THE Department of Labor and Employment in Central Visayas (Dole-7) is set to inspect existing and ongoing construction projects in the region, the agency said in a statement on Thursday.
Cyril Ticao, Dole-7 OIC regional director, said they will no longer wait for a report or complaint or sightings of imminent danger before conducting inspection among existing construction projects.
“The inspection plan had already been plotted out and the same will be carried out in order to determine the compliance of establishments on safety and health,” he said in the statement.
Ticao said Dole-7 already began assigning assessment authorities to its labor laws compliance officers (LLCO) to conduct such activities.
He said that some of the LLCOs were already deployed to their respective field of assignment this week.
The LLCOs of the Cebu Provincial Field Office and the Tri-City Field Office – covering the cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu – are expected to do full-blast inspection.
The move came about after the profiling of around 113 contractors and subcontractors in the construction industry who attended the recently-held industry-wide joint assessment (IJA) called for by the Dole.
Last August 24, the Dole-7 conducted an industry-wide joint assessment at the Cebu Business Hotel.
Among the participants were contractors, sub-contractors, workers, safety officers, and safety practitioners.
Representatives of the Cebu Contractors Association (CCA) and the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) were also present.
Complete details of contractors, whether trade contractor, general contractor, or sub-contractor as well as the information on their respective projects and their location were recorded as basis for inspection.
“The IJA that we facilitated was a unique one in that we made sure to include the discussion on safety in the construction industry as stipulated under Department Order No. 13 Series or 1998,” Ticao said.
D.O. No. 13-1998 or the Guidelines Governing Occupational Safety and Health in the Construction Industry, he added, lays out the safety net for workers employed in the construction industry and the general public within and around the immediate vicinity of the construction work site.
Ticao said that when an LLCO conducts inspection, it is not only the items under the Occupational Safety and Health Standards (OSHS) that will be checked but also those under the General Labor Standards (GLS).
“With the recurrence of accidents taking place in the construction industry here in Cebu in particular, we feel the urgent need to rehash the knowledge on safety which we had already been imparted to our partners,” he said.
The labor official also stressed that the promotion of safety and health in the workplace is not only a concern of the Dole, but also of everyone, especially those who have ventured into businesses categorically classified as hazardous in nature.
Technical Services Support Division-Labor Relations and Standards (TSSD-LRS) Chief, Engineer Vicente Abordo, re-introduced in detail the do’s and don’ts in the construction industry and following were given emphasis, namely: Construction Safety and Health Program (CSHP); Personal Protective Equipment (PPE); Safety Personnel; Emergency Occupational Health Personnel and Facilities; Construction Safety Signages; Safety on Construction Heavy Equipment; Construction Safety and Health Committee; Safety and Health Information; Construction Safety and Health Training; Construction Safety and Health Reports; Construction Workers Skills Certificates; Workers’ Welfare Facilities; and Violations and Penalties.
“We urge all contractors to religiously implement all safety precautions and programs in the workplace. It is also equally important that before any construction project commences, the Dole-approved CSHP is already in place,” he said.
Dole-7 OIC Assistant Regional Director Lilia Estillore, who encouraged everyone to do their share in promoting safety and health in the workplace, also emphasized the importance of the promotion of a harmonious employer-employee relationships in the construction industry.
“One worker not protected is one worker too many. The value of life is far more important than anything like the profit and gains in the business. We
need all our partners to be one with us in this journey,” she said.