Efforts to address an important Safety concern did yeild results
It is a matter of great relief and satisfaction that the efforts made by #Railwhispers has brought a drastic reform towards the safety of travelling passengers
#Railwhispers had launched a sustained and continuous campaign against the use of untested #PU_Foam as cushioning material for Seats and Berths of Railway Coaches.
Also Read: “Indian Railway making moving Lakshagrih-God forbid, a horrible fire incident should turn into reality!“
This campaign was essentially based on the fact that such a material was being used by the Indian Railways without conducting any test of fire and smoke properties (FST), and thereby, putting the life of millions of travelling passengers to risk.
Also Read: “Indian Railway making moving Lakshagrih – Part-II“
It is a matter of great relief and satisfaction that the efforts made by #Railwhispers has brought a drastic reform towards the safety of travelling passengers.
As a result of such a campaign, #Railway_Board had constituted a high level committee to probe the matter and suggest the safeguards.
It is a matter of great relief that finally, based on committee’s report, Railway Board had issued the directive to all Zonal Railways (#ZRs) and Production Units (#PUs) in respect of following-
1. All fire test properties (#FST) have now been made the “ACCEPTANCE TESTS” meaning thereby that all materials being supplied shall be tested for its fire properties. Earlier, these tests were categorized as ‘type test’, and therefore, regular supplies were not being tested for fire properties. Actually earlier, samples of their choice were being sent to outside laboratories for each lot of 500 coaches, and till such time regular supplies were being made on the basis of self certification i.e. on the basis of work test certificate (#WTC) submitted by the firm. Type tests were literally an eye wash and was absolutely having no connection with the quality of material actually being supplied. In result, all supplies made by the firms were being injecting into the Railway system without conducting any test relating to fire properties. Needless to mention, quality was the first causality.
2. Secondly, earlier no laboratories were empaneled in the country for conducting the test related to fire properties, and therefore, all materials were being supplied without conducting any test. Needless to mention, in such a situation, quality of the material were being greatly compromised and thus posing safety hazards to the travelling passengers. Type tests were being carried out once after each 500 coaches in the labs situated outside of the country. Now, Indian Laboratories have been empaneled and FST tests are being conducted in the lab for every supply as those, instead of type tests, have now been categorized as acceptance test.
3. Apart from the above, the monopoly of the PU Foam lobby has now come to an end and alternate cushioning material i.e. Silicon Foam has also been introduced for its use and thus bring the monopoly regime to an end.