DOLE, OBO to collaborate to ensure workplace safety

CEBU, Philippines — The Department of Labor and Employment in Central Visayas and the Office of the Building Official will work to intensify the safety and health standards in Cebu’s construction industry.

DOLE-7 regional director Cyril Ticao said the agency seeks to curb the number of accidents in the construction business and eventually making the industry accident-free.

Ticao noted OBO expressed cooperation in the agency's campaign on ensuring the workers’ safety and health in the workplace.

In their recent meeting DOLE-7 and OBO-Cebu City agreed the following: No building permit for construction projects which don’t have any DOLE approved Construction Safety and Health Program (CSHP); Cancellation of building permit for construction projects issued with a Work Stoppage Order (WSO) by DOLE; and Construction of bunkhouses based on the approved safety program.

Ticao said that non-issuance of building permits to construction projects without the DOLE approved CSHP would cover residential, commercial, and high-rise building projects.

In terms of the cancellation of building permits to construction projects issued with WSO, Ticao said that the OBO would really require the full lifting of the stoppage order before they could issue again building permits.

"We have high hopes that these would help us monitor compliance on safety. After all, we just want everyone in the construction industry abide by the standards in safety and health because we firmly believe that workers’ safety and protection must come first, above all,” he noted.

Talks are also on-going with the Offices of Building Official in Mandaue City and Lapu-Lapu City.

As of date, the DOLE-7 issued five work stoppage orders with collapse of structure and fall from height as common causes.