Iwas Aksidente Patrol (IwAP) Mo!

The DOLE-RO6 invited partner agencies, intermediaries, and advocates to discuss the development of the DOLE-RO6 initiated, “Iwas Aksidente Patrol Mo,” project and its possible adoption.

Partners present were representatives from the Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC), Employees Compensation Commission (ECC), Western Visayas Occupational Safety and Health Network, Inc. (WVOSHNET, Inc.), Safety Organization of Negros Occidental, Inc. (SONO, Inc.), Contractors Network of Negros Occidental, Inc. (CONNO, Inc.), and Philippine College of Occupational Medicine (PCOM).

Ponciano M. Ligutom, Regional Director of DOLE-RO6, emphasized the role of the department as facilitators in the implementation of the various programs, projects and activities on occupational safety and health. “We believe that if we work together, we can make a push for safety and health. That is the reality of public-private partnership/convergence. We need to be the vision keepers,” he added.

Dr. Florentino Alerta II, PCOM representative, stressed his sentiments on the importance of making management aware of the laws and policies on OSH especially on the qualifications and recruitment of OSH personnel. He also verbalized the issues on documentation and reporting wherein some companies are not compliant or are afraid to do so especially times of severe accidents.

Engr. Maximo Pareja, President of WVOSHNET, suggested that an incident reporting chart or the “IWAP Mo” signage be posted in on-going construction sites as requirement;

Mr. Stephene Barredo, representative of ECC, presented the “Work Hazard and Accident Report System."

IwAP mo!, is a concept of the DOLE Regional Office 6 that calls on workers and ordinary citizens to actively support in the advocacy and promotion of safety and health in hazardous workplaces in the region. It was conceptualized and implemented due to low ratio of Labor Laws Compliance Officers (LLCOs) versus the increasing number of establishments, minimal opportunity for OSH violations committed in plain view of LLCOs, and new construction sites and other hazardous workplaces mushrooming in the region without the knowledge of the DOLE, thus are not included in the roster of establishments subject to the visits of the LLCOs.

Engaging Company Nurses on Safety and Compensation

A total of (35) company nurses from various organizations attended the (1) day seminar entitled, “Seminar in Occupational Safety & Health and Employees Compensation for Company Nurses” this June 3, 2016, at the Conference Room, DOLE-Region 6, Swan Rose Building, Commission Civil, Jaro, Iloilo City. The activity was organized by the Employees Compensation Commission (ECC) in collaboration with the Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC) and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Regional Office 6.

On behalf of the Regional Director, Ma. Agnes N. Capigon, Technical Support Services Division (TSSD) Chief of DOLE-RO6, welcomed the participants. She expressed that each of us, nurse or not, should be active advocates of safety and health. Where we work, it is our social responsibility to help each other in the implementation of OSH.

Topics facilitated were the following

• Prevention (Unsafe/Unhealthy Acts & Conditions in the Workplace)
• Compensation (Employers’ Responsibilities: Records, Reports, and Penal Provisions
• Rehabilitation (Katulong at Gabay sa Manggagawang may Kapansanan)
• Rule 1960: Occupational Health Services
• Good housekeeping (5S)

Mr. Melveen Melocoton, administrative officer of OSHC-REU6, introduced the OSHC, its mandate, programs, and services. Also, he discussed the basics on accident causation and facilitated a workshop on the identification and enumeration of unsafe/unhealthy acts and conditions in the workplace. In addition, he also discussed the standards on general occupational health services where he emphasized the qualifications of an occupational health nurse and his duties and responsibilities in the workplace. Lastly, the participants familiarized themselves on the annual medical report template.

Mr. Stephene Barredo, Information Officer of ECC-REU6, introduced the ECC, its mandate, programs, and services. Also, he explained the provisions of the employees compensation program and its processes.

Atty. Ma. Ailyne Valaquio, Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board (RTWPB)-6 representative, discussed the fundamentals of good housekeeping and the 5S approach.

The (1) day seminar, in collaboration with DOLE, OSHC, and ECC, was the first of its kind in the region that was customized for occupational health nurses for them to be capacitated with the basic knowledge on the ECP’s prevention, compensation and rehabilitation components, with focus on the employer’s responsibilities, occupational health services, and legislations.

OSHC Trains More Promising Safety Officers in Negros

The Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC), in partnership with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Regional Office 6 and Safety Organization of Negros Occidental (SONO), Inc., conducted the Basic Occupational Safety and Health (BOSH) training for Safety Officers last February 23-27, 2015, at O-Hotel, Sebastian St., Bacolod City.

 The BOSH training is part of a labor mandate to strengthen the call for zero accidents in all workplaces in the country. It is a 5-days worth of lectures, exercises, presentations, workshops, and a plant visit so that participants will get a full comprehension of the topics involved in occupational safety and health.

Ruge P. Balladares, 2015 President of SONO, Inc., encouraged more potential safety officers of the labor force to keep on updating their knowledge and enhancing their skills on OSH. He even advised that all who already have long been practicing the art to apply as an active member of SONO and to push through for accreditation to become a proud OSH practitioner.

Through the efforts of each organization, the gap between a worker from obtaining a safe and healthy workplace is now increasingly being identified and fixed. And soon, with companies more engaged in OSH practices, and the presence of more OSH practitioners in the country, especially in Region 6, zero accidents in the workplace will finally be goals met.

OSHC Extends its Reach to the Regions

The Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC), the clearing house of information and approaches related to occupational safety and health (OSH) to the general public, hired more staff to extend its reach to the regions.

The Board approved the employment of five (5) staff in different regions after the ECC-OSHC governing board meeting before 2014 ended.

These five (5) newly appointed employees assigned in Regions 2, 5, 6, 10, and 12 will coordinate the OSH directives on the conduct of the Center’s  training and advocacy activities. The Center oriented to them its background and day-to-day operations as well as specialized services. Furthermore, the new employees received training in basic occupational safety and health (BOSH) and construction safety before deployment to their assigned regions.

The Center already has established branches in Cebu, Cagayan de Oro and Butuan-Surigao. This endeavor will reinforce the call for a safer and healthier workplace in all regions of the country.