Negligence, lack of supervision behind construction site accidents

Negligence by contractors and a lack of supervision by the government agencies are the main causes of accidents in different sites of under construction flyovers, bridges, or expressways in the country, experts and engineers have said.

The latest accident happened on Sunday when a girder in the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) construction site collapsed on Dhaka’s Airport Road, injuring six including two Chinese workers.

The BRT is being constructed by China Gezhouba Group Company Limited under the supervision of the Bangladesh Roads and Highways Department.

As per the contract, contractor China Gezhouba Group Co Ltd must take all necessary safety measures to avoid any possible accident, while the government agency concerned must oversee that the measures were taken.

Engineers who were working at the site of the BRT project said not enough safety measures are in place. They have also sent letters to the authorities concerned, requesting that large girders and spans be installed at night to minimize the risk of casualties in case of a collapse.

However, Dhaka Bus Rapid Transit Company Limited Managing Director Shafiqul Islam said: “Since the project is behind the deadline, construction is happening 24/7. But there was no lack of safety measures.”

“In Bangladesh, there is a tendency to avoid taking all measures to save money. The Chinese company may have also tried to save some money by not following contractual conditions,” said a high-ranking engineer of the Roads and Highways Department.

“The Chinese contractor fixed many other girders, and they did not fall, which suggests that they were negligent with the particular girder. There may have been a problem with the support base of the girder,” he added. 

Representatives of the Chinese contractor could not be reached for comment.

Proper execution of safety measures should reduce the number of casualties from girder collapses to zero, experts said.

Some major incidents

“There are two major causes behind girder collapses. The first is using low-grade construction materials in violation of rules, leading to the girder or support being unable to bear the load. The second is negligence during the installation of the girder,” said Prof Md Hadiuzzaman, director at the Accident Research Institute of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet).

“The project authority should test the quality of the manufactured girder and supporting structure that broke during installation,” he told Dhaka Tribune. 

Dr Syed Ishtiaq Ahmed, professor at the civil engineering department of Buet, said: “Negligence of the implementing agencies is another major cause of accidents at construction sites. The number of accidents can be reduced if the contractors are forced to strengthen safety measures.”    

Every mega project has a health and security manual to ensure safety of the workers and passersby. The manuals are written into the contracts and the building code. 

ASM Illias Hossain, project director of BRT, said the workers had been installing a girder between two pillars of the project’s Dhaka Airport segment since the morning. The launching girder fell, causing the structure to collapse and injuring the workers.

“The launching girder is operated through a supporting structure. The support broke, so the launching girder fell down,” he told Dhaka Tribune.  

The same day, a pier cap of the BRT project collapsed in the Abdullahpur area.

Bangladesh Bridge Division Chief Engineer Quazi Muhammad Ferdous said: “It was an under-construction pier cap and was hit by a truck before being strengthened.”