Who is responsible for the serial accidents in Matunga Workshop?

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There is a serious ‘System lapses’ in installation, operation & maintenance of EOT cranes, and efforts are being made to protect negligent contractor and officer and compromise with safety

Matunga Workshop administration’s serious negligence and appeasement to the Contractors took the life of an innocent employee and other is struggling for life in hospital – consequent affect of outsourcing/privatisation of EOT crane installation, operation & maintenance in Matunga Workshop and compromising Factory rules/code of practice for safe use of EOT crane (IS 13367) and undue protection to Contractor/negligent officers.

Union – NRMU – has written letters on 29.11.2022 and 13.01.2023, and also made an item in the CWM level PNM in this subject. Also SSE/MW has written a letter to the AWM on 07.11.2022 to ensure the safe working of the crane. But everything is ignored and nothing has been ensured.

As per reliable sources, the railway administration has ignored all the above correspondence. An important input – mentioned below – sent by the union also ignored by the PCME/Central Railway two days before the serious incident which happened at Matunga Workshop on Sunday, 15th January, 2023 where a technician-II Krishna Mohan Verma collapsed and died, and the other technician-III Madhukar seriously injured and admitted at Byculla Zonal Railway Hospital.

Advance input sent by the union

“Potential threat to the life of Workers in Matunga Workshop

6th fatal accident of EOT crane/hoist crane failure within 2 months due to privatization of installation, operation and maintenance of hoist/EOT crane/appeasement of Contractor  even after repeated complaints.

Due to callousness/appeasement of Contractors/negligent officials by the concerned officers the following dangerous accidents took place within the last two months and are likely to be recurred any time in the days to come.

1) 26 November 2022: EOT crane no. 2464 hoisting wire rope broke.

2) 03 December 2022: EOT crane no. 2439 breaking notch broken.

3) 16 December 2022: EOT crane no. 1803 hoisting hook broken.

4) 19 December 2022: EOT crane no. 2524 hoisting grabbler slipped down due to worn out thread (certified by contractor 3 days before accident).

5) 12 Jan 2023: EOT crane no. 2464 entire hoisting assembly fell down (2nd accident of this crane).

6) 13 Jan 2023: crane no. 2462 entire hoisting assembly fell down with wheel set load.

It is evident that there is a serious ‘System lapses’ in installation, operation and maintenance of EOT cranes and efforts are being made to protect negligent contractors and officers and compromise with safety.

Needs prompt and stern actions before any loss of life.”

Note: three incidents happened after giving the above important input by the union to the PCME/CR but he didn’t take any action, said sources.

Sources said, post incident the union wrote a letter on 16th January, 2023 mentioning the above input and met the looking after GM/CR who assured the union and workers of the workshop that an independent SAG level committee will enquire about the complete situation of the workshop and suggest safety measures. GM also agreed that the WM/Repair will be suspended and the other WM will be sent on forced leave, said sources.

Purposely destroyed Millwrite Shop!

Millwrite Shop is the backbone of Coach Maintenance activities in Matunga Workshop. This Shop provides vital supportive services, like – internal and external transportation, maintaining compressors and compressed air supply, maintenance and operations of traversers and OHE cranes, maintenance of M&Ps, water supply operations etc. In short, roll of Millwrite Shop is pivotal in ensuring personal and operational safety, and effective and planned Maintenance of of coaches in Matunga Workshop.

It is brought to the notice of administration by the union, workers and supervisory staff of the Millwrite Shop that the problems/grievances of Millwrite Staff & activities performed by them aren’t given due consideration by concerned authorities. Even most of the staff of Millwrite Shop transferred here and there. Accordingly, Union has raised these issues in CWM PNM giving due consideration to potential threats of life of employees/operational safety and dissatisfaction amongst the staff. After that agitation programmes and discussions were held at various levels but administration has not been taken adequate steps towards settling the issues and ensuring safe working.

Heavy pressure for outsourcing, contracting and privatisation

It is very unfortunate that administration has gone for outsourcing and privatisation of EOT crane installation, operation & maintenance in Matunga Workshop instead of filling the vacancies and increasing the sanctioned strength of various cadres. Such decisions/policies of Railway administration have been proved to be disastrous and life threatening for workers with the passage of time but administration has overlooked the eminent dangers in the offing. “There is a heavy pressure from the higher level for outsourcing/privatisation of all the activities of the workshop that’s why compromising safety of the workers and ignoring quality of work”, said workshop sources.

Within 2 months of time total 9 fatal accidents of EOT crane failures happened in Matunga Workshop due to contracting installation, operation and maintenance of EOT cranes and incomplete work/inferior quality of work by the contractor and overlooking/negligence of concerned authorities of Matunga workshop.

“Even repeated complaints malfunctioning of unsafe operation of cranes installed and maintained by the contractor, no action has been taken against the negligent contractor and forced concerned shop-incharge to certify the incomplete/inferior work and rectify defects with railway resources by railway employees”, told many employees.

It has come to the notice of #Railwhispers that the Union raised these issues by the written representations on dtd. 22.11.2022 and 13.01.2023 but the administration remains Mute Spectator. “Even the GS/NRMU personally informed the #PCME of Central Railway about the seriousness of problems and potential threats of life of employees on 13.01.2023 after 3 consecutive accidents in a day”, sources said.

Consequent upon the callousness towards operational and human safety by the concerned officer – WM/R – all these mentioned dangerous accidents took place within months.

The Union and workers made aware that efforts are being made to protect negligent contractor and irresponsible officers and compromising with safety which will lead to Loss of Life of Employees. Unfortunately, the worst feras came true! And one young employee Krishna Mohan Verma (35) lost his precious life.

These accidents/failures reveals serious “System & Administrative deficiency” in EOT crane operation & maintenance and compromising with safety of hard working employees in Matunga Workshop, and the results not in the favour/interest of work, workers and workshop, therefore administration immediate take serious and immediate stringent action against irresponsible officer.

Union & Workers demand

1. WM-R/In-charge officer of Wheels Shop & Millwrite Shop should be immediately transferred from Matunga Workshop and kept in suspension till the completion of inquiry.
2. High level, empowered independent inquiry should be conducted against WM-R to bring the truth of negligent and Nexus with contractor.
3. The contractor should be ordered to re-install and commission the concerned Wheels Shop cranes and also blacklisted/debarred from railway work.

Please wait for the next update!

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