Are you ready? The legal responsibility in time of pandemic.

ARE YOU READY?

Have you safeguarded your self and your business from the legal responsibility arising due to pandemic?

As an IOSH certified safety professional I can tell you that in most cases related to workers safety, the only thing which can protect you in case of an incident is your legal preparedness.

Goverment knows it well and the policies and guidelines which have been issued, transfer this responsibility to the employer.

1. Be careful in making any written correspondance to workers, which can be used later against you.

2. Prepare a safety plan for resuming operations.

3. Prepare checklist for compliances based on safety plan.

4. Keep a record of compliances signed by atleast two authorised persons.

5. Issue NCR if a compliance is deviated. Keep records of Action taken report and NCR closure. NCR means Non conformatory report.

Do the above seriously.

Safety First.

Precautions are necessary as well as proof of it.

Public Transport After Lockdown

There is no expertise avaiable at this moment to ascertain the safety in public transport after lockdown. What will be the operational mode of public transport after the lockdown? That's a question of importance.

Analysis of situation. A tiny unvisible virus is spreading all over the world. An organism with super multiplication power through contact. One thing is sure that this virus is going to exist for a long time as it is practically difficult to test each and every individual. Even if testing is done there is no guarantee that a negative tested person will not get the infection again. Which means we will be unsure till the time total eradication happens and it may take years.

No, I am not a pessimist but believe in solving the situation. As of now isolation is the best protection. But for a small period. The world needs to move, you need supplies, for supplies you need production, for production you need manpower and for that you need to move manpower.

So do we commute after lockdown? Not advisable. Days of work related travel are now going to see many changes and restrictions. But travel and transport for life's essentials is needed. Implementation of digital safety systems may solve this to an extent, but in a country like India it is a huge time consuming task.

So in such a scenario I see buses, vans and mini buses as mode of public transport under restricted operation. Businesses will have to ensure safety guidelines where safe people only travel. Special working zones will be needed and safe corridors planned for movement. Almost similar to movement inside a big airport after you pass the security checks.

For the virus this is a starting age and the whole world has started witnessing its growing damage. We are trying to flatten the curve, but this virus has sort of ripple effect. We will see wave after wave of this. Opening public transport of mass rapid systems is like converting these waves into tsunami of future. Therefore only restricted mode operation of small modes like buses and private cars to be allowed. Non essential sectors must be suspended for the time being or run from the safety of an isolated space. To build the nation more jobs on sanitation, disaster management to be created. Create jobs for these fields as these are needed for a long time now. Corona is a slow disaster unfolding. Fight it as paid professionals and not just as volunteers. This will keep the economy running even if metros are not running. 

I sincerely hope that a cure is found soon, but till that time we have to manage. 

As long as we are not infected we are safe. Must avoid absolutely anything which may get you infected.  It is a game of survival.

Check your resources and plan accordingly. After lockdown is over travel only when safe. Make customised systems to suit your working which may refuce commuting and exposure.

The lost purpose and reverse migration

When India is emerging as a global giant on economic front, the reverse migration which happened during the lockdown has shown another face of the coin.

Indian workforce mainly unorganized sector labourers who migrate to cities have only one purpose. A better earning and a better life. Today everybody has a bank account, adhaar, mobile and govt support. Despite that they chose to flee the cities to their remote villages. Most of them had money with them but non availability of transport made things difficult for them. Why this happened?

I clearly give below three reasons for that lost purpose of them being in the city.

1. There has been no sense of security to them in cities. Private as well as govt companies employing their services on daily wages basis failed to provide them with any security and a purpose for them to stay. Nobody, I say again nobody thought of them. A 21days lockdown announcement was received as an alarm of loss by these companies and worst they passed this fear to labourers.

2. No proper respectful living quarters exist for these labourers on daily wages. Even a labourer has self respect, they live in these hutment conditions only to earn a living. Day to day basis survival. Their hutments could not provide them with a purpose to stay when the work was not available. Had their labour camps been with facilities and security, they would have stayed. At the same time politicians played dirty in Delhi, by spreading the rumours and inciting more fear. They did so to eat away the money meant for arrangements of labourers in time of emergency. 

3. With above two reasons, life of a migrant labourer was deliberately allowed to be made harder without any consideration. Naturally in such times being human, they seeked love and comparative safety of their hometowns and villages.

India has food security now, free education and healthcare to farmost parts. However, their condition in time of emergency has lead to loss of trust and purpose of coming to city. 

