SARCAUGA
The regional Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE-7) ordered a construction firm yesterday to stop work on a condominium project after a 20-year-old worker died when a wall and steel piles collapsed on him.
Regional DOLE-7 Director Exequiel Sarcauga said their investigation showed four lapses committed by J.E. Abraham Lee Construction and Development.
He said the contractor and developer will be called for a conference on the project.
Engr. Ray Martin Codeniera, labor law compliance officer, served the stoppage order to the firm at the construction site along Salvador Extension in Barangay Labangon, Cebu City at 4 pm yesterday.
Cebu Daily News sought the contractor and developer for comment, but both did not respond.
Two major lapses cited by Sarcauga included the lack of a safety and health program for its workers and the victim’s non-coverage of social benefits.
Others were the absence of certification for equipment operators and lack of testing certificate for its backhoe.
Sarcauga said the firm’s on-site equipment operators did not have a certification from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
Sarcauga also said their backhoe did not carry a testing certificate which stated its workload capacity.
The 20-year-old worker John Eric Llera was welding a large steel beam along the perimeter of an excavation when the wall collapsed and crushed him to death at 10:30 a.m. yesterday.
J.E. Abraham Lee Construction and Development is undertaking the construction of Casa Mira Towers owned by AB Soberano International Corp. and Cebu Landmasters Inc.
The economic residential condominium project is contained in an area of 3,681 square meters and aims the construction of two towers.
Cebu City Hall’s Office of the Building Official (OBO) ordered the contractor of the project along Salvador Extension in Barangay Labangon to submit their mitigation measures to prevent another accident in the construction site.
They are also required to have an accredited safety engineer for soil protection works in the construction site.
OBO granted a demolition permit to Cebu Landmaster Inc. for the project last June 1.
But, it was found out that excavation works were also done while the two-storey building in the construction site was being demolished.
OBO chief Josefa Ylanan said this is a violation since a separate excavation permit needs to be acquired by the contractor from their office.