Toma Construction takes no safety measures after death in flyover girder fall

The management of Toma Construction and Company Limited, assigned for building Malibagh-Mouchak-Moghbazar flyover, seem to be indifferent even after the death of one person in the fall of a girder.

Iron rods, girders and other construction materials were seen scattered on the street on Tuesday, a day after the accident.

No warning sign or barrier was put in the places where the girders were being set up.

Commuters are travelling through the construction site despite the risk of accidents.

The workers were seen operating without any safety gear, though it is a must in line with the building code.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Building (Construction, Development, Protection and Removal) Rules of 2008 stipulate necessary safety measures in and around the site of constructions.

It asks to set up temporary barriers and alternative roads to ensure the safety of the people.

A passerby was killed, and two employees of Toma Construction were injured when a beam fell from a crane while being lifted at Malibagh Railgate area around 2am on Monday.

Noakhali district Awami League Vice-President Ataur Rahman Bhuiya is also the chairman of Toma Group.

The residents of the area said accidents were often occurring at the construction site of the flyover.

One of them pointed to a piece of metal on the street and said it fell on Saturday.

"Fortunately, there was no one at the place. But it damaged a motorcycle," he said. 

A schoolboy and a university student stated that they feel fear to cross the street in the area after Monday's accident. "But I have no other way to go to school," the boy said.

The workers welding metal pieces on the wall of the flyover's ramp at Malibagh Chowdhuryparha were seen wearing no helmets. They were neither using any safety belt.

The workers at Mouchak point were also working in similar condition.

One of them said, "We usually use those. But I haven't after taking lunch."

But no worker was seen using the safety gear in the entire site.

The flyover project manager Md Saiful Islam says the company is 'alert' about the safety of the site.

"We have people to look after the safety on the site. They always monitor the measures. But incidents like this happens sometimes," he told bdnews24.com.

He alleged the workers were 'indifferent' in using the safety gear.

"We have given them helmets, safety shoes and belts. But they are not used to those. They do not want to wear those. They say the helmets feel heavy and hot," he said.

Saiful also claimed the safety measures were strengthened after Monday's accident. "We have already taken steps. They will be visible in two or three days," he said.

People commuting in the site as no safety barrier or sign is put in place.

Toma Construction Managing Director Ataur Rahman Bhuiya Manik could not be reached for comments on the absence of safety measures at the site. His mobile phone was found to be switched off.

Ataur on Monday told bdnews24.com that the firm took all sorts of safety measures to prevent accidents.

Noakhali district Awami League Vice-President Ataur is also the chairman of Toma Group.

Toma Construction started to build the flyover in February 2013. The estimated cost of the project under the Local Government and Engineering Department was over Tk 7.72 billion. The work was supposed to end within February 2015.

After getting three extensions due to the failure of the contractor and the supervising agency, the project is supposed to end within June now.

The estimated cost has also risen by around 58 percent to Tk 12.19 billion due to parallel work for the extensions.  

The construction of the flyover is causing huge gridlocks and sufferings of the commuters at one of the significant areas of the capital.