Early impression: Sundar factory expansion was illegal, Labour Department report says
The inspector responsible for the industrial estate has been suspended from service: Labour DO
The inspector responsible for the industrial estate has been suspended from service: Labour DO. PHOTO: AFP
LAHORE:
A Labour Department initial-finding report states that the collapse of the plastics factory in Sundar Industrial Estate appears to be a result of “rampant, hasty and illegal expansion of the building undertaken by the management”.
The report states that the construction on the roof was undertaken without intimation to the Labour Department and submission of a modified plan. “It was learnt that the condition of the building was not up to the standards. This apparently had been repeatedly brought to the management’s notice by the workers,” it added.
It notes that the building had suffered severe damage in the recent earthquake.
The report available with The Express Tribune states that “the record of last inspection of the factory is not available because the labour officer concerned is out of station and unreachable. As soon as the record becomes available, action shall be initiated by this office against the delinquents under the applicable laws”.
Speaking to The Tribune, Labour DO Syed Hasnat Javed said that the officer, who was appointed to the SIE four months ago, had been identified and suspended from service. He said the record of the inspection carried out in 2013 had been recovered from a cabinet in the office of the suspended official.
The DO rejected the suggestion that the factory had never been inspected by a Labour Department official. He said it had been inspected in 2013 but could not be inspected again in 2014, he added.
He said the department had sought a stability certificate from the factory owner at the time of registration of the factory.
Official records available with The Tribune show that the factory had been registered with the Directorate of Labour Welfare on December 12, 2011.
The DO said the department was not required under the law to seek a fresh stability certificates after each mandatory inspection of the factory. “However, if a labour inspector finds a problem in the building structure he may ask for a stability certificate. It should be duly signed by a government-approved architect,” he said. The DO added that after the factory collapse incident the department had started a campaign to check stability of buildings used for commercial purposes.
A Form K (certificate of stability) from 2013 available for the factory states that the labour officer had carried out a survey of the building and construction materials. It says the officer had been satisfied that the margin of safety was observed in accordance with the standards required by the Architects and Builders’ Association. It expresses satisfaction about the stability of the structure and its ability to carry the weight of the machinery installed there.
Under the Punjab Factories Rules of 1978, the Form K carries information about the building owner, company name, nature of work, approximate factory area, number of floors where workers are employed, details of construction material including information about iron work.
At least 46 people had died and more than 100 injured in the accident at the Sundar Industrial Estate on November 4. The rescue work had continued for six days.
An inquiry committee formed by the provincial government had fixed responsibility for the collapse of the building on the factory owner who died in the accident.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 15th, 2015.
A Labour Department initial-finding report states that the collapse of the plastics factory in Sundar Industrial Estate appears to be a result of “rampant, hasty and illegal expansion of the building undertaken by the management”.
The report states that the construction on the roof was undertaken without intimation to the Labour Department and submission of a modified plan. “It was learnt that the condition of the building was not up to the standards. This apparently had been repeatedly brought to the management’s notice by the workers,” it added.
It notes that the building had suffered severe damage in the recent earthquake.
The report available with The Express Tribune states that “the record of last inspection of the factory is not available because the labour officer concerned is out of station and unreachable. As soon as the record becomes available, action shall be initiated by this office against the delinquents under the applicable laws”.
Speaking to The Tribune, Labour DO Syed Hasnat Javed said that the officer, who was appointed to the SIE four months ago, had been identified and suspended from service. He said the record of the inspection carried out in 2013 had been recovered from a cabinet in the office of the suspended official.
The DO rejected the suggestion that the factory had never been inspected by a Labour Department official. He said it had been inspected in 2013 but could not be inspected again in 2014, he added.
He said the department had sought a stability certificate from the factory owner at the time of registration of the factory.
Official records available with The Tribune show that the factory had been registered with the Directorate of Labour Welfare on December 12, 2011.
The DO said the department was not required under the law to seek a fresh stability certificates after each mandatory inspection of the factory. “However, if a labour inspector finds a problem in the building structure he may ask for a stability certificate. It should be duly signed by a government-approved architect,” he said. The DO added that after the factory collapse incident the department had started a campaign to check stability of buildings used for commercial purposes.
A Form K (certificate of stability) from 2013 available for the factory states that the labour officer had carried out a survey of the building and construction materials. It says the officer had been satisfied that the margin of safety was observed in accordance with the standards required by the Architects and Builders’ Association. It expresses satisfaction about the stability of the structure and its ability to carry the weight of the machinery installed there.
Under the Punjab Factories Rules of 1978, the Form K carries information about the building owner, company name, nature of work, approximate factory area, number of floors where workers are employed, details of construction material including information about iron work.
At least 46 people had died and more than 100 injured in the accident at the Sundar Industrial Estate on November 4. The rescue work had continued for six days.
An inquiry committee formed by the provincial government had fixed responsibility for the collapse of the building on the factory owner who died in the accident.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 15th, 2015.