OSH convergence highlights agencies’ action planning

By Robert E. Roperos

Friday 8th of June 2012

BUTUAN CITY, June 8 (PIA) -- After 20 days of forging memorandum of agreement with private and public stakeholders, the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) technical working group converged today, highlighting the crafting of action plan for the 12 member-agencies.

In a press statement, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)-Caraga Regional Director Ofelia Domingo said the activity is aimed to craft plan of action that would realize the memorandum of agreement in the field. It also aimed to form a body that would orchestrate, evaluate, and review the implementation of the memorandum of agreement (MOA) and the plan.

Also, in her opening statement this morning, Dir. Domingo emphasized that the MOA signing conducted 20 days ago started partnership with private and public stakeholders.

The labor chief of the region also hoped that the action plan to be crafted will serve as blueprint of every agency in an effort to be successful in the conduct of activities of the OSH.

Further, DOLE-Caraga Assistant Regional Director Joel Gonzales introduced the OSH Mechanisms and Plan of Action to operationalize OSH-MOA in Caraga Region. He added to give value of safety and health to the citizenry it must be emphasized to the public of the program’s dependability, breadth of selection, and availability.

Dir. Gonzales also stressed the public should also feel that the safety and health programs are not costly, there must be prompt deliveries, more efficient transaction, better returns, and respect and recognition.

Meanwhile, Dr. Teresita Cocueco, Executive Director of OSH in Quezon City pointed out that establishments operating in the area must comply requirements required of them according to the standards set and not just for complying purpose only.

Dr. Cocueco added that if these establishments have complied according to standards, then a developmental component must be implemented and that there will be no problem encountered upon auditing/assessing.

She added talking about safety and health, it means preventing work accidents, fatalities to happen.

Also, Cocueco stressed that there must be a good system of reporting from all stakeholders. She added to achieve this, a system of notification must be properly implemented so that all data that will be gathered are correct. With this, Cocueco said proper system must be developed.

The activity ended with technical working group member-agencies divided into committees and were given responsibilities to carry out the programs: Committee on Promotion and Training, Committee on Monitoring and Enforcement, and Committee on Recognition and Rewards.

Under the committee on promotion and training, the Philippine Information Agency heads the Information and Communication sub-committee with the Department of Trade and Industry as vice chair. In this subcommittee, all activities are patterned with the information and communication support of PIA as an information arm of the government.

OSHNET-Caraga, on the other hand chaired by Engr. Ricardo Roferos of the Butuan City Hall Engineering Department, heads the sub-committee on training where it was agreed that all establishments in the city must undergo training on occupational safety and health.

Engr. Roferos suggested that a training must be conducted at least once a month starting this month to ensure that establishment owners and occupants must have knowledge on the program.

Meanwhile, the Committee on Monitoring and Enforcement will be chaired by the Department of the Interior and Local Government with the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) as member.

With this, BFP Regional Director F/SSupt Mario Socorro Timonero said the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) must be invited to join the convergence since they are responsible in enforcing building code. To date, the DPWH is not a member of the convergence.

The aforementioned dimensions/committees could be accounted in laying down specific directions towards occupational safety and health in the region, Dir. Domingo said. (RER – PIA-Caraga)