• 2 - ‘Contract - Engineers’ - were - ‘killed’ -

due to - ‘asphyxiation’ - following - a -

‘Gas - Leak’ - at the - ‘Visakhapatnam -
Steel - Plant’ - on, ‘Monday - Morning’.

• The - ‘Deceased - Engineers’ - have been -

‘identified’ - as - Mr. Anush Bhaskar & Mr.
Rajneesh Singh. Both - belonged to - ‘M/s
SMS - Seimag - India - Llimited’, which is
the - ‘Contracting - Agency’, ‘executing’ -
the - ‘Steel - Melt - Shop [SMS] - II’ -
‘Project - Work’ - as a part of - ‘VSP -
Expansion - Plan’.
 The - ‘Mishap’ - ‘occurred’ - when,
the - ‘2 - Engineers’ - were on a -
‘Routine - Inspection - Visit’ - to a -
‘Container - Laboratory’ - at - ‘SMS -
II’, where, ‘Carbon - Monoxide -
Pressure’ - was - ‘maintained’ - for -
‘Steel - Production’. ‘Minutes’ - after
both the - ‘Engineers’ - ‘entered’ -
the - ‘Laboratory’, they were said to
have - ‘collapsed’.
• Anush & Rajneesh - were - immediately -
‘rushed’ - to the - ‘Visakhapatnam - Steel
Plant - General - Hospital’. While, one of
them - was - ‘declared’ - ‘brought - dead’ -
by the - ‘Doctors’, the other - ‘Engineer’
‘died’ - while - ‘undergoing - treatment’.

• ‘Workers’ said that - they may have

‘inhaled’ - ‘Some - Poisonous - Gas’,
probably - ‘Carbon - Monoxide’, in the -
‘Lab’. A - few - ‘Gas - Cylinders’ - were
‘stored’ - in the - ‘Lab’, it - was - learnt.
 ‘Confirming’ - the - ‘Incident’, but - not -
the - ‘Gas - Leak’, ‘RINL’ - said - the - ‘2 -
Engineers’ - were found - ‘unconscious’ -
in the - ‘Lab’, while - ‘carrying - out’ - an
‘Inspection - Job’, handled - by - ‘Siemag’
- in the - ‘Expansion - Area’.
 “The - ‘Unit’ - where, the - ‘Incident’ -
‘occurred’ - was under the - ‘Control’ - of -
‘SMS - Siemag - India’ - & - it was yet to be
- ‘handed - over’ - to the - ‘Steel - Plant’,”
the - ‘Company’ - said.
“All the - ‘Gas - Lines’ - at the -
‘Concerned - Unit’ - were in - ‘Good
Working - Condition’ & were - ‘closed’
when, the - ‘Incident’ - took place. No -
‘Openings’ - were found in the - ‘Main -
Gas - Distribution - Lines’. ‘Gas - Lines’ -
& - ‘Connected - Valves’ - were - also -
‘closed’ - & - fully - ‘intact’. ‘Detailed -
Reasons’ - for the - ‘incident’ - were being
- ‘looked - into’ - by the - ‘VSP -
Management’ - & - the - ‘Agency’,” said, a
- ‘Senior - VSP - Official’.
 However, ‘Union - Leaders’ - & also the
‘MLA’ - of - Gajuwaka, Mr. P Srinivasa
Rao, said : - it seemed to be a - ‘Case’ - of
- ‘Safety - Lapse’ - & - the - ‘Steel - Plant -
Management’ - should take - ‘Stringent -
Steps’ - to - ‘prevent’ - ‘recurrence’ - of
such - ‘Incidents’. “There was a - ‘Major -
Accident’ in the - same - ‘Steel - Melt -
Shop’ - in - ‘June - 2012’ - when, ‘19
Employees - lost - their - ‘Lives’. We were
told then that - ‘Safety’ - would be
‘strengthened’ - at the - Plant, but no -
‘Steps’ - were taken.
An - ‘Inquiry’ - would be - ‘conducted’ - & -
those - ‘responsible’ - should be -
‘punished’ - & - besides - ‘both’ - the -
‘Steel - Plant’ - & - ‘Seimag’ - should -
‘offer’ - ‘Suitable - Compensation’ - to the -
‘Next - of - Kin’,” Mr. Rao - said.
Mr. D Adinarayana & Mr. NV Rama Rao,
‘Leaders’ - of the - ‘Recognised - Union’ - at
the - ‘Plant’, said : - the - ‘Plant -
Management’ - should - ‘identify’ - ‘Safety -
Lapses’ - & - take - ‘suitable’ - ‘Preventive -
Measures’.
• February 6, 2012: There was a - ‘Spillage’
- of a - ‘Large - Quantity’ - of - ‘Hot -
Metal’, in the - ‘Steel - Melting - Shop’,
‘causing’ - a - ‘Loss’ - of - ‘Rs. - 1 - Crore’.

