ABSTRACT
Safety, central to the construction of any mega project, is nothing but awareness of executing projects without any mishap or loss of life. The construction of underground tunnels, shafts, chambers, and passageways is indispensable yet fraught with dangers. Reduced light conditions, difficult or limited access and egress, or possibility of being exposed to air contaminants and the hazards of fire and explosion are the threats an underground construction worker may face. To ensure the safety and health of underground workers, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been made operational at the prestigious Tehri pump storage project. Safety operations are not delimited only to the permanent structures and persons working on it, they extend to the infrastructure and its users as well. The technology incorporated for safety in construction during the course of the project has been brought to focus in the present paper. Examples illustrating the efficacy of safety measures in averting accidents have been cited. Some photographs to illustrate the methodology have also been appended. The paper seeks to establish that while it is difficult to maintain safety at construction site, it is even more challenging to maintain safety in the entire gamut of infrastructural framework which supports the construction of the main work. It is felt that more attention needs to be paid to frame the safety guidelines for infrastructural works per se and ensure zero accident at project sites.
