KOCHI: BPCL Kochi Refinery has achieved over 43 million accident-free man-hours in January, but in an area where no development works are currently happening. At the work site of Integrated Refinery Expansion Project (IREP) worth Rs 20,000 crore, the scenario is entirely different. IREP is the largest project ever undertaken in the state.
It started in January 2013 and achieved 95 per cent completion by March 2016 with commissioning of various units taking place at present. Unfortunately eight people have lost their lives so far at the company and six of them migrant workers. At its peak more than 16,000 workers from Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal, Punjab, Jharkhand and other states were engaged with the IREP project.
“Though the company adhers to international standards in safety practices, both, offsite and onsite, the ultimate implementing unit is the contractor. It seems that at the final level the safety measures are present only on paper. Due to the hurry to complete work, contractors do not give much importance to safety aspects. Workers from Kerala are more concerned about this. In the case of migrant workers there have been lapses. “In the past three years, eight workers have lost their lives at the refinery,” said a member of Kochi Refinery Workers Union-CITU.
He pointed out that it is stipulated that a BPCL Kochi Refinery employee should inspect the site after issuing work permit in order to find out whether safety rules are being followed. But it seldom happens since there is staff shortage at the company.
“Reliance refinery with a capacity of 27 MMTPA operates with less man power than ours. It forces the company to cut staff in order to be competitive. Earlier, an employee had to inspect only 10 permits but now he or she has to check 50 to 60 such work permits,” he points out.
The IREP project will increase the refining capacity of KR from 9.5 MMTPA to 15.5 MMTPA and improve the auto-fuel quality to Euro-IV/V levels to meet the growing demand of petroleum products in Indian market.
“Accidents at the running plant is nil. But this is not the case with the IREP project site. It has been instructed that when a job is awarded to a contractor, the supervisor and an official from refinery should be present there. But this does not happen at all time. The project site is very much congested with minimal transportation facilities. There are reasons behind such accidents,” said a member of the union which is affiliated with INTUC.
According to Prasad K Panicker, Executive Director, BPCL Kochi Refinery, the mechanical part of the project is finished. Eight key units will be commissioned in a phased manner. The official date of the mega event has to be decided by the Petroleum Ministry, he said. It is likely to happen before the end of the financial year 2016-17.