Geetanjali Krishna: Safety nets for construction workers

The other day, when some masons had to install an overhang above a leaky air-conditioner at home, I noticed something different. Not only had they brought two ladders to access the offending first floor air-conditioner, they all had helmets on too. Instead of one person perilously hanging on a rickety ladder to etch a groove for the overhang, they'd rigged a platform on two ladders on which a helmeted chap was working quite comfortably. I told the overseer that I was impressed with their safety precautions and he told me why they were exercising so much caution.

It turned out that the overseer's team had been working on the renovations of a posh south Delhi site for the last few months. A month ago, when the air-conditioners were being installed on the site, an accident occurred. One of the workers, who was perched on a ladder to the second floor, fell to the ground. "We were all there and saw it happen," said the overseer. The owners of the site were terribly affected, and rushed the boy to a good private hospital. They said they'd take care of his medical expenses." At the hospital, it turned out that not only had the worker broken some ribs, he had also sustained some spinal damage. "The doctors had to perform a surgery, for which also the owners paid," he said. "But just a couple of days ago, the doctors said the operation had not been successful, and that the worker may never walk again."

The now-helmeted workers had gone to hospital to meet the patient just the other day. "What does one say to him," asked one. "Or to his wife who is illiterate and has two children under five?" I asked them if they knew whether or not the worker had received any compensation from his contractor. "He told us that his contractor has kindly promised him Rs 50,000, which is generous as he's not rich either," said one. The electrician working on my AC wiring piped up: "Actually, when you think of it, all construction work is terribly hazardous. Masonry and metal workers risk falls and injuries, electricians like me risk electric shocks... the list is endless. On a site where I once worked, a worker fell through an unfinished shaft and fractured his leg." The problem, they all agreed, was not just about getting treatment for injuries sustained at work. "Most of the time, our contractors foot our medical bills," said the electrician. "But obviously, they won't pay us for the time we take for recovery. And since most of us rely on our daily income, the recuperation time hits us hard."

The lack of a safety net is even more significant as most construction workers are migrants. "It's mostly landless people like us who migrate to the city. We have nothing to fall back on..." None of them had insurance covers, they said. Could they exercise any other precaution, I asked, to safeguard themselves from workplace injuries. "Bright lights at the construction site," suggested the electrician. One of the masons said: "Often, when on a tight deadline, we work long hours and fatigue often leads to accidents. Having fixed hours would help." So would proper scaffolding and ladders, said another. There were murmurs in the group that the conversation was turning seditious. "We're happy with our contractor, unionbaazi will probably cause us to lose our jobs," said one as they began to shuffle back to work.

As a parting shot, one of them said their safety was their concern, and if the contractor helped out if they sustained work-related injuries, it was because of the largeness of his heart. "As for that poor boy who'll be bedridden for the rest of his life, that was just bad luck," he said.