• May 1, 2012: 2 - ‘Contract - Laborers’ -

were - ‘burnt - alive’ - & - ‘2 - others’ -
‘sustained’ - ‘Serious - Burns’ - following -
a - ‘Blast’ - in the - ‘Newly -
Commissioned’ - ‘Blast - Furnace - III’.
• May 22, 2012: A - ‘Conveyor - Belt’ -
carrying - ‘Raw - Material’ - to the - ‘New
Blast - Furnace’ - ‘melted’ - at the - ‘Sinter
- Plant’, after it caught a ‘Fire’.
‘Production - Loss’ - was - of - ‘Rs. 1
Crore’.
• June 13, 2012: ‘Massive - Explosion’ - at
the ‘Oxygen - Plant’ - in - ‘SMS - II’ - ‘killed’
- ’19 - Persons’.
• July, 2, 2012: 6 - ‘Contract - Workers’ - fell
- ‘ill’, after - Gas - ‘leaked’ - from a -
‘Pipeline’ - in the - ‘SMS - I’.
• January 21, 2013: ‘10 - Employees’ -
were - ‘rushed’ - to - ‘Hospital’ - due to -
‘suffocation’ - after - ‘Gas’ - ‘leaked’ - at
one of the - ‘Units’ - in - ‘VSP’.
 The - ‘Death’ - of - ‘2 - Contract -
Engineers’ - may lead to a - ‘TPL - Claim’
- to be - ‘paid’, either by - the -
‘Contractor’ - or - the - ‘Principal’,
depending - upon - the - ‘Project -
Insurance - [SCE] - Policy’ - was taken -
by - ‘M/s. - SMS - Siemag - India - Ltd.’, or
- by - ‘M/s. Vizag - Steel - Plant’ - & - if -
‘yes’, whether - the - ‘TPL - Cover’ - was -
for - ‘Adequate - S.I.’.
• ‘Carbon - Monoxide (CO)’ - is a
‘Colorless, Odorless, Tasteless
Poisonous - Gas’.

• It is a - ‘Common - Industrial - Hazard’

resulting - from - ‘Incomplete - Burning’ -
of - ‘Natural - Gas’ & any - ‘Other -
Material’ - containing - ‘Carbon’ - such as
- Gasoline, Kerosene, Oil, Propane, Coal,
or Wood.
• As we know, usually - ‘Carbon -
Monoxide - Gas - Detection - System’ - is
- ‘installed’ - near - ‘Coke - Oven, SMS,
BF, Boiler - Areas’ - where, ‘CO’ - or - any
other - ‘Hazardous - Gases’ - could be -
‘released’.
• From the - ‘Scenario’ - under -
Consideration, it - ‘percolates’ - that -
either - ‘CO - Detectors’ - might not be -
‘installed’ - in - ‘SMS - Block’ - of - ‘VSP’
or - not - be in - ‘Good - Working -
Condition’.