Foot plating-some comments by officers

FOOT PLATING, IS IT HEALTH HAZARD?

For last 3 to 4 months or so officers of almost all departments (including departments not connected with Loco Running such as Accounts, Medical, Personal etc. ) are being deputed for foot plating duties which involves them to accompany Loco Pilot and Asst. Loco Pilot in running Loco Engine of super fast trains which runs non-stop for 4 to 6 hours.

Following observation are made in connection with foot-plating duties of Gazetted officers-
A
1) There is very little space to accommodate 3rd person in Engine in addition to Loco Pilot and Asst. Loco Pilot.
2) Only two seats are available for sitting and 3rd person has to stand.
3) Seats are uncomfortable and not ergonomically designed and prone to cause back-ache, neck pain and both lumber and cervical spondylites.
4) Foot rest is not available to support feet resulting in impaired venous return and proneness for leg pain, varicous-vains, fainting etc.
5) Noisy environment likely to cause hearing impairment.
6) Excess of vibration and jerks likely to cause motion sickness and in susceptible individual.
7) Working under strong electro magnetic field produced by High voltage of 25000 volts without provision of any electromagnetic shield.
8) No toilets with continuous run for 4 to 6 hours increase of urinary stone, uncomfortable for people suffering from Hypertrophy of Prostrate, on diuretics etc.
B
1. Officers are deputed for foot plating duties to study and make learned observations regarding technical aspects of running loco engine. Thus the officers doing foot plating must be technically competent, trained and qualified in respect of loco-engine matters. How ever officers of departments like Medical can not be considered as technically trained, as their usual duties are not related to running of trains nor they have ever received any substantial training in this regard. Putting them on such duties is prima-facie inappropriate, and safety hazard.
2. Loco pilot and assistant loco pilot are on a distracted from their work due to the presence of foot plating officer who has little or no technical expertise in loco running matters.
3. Persons on foot plating duties are required to have much higher /better physical/medical fitness standard and have substantial better vision than medical fitness standard of gazatted officers of non technical and medical department
4. Officers suffering from Diabetes, Hypertension on diureties, heart diseases, epilepsy, en cardiac pace maker and several other conditions are totally unsuitable for discharging foot plating duties as it will be risky to their health and consequentially to the safety of running trains.
C
Letter written by Dr. RD Salodkar, Sr DMO(H) CR/NGP to CMS/CR/NGP-date 29.11.08

‘I most humbly beg to state that I am suffering from Hypertension and to control same I take T. Atcinolol,T Losartan, T .Hydrochlorithiazide besides these intermittently suffers from anal fissures which gets aggravated by foot plating and also recently on 14.11.08 I had undergone Vasectomy operation further my vision is not up to that standard which is required for those doing foot plating.
Due to the above reasons foot plating endangers my life and health substancially without serving any purpose other than harassment to me . In view of this you are requested not to send me or not to recommend my name for foot plating hence forth,”