Keep an eye on the "cannibalistic manhole cover" to protect the safety of your feet

  Comics/Gao Yue

  □ Our reporter Zhou Xiaopeng

  An environmental sanitation worker in Shenzhen accidentally fell into a well while planting green vegetation, and was unfortunately killed; a pregnant woman in Zhejiang fell into a manhole with a loose manhole cover and killed two; a boy in Hubei accidentally fell into a manhole without a manhole cover while flying a kite. Unfortunately Drowning...Manhole covers can be seen everywhere in the streets and alleys, but the tragedies of "swallowing people at the mouth of the well" happen frequently. "Manhole covers cannibalizing people" has become a stubborn disease in social governance.

  A reporter from the “Rules of Law Daily” learned from the Hebei Provincial People’s Procuratorate that Hebei’s procuratorial organs actively participate in social governance, comprehensively use supervision methods, and promote the implementation of the Supreme Procurator’s “No. 4 Prosecutors’ Recommendations” and eliminate manhole cover safety hazards as one of the 20 measures to implement services for the people. 1. Promote the comprehensive management of the problem of manhole covers in the whole province, and earnestly safeguard the "safety under the feet" of the people.

  Supervise and eliminate safety hazards

  Who is responsible for the safety of manhole covers?

This question is actually not simple.

  In real life, manholes are ubiquitous and are responsible for multiple functions such as water supply, drainage, electricity, communication, and gas. According to their functions, management involves municipal management, property management companies, construction engineering companies, power supply companies, water supply companies, and transportation. And other departments.

Therefore, the "Nine-Dragon Water Control" problem of manhole management has led to "cannibalism on manhole covers" to a certain extent.

  It is understood that the procuratorial organs in various places in Hebei actively communicated with the management units of the manhole cover property rights, conducted 163 special surveys, 262 seminars and exchanges with relevant management units, established 121 liaison mechanisms, held 165 joint meetings, and conducted joint inspections with relevant management units 166 times, procuratorial organs carried out 78 special actions.

  Through thorough investigation and communication, the procuratorial organs in all parts of Hebei have accurately grasped the problems, causes, and rights and responsibilities in the management of local manholes, combined with local reality, formulated and issued actionable inspection recommendations, coordinated and promoted the management of manhole covers, and urged administrative agencies to damage manhole covers. Repair in time to eliminate potential safety hazards.

  Up to now, Hebei's procuratorial organs have issued 206 recommendations for inspection of manhole covers, promoted or jointly issued 29 regulatory documents related to manhole covers, urged relevant departments to rectify problematic tube wells, eliminate potential safety hazards of manhole covers, and install 710 smart manhole covers. , 3654 improved devices such as anti-falling nets and anti-displacement were installed, which effectively reduced public safety risks.

  Punishment of crimes involving manhole covers

  Dong XX stolen more than 100 sewer manhole covers and rainwater grate on the roads of motor vehicles. The public security organ transferred Dong XX to the Laishui County Procuratorate of Baoding City for investigation and prosecution on suspicion of theft.

The procuratorial organ believed that the theft of manhole covers on the roads of social motor vehicles in use was enough to cause the overturning and destruction of cars and trams. Therefore, they prosecuted the crime of damaging transportation facilities. In the end, Dong Moumou was sentenced to three years and six years in prison. Months.

  Regarding the management of manhole covers, in March 2020, the Supreme Law, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, and the Ministry of Public Security jointly issued the "Guiding Opinions on Handling Criminal Cases Involving Manhole Covers". It has precisely cracked down on crimes, effectively protected public safety and the safety of people’s lives and property, played the role of punishment, education, and prevention of punishment, and was rated as a “Typical Case of Crimes Involving Manhole Covers” by the Supreme People’s Procuratorate.

  Previously, although the "manhole cover cannibalism" cases occurred frequently, the suspected crimes behind the related incidents were rarely held criminally responsible. For crimes such as theft and damage to the manhole cover, the penalties for some cases were too lenient, and the management department of the manhole was negligent and dereliction of duty. The behavior has not been held accountable either.

The guidance clarifies the legal application of related crimes and stipulates that theft and destruction of manhole covers can be convicted and punished for the crime of intentional injury and intentional homicide in accordance with the law.

  The Hebei procuratorial organs strengthened the qualitative review of related cases and cracked down on crimes involving manhole covers in accordance with the law.

Up to now, Hebei has handled 7 criminal cases involving manhole covers.

  Watch out for traps under your feet

  Procuratorates in many places in Hebei actively sought government support to promote the establishment and improvement of a normalized mechanism for the management of manhole covers, and took the initiative to radiate from manhole cover management to public safety management.

According to reports, the Hengshui City Procuratorate, the Municipal Housing and Urban-rural Development Bureau, and the Municipal Urban Management Bureau jointly issued the "Opinions on Strengthening Collaboration in the Safety Management of Manifolds to Ensure Public Safety According to Law", and the Shijiazhuang City Procuratorate promoted the municipal government office to formulate and issue the "Shijiazhuang Underground Pipeline" "Surveillance well cover renovation plan", establish a number of working mechanisms to promote the comprehensive management of the urban pipe network.

  The prosecutor reminded that the general public should also pay attention to safety at their feet. It is best not to walk in places with stagnant water and manhole covers. Parents and children should pay special attention; if you go at night, try to choose a spacious road with sufficient lighting, and do not blindly chaos when the light is dark. Walk, use lighting when necessary to avoid getting too close to the green belt and other places; after the vehicle stops on the side of the road, try to avoid stopping at a place with manholes, pay attention to whether there is a damaged manhole cover under your feet when getting off the vehicle, and try to choose to step on the ground.

  In heavy rain, there may be manhole covers on the street that are washed away by heavy water, and many manhole covers may be opened for drainage. It is best for the masses to walk on the roadside steps, and take a detour where the water is swirling. , It is necessary to observe whether there are special signs on the road. Perhaps the kind people find danger and kindly remind people passing by to pay attention to the safety under their feet.

  If you accidentally fall into a deep well, you must remain calm, do not move to save energy, check whether there is a handrail for climbing on the shaft wall; if you fall to the bottom, you should go upstream, find the nearest shaft, and follow Climb up the ladder to open the manhole cover; if you can’t open the manhole cover, call for help and call the police quickly if the mobile phone is available; when the water flow in the well is rapid, the faller may be directly washed away by the water. In this case, pay attention to every 40 meters For wells that appear on the left and right, try to grasp the turning points of the well and the pipeline.

Special attention should be paid to the fact that a large amount of harmful gas will accumulate at the bottom of the pipeline or in the downstream area of ​​the well. Those who fall into the well should avoid going downstream or staying under the pipeline for a long time.