AIIMS Jammu Attains a Milestone- Thirty-Seven Million Safe Manhours Achieved

The 53^rd National Safety Week was celebrated from 4^th March 2024 to 10^th March 2024 at AIIMS Jammu. Ahluwalia Contracts India Limited (ACIL), the construction company for AIIMS Jammu, organized various activities aimed at reinforcing the importance of safety practices and fostering a culture of safety awareness amongst the workers. Very recently ACIL achieved a recording of 37 million working safe hours. ACIL, its Vice President, Mr. Charanjeet Singh Walia and their team have prioritized the safety of workers as an important variable in the construction activities at AIIMS Jammu and achieved the milestone

Throughout the celebration of the safety week, various initiatives were organized, including safety demonstrations, workshops, and interactive sessions aimed at empowering employees and stakeholders with the knowledge and skills needed to ensure on-site safety.

As part of the commemoration, Ahluwalia Contracts India Limited (ACIL), had the distinct honor of hosting Prof (Dr) Shakti Kumar Gupta, Executive Director and CEO of AIIMS Jammu as Chief Guest for the closing ceremony. The ED & CEO of AIIMS Jammu emphasized the critical role of the safety of workers in the workplace. He commended Ahluwalia Contracts India Limited (ACIL), for its unwavering commitment to safety standards and highlighted the importance of collective responsibility in ensuring the well-being of all individuals on-site Prof (Dr) Shakti Kumar Gupta also appreciated the efforts of all the workers and acknowledged the sincerity and contributions of Ahluwalia Contracts India Limited (ACIL) towards maintaining a safe work environment and providing the workers a safe workplace at AIIMS Jammu site. He congratulated ACIL, VP, Mr. Charanjeet Singh Walia and their team for achieving the significant milestone of achieving 37 million safe working hours.

Mr. Charanjeet Singh Walia (VP AHLUWALIA CONTRACTS (INDIA) LIMITED) conveyed the gratitude of the ACIL to the construction workers for their commitment to safety and their contribution in reaching the milestone. He exhorted them to continue practicing safety protocols. He said that the presence of Prof (Dr) Shakti Kumar Gupta reaffirms our shared commitment to prioritizing safety and underscores the significance of collaborative efforts in achieving safety excellence. He extended his gratitude to Prof (Dr) Shakti Kumar Gupta, his team, and all the participants for their invaluable contributions to the success of the event.

It has to be ensured that construction workers, who are the backbone of building Institutions, are themselves prevented from sustaining workplace accidents, occupational illness, and injuries. AHLUWALIA CONTRACTS (INDIA) LIMITED has provided the workers at AIIMS Jammu Site with safe working conditions and also a free-of-cost hygiene living place along with creche facilities.

A medical examination by an onsite specialist doctor is conducted for all the construction workers when they join the project of AIIMS, Vijaypur, Jammu. Pre-existing conditions, such as hypertension, diabetes, and vertigo, are also ascertained and evaluated. Medical examinations for the workers are repeated every three months. This was done even during the COVID-19 epidemic. Vaccination and COVID-19 testing of the workers at the site were organized by the Director of AIIMS, Jammu Prof (Dr) Shakti Kumar Gupta

The activities which have been undertaken at AIIMS Jammu related to the health and Safety of workers by AHLUWALIA CONTRACTS (INDIA) LIMITED are as follows:

• Safety Induction Training: On joining the AIIMS Project for construction-related activities, each worker is given induction training. So far, 56,157 workers have undergone such training.

• Job Specific Training: The workers are also given training related to specific traders such as electricity safety, working at heights, etc.

• Skill Development Training: This is in consonance with the objectives of the Skill India Campaign and includes training for workers such as Bar Bender, Carpenter, Scaffolder, Plumbers, etc.

• Safety tools box talk: This is a daily briefing given to workers regarding safety processes in their day-to-day functioning. These include Safe Scaffolding Erection, Safe Material Handling and Safe use of Portable power tools.

• Mock Drills: Regular and frequent mock drills are done for the roles and responsibilities of individuals in an emergency situation such as soil collapse, or fire/ electrocution.

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