TUCP blames DOLE for Taguig worksite mishap

MANILA, Philippines - Labor group Trade Union Congress of the Philippines-Nagkaisa (TUCP-Nagkaisa) on Wednesday blamed the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for the accident at a construction site in Taguig City, which resulted to the deaths of two workers.

 

Several others were also injured after the scaffoldings collapsed at the construction site of The Suites Hotel at the Bonifacio High Street, Taguig City.

 

"Officials of the Department of Labor and Employment and the Taguig City officials are obviously sleeping on the job. This workplace incident could have been minimized and prevented if they only performed their job particularly in conducting inspections regularly before and after issuing building and construction permits. 

 

"Halatang halata na natutulog sa pansitan ang mga tao tagapag-patupad ng mga batas at alintuntunin sa construction," said Alan Tanjusay, spokesperson of TUCP and policy advocacy officer of the Associated Labor Unions, the largest labor federation in the country.

 

He said that government officials must ensure that building owners and contractors are aware of the rules and protocols in the construction of high-rise buildings particularly the DOLE's Order 13 requirement checklist before issuing any permit.

 

These measures include the construction safety and health programs, personal protective equipment, safety personnel, emergency occupational safety and health personnel and facilities among others. 

 

Tanjusay said building owners and contractors must also comply with the DOLE Rule 1414 on Scaffoldings of the 1989 Occupational Health and Safety Standards which put the responsibility of the erection, installation and dismantling of scaffolds to a highly trained competent person called scaffold erector.

 

The erector is certified by the Technical Skills Development Authority and employed by every project managers and owners of any construction projects. 

 

The rules now requires workers on scaffoldings to be provided with fall arrest, fall protection and fall restrain harnesses to protect workers in the event of accidents and limits the use of bamboo scaffolds to painting and light construction work setting the maximum height allowed at six meters, Tanjusay added. 

 

Tanjusay said the rules also require the materials used as scaffolds are quality tested by Department of Trade and Industry accredited testing institutions and not intermixed with other scaffolds materials in installing scaffoldings.