Worker Dies, Another Injured During Metro Structure Load Test

Caption:  The workers were standing on the slider beam platform and operating the hydraulic jack. The hydraulic jack was in slider beam when it fell. Harness is not feasible

CHENNAI:

A worker died and another was injured during a preliminary load test on a metro structure on Corridor-4 near the ELCOT IT Park area in Sholinganallur, after a rope holding a slider beam slipped.  The accident that took place around 3:45 am on Friday.

According to T Archunan, Chennai Metro Rail’s Director for Projects, engineers had initially tested the structure with its full design load, which the structure successfully bore without any issues. However, when they attempted to increase the load by 25%—a standard procedure to check safety margins—the equipment failed. The rope snapped, causing the sliding beam to slip, leading to the fatal accident.

Preliminary load testing is an early-stage structural test carried out on newly constructed civil components—mainly viaduct spans, bridges, and station structures—before full-scale train operations begin. At this new site, the test was being conducted to assess the structure’s safety before work could proceed. Contractors and third-party consultants were present when the incident occurred, Archunan added.

On whether workers should have been secured with safety harnesses, Archunan said they were operating a hydraulic jack positioned on the slider beam. Since the jack was mounted on the same beam that eventually fell, using harnesses was not feasible in this instance. The workers were standing on the slider beam platform at the time.

The deceased has been identified as Bikee Kumar Paswan (26), a rigger from Jharkhand, while the injured worker is Santhosh Lohara (22), a Kalasi, also from Jharkhand. As immediate relief, the deceased’s family will receive ₹5 lakh under the Workers’ Compensation Act. The contractor responsible for the project will also provide additional compensation, Archunan added.