ARE SIDING SAFE ?

ARE SIDING SAFE ?

 

Safety Campaign may be defined as a sustained endeavor to create a conscious effort for accident – prevention by both the management and men at all times. CLASSIFICATION OF SIDING:-         A Siding is a very vital place for any Project to deal with consumers, Railway, State Govt. etc. Sidings are classified as follows:- 1.     Public Siding (Owned & Operated by Railway). 2.     Assisted Siding (Construction cost borne by both Railway & Siding Owner) 3.     Private Siding (Entire cost borne by siding owner) 4.     Departmental Siding. 5.     Military Siding

DEFINATION:-       “A siding may be served through an exchange yard or the train engine may place/remove the inward/ outward rake directly into/ from the siding. The concept of exchange yard is however, getting outdated and for better utilization of rolling stock, it will be preferable, as far as possible, to place and remove the rakes into and out of a siding by the train engine itself. If loading/ unloading operations are mechanized and can be completed in at the most three to four hour time, the same train engine could place and remove rake from the siding.” Since our siding is a private siding and we are paying the entire cost of construction including some railway penalty and railway staff cost posted at siding to deal with commercial matters. Now a question is raised here that siding is entirely owned by us. So it is our prime duty to propagate the safety consciousness at this place also.

STATUTARILY-OBLIGATION ABOUT SAFETY AT SIDING:-            It is clear shown in Appendix ‘B’–II, Working Rules governing LOCM siding specifies that the siding holder is responsible to ensure to SAFETY AND SECURITY of wagons in the siding. Moreover, the definition of Mine under Mines Act.1952 (35 of 1952) cl xi of sec2(j) states that Any premises in or adjacent to and belonging to the mine on which any process ancillary to getting, dressing or preparation for sale of mineral or coke is being carried on.            As per S.O. 3699 DATED 22ND NOV. 1965 under sec 83 (1) “Persons employed on surface in loading or unloading transportation are or other material by road to or from outside destinations or, in loading or unloading railway wagons and work of sampling connected therewith” are considered for mining operations except             Exemption granted under Sec.36 (Notice of Hours)

The provision about safe operation under Sec 94(1) Indian Railway Act1 1989, explicitly depicts that “where goods are required to be loaded at siding not belonging to a railway administration For carriage by railway, the railway administration is not responsible to any loss, damage, destruction, deterioration of  such goods from whatever causes arising, until the wagons containing the goods has been placed at specified points of interchange of wagons between the siding and railway administration and a railway servant authorized in behalf has been informed in writing accordingly by the Owner of siding”.             Now we think on other aspects about contractual laborers since all the related works of loading and transporting are performed contractually. It is liability of Principal Employer about fulfill the required amenities of Canteen, Rest room, Drinking water, First aid facility etc. if not provided by contractors, by recovering all expenses either by deduction or as a debt payable by the contractors under Sec 20 of Contract labor ( Reg & Abolition ) Act, 1970.

LISTING OF PROBABLE CAUSES OF ACCIDENT AT SIDING:-

As experience gained at siding, I have visualized a lot of factors tending accident proneness enlisted as below:-

a.             Collision of tippers. b.            Overturn of tippers. c.             Derailment of wagons. d.            Entry of unauthorized persons/helpers. e.             Breakage of overhead lines due to raised canopy of tippers. f.             Fall of tipper due overworking of contractual drivers. g.            Breaking of level Crossing Gate h.            Pilferage of Coal during withdrawn of rakes by children. i.              Insufficient clearance between overhead line and stock. j.              Collision of pay loaders to Wagons/ tippers due inadequate braking system of payloaders. k.            Fire in Dozer due to overheating l.              Spontaneous heating/fire in heavy coal stock. m.          Fall of persons during checking of empty wagons from the rim of wagons. n.            Accident of shale-pickers/samplers during loading or transporting operations. o.            Accidents during shunting or deshunting of rakes to railway porter or other persons.

p.           Accidents to track cleaning mazdoors during rake placement without any guard in the Break van q.           Dashing of tippers/Dozer at electric – poles. r.            Un-informed rake placement while weigh bridge calibration work is going on. s.            At random lining of tippers at railway phatak. t.            Undulating surface at siding roadways. u.           Invisibility due to dust clouds v.           Inadequate illumination at siding w.         Super elevated Carpet of siding platforms giving centrifugal-force towards track-lines. x.           Opening of B O B R boxes at tracks. y.           Inadequate vacuum pressure developed to withdraw the rakes deshunting the wagons amidst. z.           Transferring of HEMM through Railway phatak causing electrocution due inadequate clearance between high tension overhead line and ground level.

CONCLUSION:- From the above we can decide at the spot of any siding ARE SIDING SAFE ?

ORGANISATION AT SIDING NO.I & II :-

				SIDING STAFF

 

                                                                            MSEB

                                                                            JCP

                                                                             SMD

                                                                             DPL

                                                                             DMNJ

                                                                             MNDH

                                                                             KIG

                                                                             TATA GS

                                                                             ROU

 

GA   CC   JRT   VLT   IVT       T.I.      L.I.     CLERKS

GM = GENERAL MANAGER                    GA = M/s. GAJANAND AGRAWAL

PO = PROJECT OFFICER                            CC = M/s. COAL CARRIERS

SOM = SUPDT. OF MINES                         JRT = M/s. JALARAM TRANSPORT

SO = STAFF OFFICER                                 IVT = M/s. IB VALLEY TRANSPORT

DO = DESPATCH OFFICER                       VLT = M/s. VIJAY LAXMI TRANSPORT

ASM = AREA SALES MANAGER            

SO = SURVEY OFFICER                            T.I. = TECHNICAL INSPECTOR

NO = NODAL OFFICER                             L.I. = LOADING INSPECTOR

MSEB = MAHARASTRA ELECTRICITY BOARD

JCP = JOJOBERA CEMENT PLANT

SMD = SIMADRI

DPL = DURGAPUR POWER PLANT LIMITED

DMNJ = DAMANJODI ALUMINIUM PLANT

KIG = KPLAGHAT POWER PLANT

TATA GS = TATA GOODS

ROU = ROURKELA STEEL PLANT

MNDH = MANDIR HASOD