The Hindu : Front Page : Dismantling scaffoldings: onus on safety

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Sunday, Apr 13, 2008
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Dismantling scaffoldings: onus on safety

Kannal Achuthan

— Photo: K. Pichumani

SCORCHED: The burnt portion of a bus shelter on Anna Salai.

Chennai: The Chennai Corporation has decided to improve safety measures while dismantling the scaffolding of hoardings. The measures will include stationing of water tankers to handle fire and provision of a doctor to attend to emergencies.

The decision comes in the wake of a fire that damaged a portion of a bus shelter at Thousand Lights on Anna Salai on Saturday. The incident happened when the scaffolding of a hoarding being dismantled nearby crashed on the shelter and sparks from the gas cutting operations scorched it.

The incident, at 9 a.m., created panic among those waiting near the bus stop. However, nobody sustained injuries and Fire and Rescue Department workers put out the fire immediately.

In another incident, a portion of the compound wall of Queen Mary’s College was damaged when the metal scaffolding that was being removed came down on it.

A Corporation official said that water tankers would be stationed to put out any accidental fires during the removal of the metal framework of hoardings at Gemini Circle.

Work on big hoardings is being taken up at night to prevent traffic disruption. Some motorists, who drive late in the night, said that the Corporation and police must improve road safety by providing better indications of ‘men at work’ with reflector signs and cordoning off the work area with tape.

The Chennai Collectorate had identified about 4,100 hoardings for removal.

Vinyl boards of 3,950 hoardings have been removed and scaffoldings of 600 of the hoardings have been brought down.

Scaffoldings on footpaths were the first target. Metal frames inside government and private premises will go next. Billboards atop buildings are to be tackled last. The drive is expected to last another two weeks.

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