Insulate electrical workers 

In the last 5 years (since 2014-15), officially there were 23 accidents - 6 fatal, among the electrical workers in Nagaland according to a recent report published by The Morung Express.  

 


Given the nature of the job, the ‘accidents’ seem negligible if one goes by the official data. However, the figure regarding the current year is most alarming. In six months or so, there have been six incidents, 3 fatal and 3 non-fatal, surpassing last year figure. Indeed, periodic incidents – fatal or otherwise, are the usual report card for the electricity field workers across Nagaland, particularly those designated as ‘Work Charged’ (WC) employees.

 


It is not the lone occupational hazards. Magnifying the burden is the despair of irregular but meager salary, grossly incommensurate with the ‘works’ some employees put in, especially in Dimapur and Kohima. The ‘highly-charged’ line of work also implies that they regularly have to bear the brunt of public’s ire in the frontline, as load shedding or weather phenomenon, factors beyond their control, are constant ocurrences. Often, they are confronted, ironically, with rhetorical poser: “Don’t the government give you salary!?”

 


The combination of all those factors make their occupation one of the most ‘hazardous’ - literally and figuratively. However, many hang on to their meager salary, uncertain work environment as well as occasional public’s ire with the hope that their services get regularized one fine day, depending on vacancies and seniority, and they get benefit as a regular government employees. 

 


Official in power department maintained that that basic safety gear such as gloves, helmet and belt are provided while a Group Insurance Scheme (GIS) is available for the WC staff. There is a Risk allowance for WC staff and the regular staff are Rs 300 and Rs 800 per month respectively, though risks are same for both.  Most employees seem to be unaware of such insurance and safety guidelines for field workers mostly pertain to isolating/earthing/shorting of the lines. The WC employees are trained at Lineman Training Centre for few months.

 


Provision of ex-gratia for work related fatalities are absent for the WC employees and often it is the charity of the concerned official or staff that tide over the immediate needs, in the event of any unfortunate incidents. 

 


True, sometimes, a few rotten apples spoil the entire cart and the workers in power sector is not insulated from such phenomenon. However, as an immediate utility service provider, there seems to be a general concurrence that WC employees here, unlike in other departments, are more ‘productively’ employed than others, in a more hazardous enviroment.  

 


Given the nature of the work involved, it is high time for the government, morally obligated to protect workers exposed to occupational hazards, to come out with clear policy on the issue.

 


The National Training Policy for the Power Sector among other mandate all organisations to adopt a formal written training policy to ensure training for all personnel for a minimum period of one week annually, to be increased gradually. The Electricity Act, 2003 as well as the draft amendment (2018) on provision relating to safety and electricity supply mandated specifying suitable measures for “protecting the public (including the persons engaged in the generation, transmission or distribution or supply or trading) from dangers arising from the generation, transmission or distribution or supply or trading of electricity, or use of electricity supplied or installation, maintenance or use of any electric line or electrical plant.” It should be followed.

 


The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), US also is very "well structured around electrical safety,” can be consulted with. It covers four major topic related to safe work- “(1) Safety work practice (2) Develops safety regarding standards (3) Maintenance related requirement for safety (4) Safety requirement for special equipment and working conditions.”

 


The first step is to develop a safe work environment is to have procedures in place which provide guidelines for employees to perform various tasks safely, a handbook on safety noted. Provision for insurance and ex-gratia of the workers should be inherent in such measures, irrespective of the nature of occupation. It should address qualifications, tools, protective equipment, approval levels and attendance required for various tasks, as well as other additional cautionary information. 

 


The Nagaland Government need to insulate the workers in the power department.