LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has taken notice of mishaps during sewerage cleaning and approved comprehensive Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), ARY News reported.
With the approval of the Punjab CM, protective safety measures for sanitary workers have been made mandatory.
A committee headed by Additional Chief Secretary Iftikhar Ali Sahoo formulated these comprehensive protective SOPs to prevent accidents during sewerage cleaning operations.
Under the new SOPs, opening manholes and approaching them without checking for toxic gases has been strictly banned, and entering manholes without inspecting poison gas levels is prohibited.
The Additional Chief Secretary informed that sanitary workers will not be allowed to work without wearing proper protective clothing and equipment.
Furthermore, setting up protective barricades, warning boards, and placing traffic signs will be mandatory, he said.
He added that jetting and suction machines will only be operated by trained personnel under the new guidelines.
The Additional Chief Secretary further stated that entering a manhole will now require advance permission, and a formal “permit-to-work” system has been made compulsory.