Kerala: It's no safe life for linemen

Thiruvananthapuram: The KSEB has suspended an overseer who allegedly de-energised a wrong electric lane which led to the electrocution of a junior lineman here on Monday. Trade unions say around 150 linemen and workers on contract at the KSEB had died of accidental electric shock in a decade. The authorities suspend overseers and assistant engineers after such mishaps for negligence and intensify awareness drive on safety.

Linemen mostly leave for work in the morning after taking a pledge for safety at section offices. They are expected to wear safety harness as well as helmets provided to them. However, experienced linemen ignore them. “Like in road mishaps, carelessness is the primary reason for these deaths," KSEB managing director (Safety and Generation-Electrical) N. Venugopal said. "The linemen and sometimes their colleagues do not take safety precaution. Rules insist that a line should be compulsorily de-energised and earthed before carrying out maintenance works. On Monday, an overseer de-energised wrong line (and was suspended).”

The family of a lineman can get up to Rs 8 lakh compensation, and a dependent can get the job. However, around 5,000 linemen who are working on contract are not entitled to compensation in case of death or disfigurement. “The best families of contract workers can get is around Rs 1 lakh under labour laws. We have constantly been asking the government to reach out to such victims,” said a member of Electricity Board Contract Worker’s Association. Apart from contract workers, independent electricians hired by local bodies also die of massive electric shock from live wires.