ISLAMABAD: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has imposed a Rs. 10 million penalty on the National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) over negligence leading to two fatal workplace incidents.
The first incident occurred on October 24, 2022, when electrician Zain ul Abedeen died while performing routine work at the 500-kV Dadu Grid Station. The second fatality happened on March 15, 2023, during rehabilitation work on Guddu-Shikarpur Circuit-I, resulting in the death of Khair Bux, LM-II.
Nepra found serious lapses in supervision, safety protocols, and reporting procedures in both cases.
Despite multiple directives, NTDC delayed submitting Preliminary Inquiry Reports for eight months, violating reporting requirements. Nepra’s investigation identified lack of proper safety gear (PPEs), inadequate supervision, and failure to adhere to established safety protocols as key causes of the accidents.
Additionally, NTDC field formations, including the Line Supervisor and permit issuers, failed to enforce safety measures, leading to the tragic incidents.
Another major concern was NTDC workers engaging in contractor-assigned tasks, raising questions about management oversight and contractor influence in NTDC’s operations. The company’s failure to use a voltage detector for induction voltage during work on double circuit transmission lines also increased safety risks.
NTDC defended its actions, stating that all operational tasks followed safety procedures, but its claims were contradicted by Nepra’s findings. Nepra’s Power Safety Code 2021 requires NTDC to conduct risk assessments and job safety analysis, but the company failed to demonstrate compliance.
While Nepra acknowledged NTDC’s explanation regarding the hiring of a crane, it found multiple violations of the Nepra Act, Grid Code, and Safety Code, highlighting inadequate training and supervision.
