hanging for hours in fatal accidents because they were alone while working at a remote deserted place and there was no one to help them.
Due to working alone, the injured worker could not be taken to the hospital in time because there was no one there to help him. There is a first aid kit for formality at the substation, in which equipment’s like life rescuer have also been arranged, but imagine if the injured worker who got hit by 11 KV line current will he be in a position to give first aid to himself alone? What a big joke that life rescuer is needed when the employee has difficulty in breathing and he has become unconscious, in such a situation how will life rescuer be used without the help of another person? Similarly, while working on the ladder, provisions have been made that when one worker climbs the ladder, the other one will hold the ladder so that it does not slip, but when the other worker is not there, there will be a possibility of accident.
The overall fact is that many injured electricians died during work simply because they were working alone and no one was there to help them and hence there was delay in taking them to hospital or providing other treatment. That is, one of the main reasons for deaths in electrical accidents is the f the electrical worker working alone. If there are two or more workers at the workplace, the chances of a lapse are less.
In 2006, when approval was sought from the State Government by creating the post of Technical Helper in the Power Corporations, then the same proposal was sent to the Government on behalf of the Power Corporations that at least 2 employees are required in a shift at the substation.
Therefore, you are humbly requested to issue instructions to the concerned regarding making it mandatory to have at least two personnel for doing electrical work so that deaths of electrical workers due to electrocution can be prevented.
Keshav Kumar Vyas
General Secretary
Copy is submitted to the following for information and necessary action:
- Mr. Chairman, Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission, Jaipur
- Mr. Managing Director, Jaipur, / Ajmer, / Jodhpur Discom
- Mr. Senior Electrical Inspector, Electrical Inspectorate, Jaipur