Safety Concerns Escalate at SAIL Bokaro (BSL) After Repeated Accidents
Bokaro: Taking swift action after Sunday’s major accident at SAIL’s Bokaro Steel Plant (BSL), the management has suspended GM (Mechanical) H. Kumar on charges of negligence in maintenance. Sources said action against two more officials is likely as investigations continue.
The mishap occurred at Steel Melting Shop-2 (SMS-2) around 3 pm on Saturday, when a crane rope snapped, causing a ladle of molten metal to spill and trigger a massive fire inside the unit. Firefighters battled for hours before bringing the blaze under control.
Three contract workers — Brijesh Mahatha, Praveen, and Om Prakash of M/s Bhushan Engineering — sustained severe burn injuries. Brijesh suffered 90% burns, while Praveen and Om Prakash suffered 60% and 35% burns respectively. Doctors at Bokaro General Hospital (BGH) reported Brijesh’s condition as critical, while the other two were said to be stable.
On Monday, Alok Verma, Director-in-Charge of Rourkela Steel Plant (Additional Charge, Bokaro), visited the injured workers, inspected the accident site, and held a review meeting with senior officials. Later in the evening, the suspension order was issued.
Meanwhile, the SMS-2 unit has been sealed and production halted. Cleanup is expected to take time as solidified metal on the floor must be cut and cleared before restoration work begins.
The incident has reignited serious concerns over safety standards at BSL, especially as it comes just weeks after a fatal blast furnace mishap that claimed one worker’s life. Repeated hot metal accidents have intensified scrutiny on safety oversight, equipment condition, and accountability within SAIL’s key production hub.
