WAZIRABAD - Gepco held a ‘Line Staff Safety Seminar’ that was largely attended by subdivisional officers and line staff from six subdivisions at Wazirabad XEN Office on Wednesday.
Wazirabad Executive Engineer (XEN) Imtiaz Ali said that there is no alternate to life. Picking coffins of employees is very troublesome thus the department has taken various measures for the safety of line staff, he said.
Line staff is asset of the department so they should observe the directions issued by the Department time and again. It has also provided safety kits that are essential to be used, he added. He urged the line staff to first seek work permit, get the line earthed and use safety belt prior to start working on lines. He said tools being used be safe and of required standard. He added that if safety measures are observed properly, there would be no chance of any mishap.
Pakistan Wapda Hydroelectric Central Labour Union Divisional Chairman Arshad Kang stated that the system had expanded to 50 percent but the staff had decreased gradually which has put extra burden on the line staff due to retirement of the staff.
He added that 35 percent staff had retired and the number connections had doubled which is not a good sign. He demanded recruitment of new line staff. If retirement of the staff remains continue and new recruitments remain suspended, after some time, no competent and trained line staff will be available and Department will face difficulties.