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)