MORE fines and monetary sanctions were sought by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) against violators of labor safety and health requirements.
Noel Binag, executive director of Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC), said Senate Bill No. 1317 or “An Act Strengthening Compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Standards and Providing Penalties for Violations” is pending in the Senate.
Authored by Sen. Joel Villanueva in the Senate, the bill already passed the House of Representatives.
Binag said the bill provides administrative and criminal penalties for non-compliance with labor safety and health standards.
Binag said DOLE is confined to issuing work stoppage orders in cases of imminent danger and work related accidents.
Acting DOLE Regional Director Cyril Ticao said their office issued 12 stoppage orders against owners and contractors of construction projects.
Under Senate Bill No. 1317, violators face a P100,000 administrative fine for each day they fail to rectify their errors while a P250,000 to P500,000 fine or imprisonment of six years and one day to 12 years will be imposed if a worker dies.
“We only talk about concerns on health and safety once an accident occurred in a work place. We want to change this to ensure safety of every worker. Hopefully this bill becomes a law,” Binag said.
Engr. Gines Timosa of the OSHC-7 said they are coordinating with agencies and offices like the Office of the Building Officials in towns and cities to make sure all permits and documents were secured before the project starts.