MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has directed all city corporations within its jurisdiction to ensure use of protective equipment by cleanliness workers.
A Bench comprising Justices PN Prakash and B Pugalendhi observed that many cleanliness workers may avoid wearing the equipment due to lack of awareness. The judges directed cleanliness supervisors to monitor whether cleanliness workers are wearing safety equipment during work. If supervisors see workers without safety gear, they should photograph them and send the same to zonal officers for action, the judges added. Those deployed to markets or other sludgy areas must wear boots, they said, and directed city corporations -- Madurai, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Tiruchy, Dindigul, Nagercoil and Thanjavur -- to ensure compliance.
Hearing from the one of the litigants' counsel that the Madurai Corporation was swiftly taking action on complaints received at 8428425000, the Bench recommended that not just officials, residents also can report such incidents to the corporation. It also sought the presence of City Engineer of Madurai Corporation at the next hearing on June 8 to discuss about safety of cleanliness workers under Engineering Wing.
The directions were given based on the suggestions of City Health Officer (in-charge) one Dr Vinoth Raja of Madurai Corporation who came to assist the court on a batch of PILs seeking distribution of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to non-medical frontline workers.
Displaying samples of protective gear distributed to the cleanliness workers before the judges, Raja informed that all 5,300 cleanliness workers belonging to the civic body, including contractual labourers, have been provided with masks, gloves and boots. He claimed that in addition to the above safety gear, full suit and face shield, which are part of PPE kits, have been given to cleanliness workers deployed to containment areas. So far, the equipment have been disbursed thrice, one set per month for each worker, he added.