MikeLigalig.com

Measures to prevent injuries and illnesses are a must in every workplace especially in high-risk jobs such as those in the construction industry, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reiterated Friday.

Executive Director Dr. Ma. Teresita S. Cocueco of the Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC) said the tragedy in Makati last January 27, 2011 would not have happened if the contractors, workers and company owner/s followed the guidelines governing occupational safety and health (OSH) which are being implemented since 1989, as well as the guidelines governing OSH in the construction industry as provided for under the DOLE Department Order No. 13.

An attached agency of DOLE, the OSHC, is at the forefront in advocating the OSHS and D.O. 13, specifically the provision requiring the presence of safety personnel in charge of implementing an OSHS program in all construction projects.

"Every construction project should have a Construction Safety and Health Program (CSHP) and a safety and health committee approved by the Bureau of Working Conditions (BWC)," Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said.

She added that a DOLE certified safety officer must be in-charge of the implementing the CSHP and orienting the workers on the content of the approved CSHP, as well as on the use of the OSHC-approved Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), which the employer should provide to workers. - PNA