What has happened is bad. Hopefully, impacts of this will lead to making stringent rules for facilities for migrant labourers.

Confusion by Design - What next?

Confusion by Design - What next?

Ar. Satyakam Garg

All of a sudden the design community is worried about  sustainable design, pandemic hot topic, after the lockdown scenario etc. 

Another Smart City type situation I will say. We all know how many smart cities we have created since 2012 when discussions started.

To be realistic, failure of cities in current situation for effective containment and secured safety of remote villages without any positive cases brings out the future of design. You will understand this if you study the real world happenings as things are going around. 

Architectural design will not be actually contributing to future as such. So what will it be?

Understand it clearly that in future we will focus upon something which I call *PERIMETER CONTROL*.

Technology already exists for implementation. It will need to be upgraded to counter spread of infections. Mostly biotech based sensors with IT enabled systems will be used. Let us see what these technologies will be:

1. At State / district level RFID based entry exit points will be made smart with additional temperature sensors.

2. Your unique ID will become a smart card. May be like a wearable band in future. 

3. In high rise buildings you will see more secured turnstiles entry with cameras and biosensors. 

4. Attendance biometrics systems will be upgraded with biosensors to detect sick people. 

5. BMS will be modified with bio sensors and infection threat alarms. 

6. HVAC systems will start using magnetic charged HEPA filters to maintain hygienic conditions by capturing and killing infection agents. 

7. Security agencies and security systems will see a massive increase in business participation. That is where training will be in high demand.

8. Level of Service (Fruin) factors will be revised across mass assembly landuses like metros etc. As a result design requirements will change.

9. Companies will need to start providing better residential facilities for workers.

10. Hospitality industry will see changes as additional screening measures wil be needed. 

The above are only certain things which I can think of now. Being a member of NFPA and FM Global, I foresee these on cards. Apart from that BICS may change standards affecting food related industries world wide. 

This is where now designers need to focus. If Indian Architects and industry professionals do not learn from this, there will be again foreign expertise coming to India.

Focus on standards. It is not like getting a liasoning person taking care of submission with BMC.

People are busy right now in fighting the virus, but trust me work is already on upgrade of global standards.

Thank You.

Rebuilding the Pyramid

*Rebuilding the Pyramid*

#Ar. Satyakam Garg#

So we are in middle of a situation never dealt with before. Businesses all around the world are shaken. Video conferences and other communications are being held to assess the situation collectively by capitalist mindsets with a fear of impending losses.

Whatever happens hopefully this phase will pass too. If social sense prevails we may be out if it sooner than expected. We all will witness this as things unfold with time.

Most of the business are already thinking of job cuts, reduced wages to staff, responsibility transfer on legal grounds etc.  Most of the middle level business and firms are under fear of *_economic slowdown_* following the pandemic.

Now what is this *Fear of economic slowdown*

Basically the business owners are worried about loss of revenue and associated profitability due to loss of business and opportunities. So what's the actual way of coming out of this fear?

For this I propose the way out which I have named *Rebuilding the Pyramid*. The proposed method is based on two main understandings. 

1. Realising the actual effect of current situation.

2. Understanding your own potential.

1. A pyramid as we know is a stable structure. Let us assume our stable business as a pyramid.  What the current situation has done to pyramid is that it has shaken the things to verge of collapsing. The situation has affected the bottom most layer of the business. Eg. labourers on sites, workers in factories. Now this type of pandemic situation is unseen till now. We are not sure what will happen next. Bur real issue at hand is to sustain the lives. Now being live is more important than profit or business at this moment. So if business do not help their each layers of pyramid structure specially the lowest layer which I call foundation, the future will not be stable. This situation is to strengthen your foundation not to weaken it. Irony is once you are on top you fail to see below. That's what has happened and now you are feeling the shaking of business pyramid and fear it's collapse. Support each and every building block of your business pyramid and chance of survival are more.

2. Realise your hidden potential. Think of the time when you started making your business pyramid. You were the first foundation stone to setup your business. At that time there was no fear of loss. Future was not certain at that time but your focus was on making your pyramid, block by block. Then why do you fear now? You have same potential. *Just do away with the fear of loss.* Try to keep your building blocks together, increasing your capability for repairs and most importantly to hold on to your lowest layer of foundation.

Businesses are run to help humanity. Exploitation of humans is no good business. This time and opportunity in disguise of Corona is to make you realise that what is more important - human survival or profitability.

Be ready to rebuild the pyramid, keep your building blocks together.

Thank You.