Showroom project stopped for health, safety violations

CEBU, Philippines – The Department of Labor and Employment-7 has stopped an ongoing construction project at the North Reclamation Area in Mandaue City because several violations on occupational safety and health standards.

Labor laws compliance officers have noted the violations of the contractor of KTM Cebu Showroom Building.

Exequiel Sarcauga, DOLE-7 director, said there were workers working without full body harness exposing them to imminent danger.

“We immediately sent our labor laws compliance officers to conduct further investigation and we found out more OSHS deficiencies. The construction proceeded despite the company’s failure to follow certain mandatory OSHS requirements,” Sarcauga said in a statement.

The company, he added, failed to present its Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board license as well as the DOLE approved Construction Safety and Health Program.

Sarcauga said it did not also have a qualified safety officer and a trained first aider at the construction site.

Aside from not wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) such as hard hat and face shield, a lot of workers were seen only wearing slippers, instead of safety shoes in the work place.

Sarcauga said that in order to prevent accidents by reason of the identified violations, the firm was ordered to temporarily stop the project until all safety requirements are complied with.

“Management can only resume its construction operations when all deficiencies noted have been corrected,” he said. — Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/FPL (FREEMAN)