To prevent the deaths of workers cleaning septic tanks and manholes, the Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) has issued detailed safety guidelines that combine the various regulations of the different departments into a single set of rules to be followed when embarking on such work .
Under guidelines issued by HSVP on November 30, the Department of Public Health and Technology will be the nodal authority with the power to appoint agencies to provide cleaning services — by both mechanical and manual means — for both private and government work authorize.
The department will also conduct a survey to identify the sanitation workers involved in this work. The guidelines describe the training requirements and steps to be taken to ensure worker safety.
Such rules and guidelines were needed as several workers lost their lives after inhaling the toxic fumes while cleaning drains and septic tanks in Gururgam and other parts of the state. Haryana has witnessed 36 such deaths over the past five years, according to details shared by Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Virendra Kumar in Lok Sabha on July 19.
Local union leaders said most of the deaths related to septic tank cleaning have occurred in Gurugram, Faridabad and other NCR districts of Haryana.
A senior government official said the purpose of these guidelines is to ensure proper precautions are taken while undertaking such risky septic tank and sewer cleaning work. “We have mandated that workers must be properly trained and given the right equipment to do the job. They also need to be registered and insured by the agency/contractor employing them,” he said.
The guidelines, a copy of which is available at HT, also state that violations of the rules have been observed in the performance of cleaning work and have claimed lives.
The Department of Public Health and Technology will also conduct a survey of sanitation workers and make efforts to rehabilitate them. It will also maintain a list of registered agencies and contractors authorized to carry out such cleaning work and make the list publicly available.
The department also organizes training for workers and supervisors who handle the cleaning equipment and equipment. It will also ensure supervisors are trained in first aid and cardiopulmonary procedures.
For contractors, the policy directs that they must provide workers with adequate training and equipment. You are also responsible for paying the insurance premium for those employed in that work.
Overall, the safety guidelines provide detailed guidance on cleaning septic tanks and sewers, emergency preparedness, management of noxious gases, deployment of manpower, and also specify the responsibilities of the various actors involved in the work.
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