Jennifer C.
Tilos
DUMAGUETE CITY, Sept. 14 (PIA) – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)
here has strengthened the occupational and health programs for the labor force
in partnership with the Occupational Safety and Health Network (OSHNet)
to minimize if not eliminate accidents in the workplaces.
OSHNet is a
non-government organization (NGO) training arm of DOLE that has already
conducted 12 trainings for more than 500 trainees who are now qualified to
become safety officers in their workplace.
To ensure workers’
safety and health, OSHNet provides two possible trainings, the construction
safety and health (COSH) and Basic Occupational Safety and Health (BOSH)
trainings.
“Once companies have
safety program and safety officer, accidents can be minimized,"
said OSHNet president Engr. Renato Infante.
Under the labor standard
law, the trainings are mandatory for safety officers which DOLE pushes hard to
assure zero work-related accidents in the workplace.
Infante said the COSH
training is given to employees whose work focuses on construction
and BOSH to employees from any businesses.
The two trainings are
conducted for 40 hours or four days with a registration fee of only P6,000,
said Infante.
However, the safety
orientation for one day is conducted for free, he added. “We encourage all
companies to let their employees undergo such orientation."
Senior Labor and
Employment Officer Engr. Diego Amado Nochefranca of DOLE said employers must
ensure that workers "are safe and healthy as their rights should not be
compromised.”
Part of the corporate
and social responsibility of the companies is to provide trainings for their
workers as this is according to the International Standard Organization
(ISO), said Nochefranca. (rmn/jct/PIA7-Negros Oriental with reports from
Ronelyn Faith Vailoces, intern)