00:00 We will talk with Maria Teresita Cuqueco, the executive director of the Occupational Safety and Health Center. Director good afternoon.
00:14 Good afternoon Aljot. To all the viewers listening right now, good morning to all of you.
00:24 How is your monitoring on the compliance of occupational safety and health standards of business and office establishments so far ma'am?
00:35 Ma'am, this is being followed by DOLE. But our job is not to inspect but to provide training.
00:46 The regional offices of DOLE are monitoring and inspecting workplaces and their compliance to general labor standards and occupational safety and health standards.
01:01 That's ongoing and that's a mandate that DOLE and regional offices are pursuing.
01:10 For your information, what are the usual violations of business and office establishments in occupational safety and health?
01:18 Usually, the personnel are the ones who are affected because it's in the law of safety and health that there are safety officers who should be the ones developing
01:34 and implementing safety programs in the field of construction.
01:39 Usually, in micro, small establishments, there are shortcomings.
01:49 So earlier when you were talking about micro establishments, that's what we're looking at as the key generators for the Philippine economy,
02:04 DOLE is also pushing for compliance and there should be required safety officers even in micro establishments.
02:14 But usually, if there are no safety officers, there are no safety and health programs that should be the ones developing and implementing in the field of construction.
02:28 So these are the usual violations that can be seen in the workplaces and inspections.
02:37 All right. What are your steps for those who are not following the occupational safety and health standards?
02:48 I said that the lack of safety officers. Now, DOLE is doing technical assistance visits.
03:01 It's a form of inspection but it gathers micro establishments that are in an area and DOLE personnel are helping them comply.
03:15 In terms of safety and health standards, if there are no safety officers,
03:20 OSHC, our job is to provide, together with our partners, the necessary training for the micro establishments to become safety officers.
03:32 We have committed that we will be doing more than, actually, reaching 50,000 safety officers for micro establishments for the year.
03:44 And DOLE will provide free training for this.
03:47 Some of them have already finished and will be trained by DOLE in the coming months.
03:55 There is also the need for first aiders.
03:58 In micro establishments, first aiders and safety officers are needed.
04:05 DOLE will provide training and this is free because we have teamed up with the Philippine Red Cross to provide first aid training for these micro establishments.
04:19 Okay. We have a question from Sheena Torno of SMNI.
04:22 Is there a gap in the occupational safety and health centers where there was an accident last week where a construction worker was killed and three of his colleagues were injured?
04:34 After the wall collapsed in a building inside Quezon City Hall, does the contractor have a responsibility?
04:41 Yes. This is how it is. Like I told you, the regional offices are involved in investigating these accidents.
04:53 I know that the regional office of NCR went to the accident site and investigated it.
05:01 Of course, if there are violations, they will provide findings.
05:10 This is the process that the NCR will do following the accident investigation.
05:20 The Department of Labor and Employment, the regional offices, has a role in the accidents that happened because they will also investigate.
05:30 How or where should the workers or anyone who wants to report should go to the establishments that were affected by the OSHS?
05:43 If there are complaints, they should go to the nearest regional field office or district office of the DOLE to file their complaints.
06:02 The DOLE will accept those complaints and will provide the necessary process that the DOLE will do.
06:15 If there are inspections in the construction site, the DOLE will go there.
06:20 But if there are grievances, there is a single-entry approach.
06:25 The DOLE will talk to the management and labor.
06:30 That's another approach.
06:32 The complaints can be filed in the nearest DOLE regional field district provincial office.
06:40 That's the closest to the workplace.
06:44 All right. Message or reminder to the companies or workers and employees. Go ahead ma'am.
06:54 Yes. Now we can really see the importance of safety and health.
07:02 COVID is still here and COVID is a big example of an issue that is not only in the workplace but it is also affected in the workplace.
07:15 Look at our healthcare workers. Even us in the office, we are employees and we are affected by COVID.
07:23 That's the importance that we should follow the public health protocols, the masking, safety and health.
07:33 Because this is the safety that we need to continue our work and we will not get sick.
07:43 We already have the safety and health law. We already have the standards.
07:49 The safety and health law has been around for a long time and we should follow it.
07:55 If you have questions, the DOLE is there, the safety and health center.
08:00 You can always email us. We are there.
08:03 Just google OSHC.
08:07 In the DOLE, the Bureau of Working Conditions or any regional offices, if you have questions on safety and health,
08:16 we are here to provide guidance or to help you with your questions or concerns about safety and health.
08:27 Thank you ma'am Maria Teresita Cucueco of the Occupational Safety and Health Center. Be careful ma'am.
08:35 - Yeah.
08:36 Thank you for watching, good day.
