After HC order, state notifies safety rules at construction sites

A special professional license should be introduced in the BMC’s building proposals department for qualifying a Licensed Safety Officer (LSO) for every building project

MUMBAI: After the Bombay high court directed the Maharashtra government to immediately implement safety standards for under-construction high-rises across the state, the urban development department on Friday issued a notification, asking the BMC and all municipal corporations, councils and metropolitan authorities to implement the recommendations of a committee that was set up by the court in a matter going back to 2023.

All high rises (120 metres and above) must have a full-time safety team, and all crane operations should be done under the strict supervision of this team comprising the LSO, assistant safety officer and two safety technical staffers. (HT Archives)

The Lokhandwala Residency CHS in Worli had approached the high court after an accident in that year in which two persons were killed after objects fell on them from a crane on a construction site. The committee report has several recommendations such as the appointment of a safety officer at construction sites, guidelines for crane operations, facades and other installations at night, safeguarding of adjacent areas and so on.

The report mentions how Mumbai has 181 buildings above 150 metres, 47 buildings above 200 metres and 24 buildings above 250 metres. The tallest building at the time of submitting the report was Lokhandwala Minerva, which stands at 301.60 metres as per a civil aviation NOC. Another 416 buildings of heights ranging between 150-plus metres and 331 metres are under construction, and a project of 400 metres is at the proposal stage.

Sukhraj Nahar, chief of builders’ body CREDAI-MCHI said the government’s decision was appropriate. “Safety is of paramount importance,” he said. “There must be a safety officer at all crane sites.”

Committee recommendations

· A special professional license should be introduced in the BMC’s building proposals department for qualifying a Licensed Safety Officer (LSO) for every building project. The LSO must be available at the site fulltime until the crane is decommissioned and dismantled.

· The LSO must have a diploma or degree in civil, mechanical, electrical or industrial engineering with specialisation in safety.

· The LSO must be acquainted with the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) which specify responsibilities for the safe lifting and operation of equipment, including tower cranes.

· The BMC’s building proposals department must demand periodic reports of safety-related measures and violations if any; also of near-miss accidents, mishaps, accidents and the actions taken by the LSO to address these.

· All high rises (120 metres and above) must have a full-time safety team, and all crane operations should be done under the strict supervision of this team comprising the LSO, assistant safety officer and two safety technical staffers.

· The lifting area where cranes operate must be barricaded. The staff must ensure that the loading area is level and firm and the stacking area and location of lowering the material is also firm and non-yielding.

· A net, which is a minimum of six meters in width with framing, must be put up all around the perimeter of the building. The supports of the safety net must be anchored to the parent structure.

· Areas on the ground outside the construction plot must be protected by using a firm and well-designed temporary shed-like structure to arrest the fall of any object on the road or on adjacent properties over which the crane boom is likely to hover and pass during its operation.

· The crane operator must immediately bring to the notice of the crane mechanic any damage to the walls, windows, roof or floor of the cabin so that the cabin can be repaired and made weatherproof to prevent discomfort to the crane operator and damage to the equipment controls, electronic/electric equipment and instruments inside the cabin.

· During heavy winds, the crane should be in free motion and free of breaks so that the crane boom stays aligned to the direction of wind.

· Appropriate measures must be taken to ensure the prolonged life of fixtures such as cladding—at least equal to the life of the building itself. The right anti-corrosive materials must be chosen for these.

· The refuge areas which are open to sky and project outside the building line must have a protective roof. This will protect people assembled there from falling debris in case of calamities such as fire.