POWERGRID recognizes its statutory and moral responsibilities for ensuring safe Design, Construction, Operation and Maintenance of its Transmission Lines & Sub-stations, and provision of safe methods of work and healthy working condition, for ensuring safety of its personnel and those of its contractors as well as the general public.
POWERGRID has developed and implemented systems and procedures aligned with ISO 45001:2018 for Occupational Health and Safety Management System which are audited & certified to the above standard.
Transmission Lines & Sub-stations of POWERGRID are constructed, operated and maintained in accordance with the requirements of Indian Electricity Act, 2003, and the Regulations thereunder, as well as Indian & International standards.
Compliance of the above are verified during the Inspections by Central Electricity Authority (CEA), who are the Statutory Authority for inspecting and clearing the EHV Power Transmission installations, before commissioning as well as during periodical Inspections after commissioning.
The requisite guidelines regarding limiting exposure to Electric & Magnetic Fields (EMF), as specified by International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) are followed by POWERGRID.
Minimum electrical clearance, as required by the Indian Electricity Rules & Regulations, are maintained with respect to the ground, roads, railway lines and other habitats, in the Transmission Lines of POWERGRID, to ensure safety of human beings & livestock moving, living or working in the vicinity.
In addition, anti-climbing devices & danger boards are installed at all towers, to warn and dissuade the general public from climbing the EHV transmission towers.
Appropriate earthing / grounding has been provided in all EHV Transmission Lines and Towers and fast acting Protection Relays have been installed in the terminal sub-stations to protect the men & equipments / installations. The Protection Relays ensure that the charged Line / Circuit automatically trips in case of any earth fault anywhere in the Transmission Lines.
3-Tier Safety committees at Corporate, Regional and site level are constituted to implement safety aspects.
POWERGRID Apex Safety Board, with CMD as Chairman and the functional Directors as members at Corporate Centre periodically review the safety performance of the Corporation / Construction Agencies, and advise appropriate additional measures, as required, for effective safety & accident prevention.
A Safety Cell is established at Corporate Centre to coordinate all safety promotion & accident prevention related activities of Transmission Lines and Sub-stations under construction as well as under O&M and to provide technical support to sites for ensuring proper implementation of the Safety Policy & Procedures of the Company and applicable safety requirements during various activities.
Safety Guidelines / Check Lists for O&M as well as Construction activities are reviewed periodically and amended / updated, as required.
Appropriate provisions are incorporated in the Contractual documents to bind the Construction Agencies to ensure the safety requirements at their work sites and to meet the various statutory requirements and payment of compensation to legal heirs of the victims arising out of accidents.
To make the Bidders / Construction Agencies to be conscious of implementing the safety requirements seriously during construction of the Transmission Projects being executed by them, by providing safe methods of work and safe working conditions, a “Safety Pact” is required to be submitted by all the Bidders, without which their bids are considered as invalid and rejected.
To monitor compliance of the various safety requirements and accident prevention measures, Site Surveillance Inspections/ safety audits are carried out in the construction and O&M sites to identify the hazardous conditions / activities and the concerned sites are notified for rectification of the same.
A detailed procedure for reporting of accident, Investigation of an accident so as to examine each accident in depth & details to find out the cause, assessment of the extent of damages suffered and loss caused, fixation of responsibility on the circumstances/ individuals and prevention of recurrences in similar or related circumstances are facilitated.
Safety training / awareness programmes are held periodically covering all areas of O&M / Construction / Safety / First Aid / Fire Fighting / use of Personal Protective Equipments, etc., wherein the Engineers, Supervisors & Technicians are imparted refresher training.
Pep talk / safety briefings are conducted at the construction and O&M sites to emphasize the precautionary measures and the need for safe working by the gangs.
