KOCHI: An increasing number of small-scale private firms are illegally employing inexperienced personnel, mostly migrant labourers, as boiler operators by producing fake experience certificates, but the cost-cutting actions are resulting in heightened mishap risks, like the recent explosion at an animal fat processing unit at Edayar Industrial belt in Kochi.
In the wake of the mishap on Saturday that claimed a life, the department of factories and boilers has launched a drive to check such attempts by owners to dodge the mandatory directive that a person should have at least two years of working experience to even appear for the boiler test.
“It’s a critical operation area where a minor fault could lead to a major mishap. However, many owners are now deploying inexperienced personnel, often migrant labourers to operate boilers as a cost-cutting measure. Our squad has unearthed several such cases of late during surprise checks,” said P Pramod, director of factories and boilers.
Explaining the modus operandi, the official said one method is to produce such inexperienced personnel to appear for the Second Class Boiler Attendants Competency Examination with fake experience certificates.
The department has recently invited applications for the post for which the last date to apply was on September 20.
“In the light of the incident, a direction has been given to the squad officials to make detailed enquiries with regard to the experience certificates submitted by the candidates, which include several migrant labourers as well. We suspect the owners make fake experience certificates for inexperienced personnel to deploy them as boiler operators,” the official added.
In the Edayar mishap, the initial departmental examination found that the boiler that burst was installed unauthorisedly without obtaining the mandatory licence. According to sources, the victim, Bikram Pradhan, 36, from Odisha, had joined recently and had no experience.
“It is mandatory that the candidate should work as a helper with a licensed first class or second class boiler attendant for a minimum two years before he could sit for the examination,” Pramod said.
Also, many firms don’t have licensed boiler attendants but use the licenses of retired officials to deploy inexperienced personnel for the work.
Meanwhile, an official working in a PSU, said on the condition of anonymity, that there is an acute shortage of boiler attendants after the government stopped conducting Boiler Apprenticeship programmes.