DOLE develops safety-health program for Hanjin workers

MANILA, Philippines - Following a string of deadly mishaps, workers at the Hanjin Heavy Industries Corp. shipyard finally got an occupational safety and health (OSH) action program from the labor department. Labor secretary Marianito Roque said the program would assist HHIC-Phil. in developing an OSH system implementing a plant-level zero accident program (ZAP). "We aim for zero accident at Hanjin," Roque said as he urged Hanjin management and workers to build a workplace culture that gives prime importance on full obedience to safe practices and regulations. In a statement on the DOLE Web site (www.dole.gov.ph), Roque said the Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC), Bureau of Working Conditions (BWC), and the DOLE-Region 3 office in San Fernando City, Pampanga formulated the OSH program. Roque formed the team to address the safety concerns of Hanjin following the series of accidents at its worksite that had killed 17 workers since 2007. He said the team conducted a workplace safety and health assessment at Hanjin and subsequently devised the OSH action program in a bid to correct hazardous practices, ensure compliance to OSH standards, and put a stop to fatal accidents at the shipbuilding facility. The program recommended the conduct of mandatory safety training courses, which began last month with Hanjin workers and subcontractors as initial participants in construction safety training. OSH appreciation courses are also being conducted this week for participants from the shipbuilding section. Roque said all the participants are required to come up with re-entry plans for integration in their OSH programs adding the re-entry plans would be necessary in the development of the ZAP program for Hanjin. The DOLE OSH action program also recommended the setting up of an OSH committee, which will be in charge of developing and implementing the ZAP program. It also asked Hanjin to institute a system that would correct, update, and disseminate information on potential hazards and risks to its workers especially the newly hired ones. - GMANews.TV