Occupational safety: 5 FESCO officials suspended

FESCO spokesman said the company would bear all expenses for the treatment of the burnt linemen.

FAISALABAD: Two FESCO line superintendents and three workers were suspended from service on Monday for allegedly putting the lives of two linemen in danger. The line superintendents got a verbal permission from SSO-II Abdul Ghaffar of 132-KV Grid Station, Tandlianwala, for repair work on Mahi Chowk feeder. Linesmen Zafar Hussain and Zafar Iqbal were at work. ASSA Abid Maqbool energised the feeder, causing an electric shock to both the linemen. FESCO Chief Executive Officer Iftikhar Ahmad ordered Chief Engineer (Technical) Sheikh Akhtar Hussain to investigate the incident. Hussain found Line Superintendents Mohammad Akram and Mohammad Arshad of Tandlianwala Subdivision and Tandlianwala Grid Station Incharge SSO-I Javed Iqbal, SSO-II Abdul Ghaffar and ASSA Abid Maqbool guilty of criminal negligence and suspended all five from service. FESCO spokesman Sheikh Tahir said the company would bear all expenses for the treatment of the burnt linemen.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 9^th, 2012.