Date:15/10/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/10/15/stories/2007101565400200.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Programme on safety in constructions

Staff Reporter

CHENNAI: A three-day training programme on safety in constructions, held specifically for building workers, was conducted by the Building Technology Centre of Anna University and the College of Engineering, Guindy. The course ended on Friday, and certificates were handed over to all the participants during the valedictory ceremony.

Thirty participants, including building site supervisors, masons and contractors, took the course, which was conceptualised to address the increase in the number of construction site accidents and deaths.

The special course, conducted in Tamil, it saw a number of eminent lecturers from various institutions, including IIT-Madras, addressing participants.

M. Sekar, executive director of the Building Technology Centre and Dean, College of Engineering, Guindy; said the response from participants was heartening.

“The major objective of the training programme was to create awareness on the hazards that exist on a construction site and attempt to reduce the risk of accidents due to negligence, by adopting proper safety precautions”

Dr. Sekar added that it was important that everyone at a construction site adopt a safety checklist and strictly adhere to it.

High-risk field

Chief guest and lecturer of the training programme, A.R. Santhakumar, who is emeritus professor, IIT-Madras, said, that the construction industry was inherently full of risk, and that the chances of accidents happening were much greater than in any other industry.