ROURKELA: A day after four workers of Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) died due to toxic gas leak, the Directorate of Factories and Boilers (DFB) and police began separate probes on Thursday. SA IL’s corporate office also ordered an inquiry in addition to the three-member team of RSP chief general managers (CGMs) which is already probing the incident.
SA IL sources informed that the four-member committee led by executive director of Bokaro Steel Plant Atanu Bhowmik is likely to start probe from Friday. Three CGMranked officers of environment management, coke ovens and coal chemical departments will also be part of the team. On the day, officials of the DFB and Tangarpali police station launched inquiries to know the cause of the tragic mishap. Tangarpali IIC Rabindra Patra said a case of negligent conduct has been registered and police are waiting for the technical report of DFB for further action.
Sources said, negligence in safety adherence led to the mishap on Wednesday. All the four workers were carrying gas masks but apparently none was wearing it. There was no safety officer on the site to monitor the work. Sundargarh Collector Nikhil Pawan Kalyan said the administration is waiting for the final probe report of DBF to plug safety loopholes.
Implementation of safety norms by contract firms inside RSP remains a grey area and the administration would soon issue a standard operating procedure (SOP) and ensure that it is strictly adhered to, he added. Meanwhile, major trade unions have upped the ante against SAIL over the incident. BMS-affiliated Rourkela Ispat Karkhana Karmachari Sangh president HS Bal said RS P and SAIL refuse to take lessons from frequent mishaps and called for strict adherence to safety guidelines.
Stop-gap measures and safety awareness with banners and posters will be of little help to reduce industrial mishaps, he added. On the day, Rourkela MLA and Sundargarh district planning committe chairman Sharada Nayak met the Collector seeking arrest of RSP officials responsible for the gas leak mishap.