Makati cops to inspect lift accident site today

MANILA, Philippines -  The Makati City police will hold today its own ocular inspection of the site of an accident where a makeshift elevator gave way four days ago, killing 10 workers and critically injuring another at a 39-story building under construction, an official said yesterday.

In a text message, Makati Police chief Senior Superintendent Froilan Bonifacio said they had to postpone for the second time their ocular inspection last Saturday of the Eton Residences building to give way to an investigation being conducted by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

“We were not able to have an ocular inspection yesterday (Saturday) because of the presence of DOLE and the City Engineer of Makati. We will conduct the ocular (today),” Bonifacio told The STAR.

The DOLE has concluded its investigation to determine if Eton Properties; its main contractor, CE Construction; and sub-contractors Arlo Aluminum Corp. and the EM Pinon Corp. complied with the standard safety measures for construction sites and properly paid their workers.

Bonifacio earlier said that Eton, CE Construction, Arlo Aluminum, EM Pinon and the engineers of the construction project will face negligence resulting in multiple homicide charges for the death of the 10 workers and the serious injury of another shortly before noon Thurday. He said it does not matter whether the workers belonged to a sub-contractor.

City administrator Marjorie De Veyra also earlier said DOLE is also investigating reports that workers of Eton Residences are not receiving overtime pay, 13th month pay and other benefits prescribed by the law.

Eton marketing department head Erwin De Pedro said that the management of Eton properties will extend the necessary assistance to the families of the victims.

Meanwhile, Sen. Ramon Revila Jr. called yesterday for the creation of a head agency to make sure the government fulfills its duty to provide safe and healthful working conditions. He said various agencies, both in national and local government, are involved in the administration and enforcement of occupational safety and health standards and environmental protection laws but still fail to prevent these accidents from happening.

Revilla said cases like the construction site accident “could have been prevented if there was a clear primary agency that monitors the occupational safety of our workers.”

Revilla has filed Senate Bill 2541, which seeks to rationalize the administration and enforcement of all laws on occupational safety and the protection of workers against ecological and health hazards.

Under the bill, the DOLE shall be the lead agency in coordinating and monitoring the activities of all government agencies involved in the implementation of all laws to promote occupational safety and health.

It also provides that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will be the principal agency on policies involving environmental protection in workplaces. The Department of Health shall act as a support agency by formulating policies, standards and programs in sanitation and conducting periodic inspections of establishments for the purpose of issuing and renewing sanitary permits.

DOLE may prescribe administrative fines ranging from P100 to P10,000 a day for violations of occupational safety and health standards or regulations, starting from the date the violation is uncovered until it has been corrected by the offending firm. The DENR may also impose administrative fines and guidelines for violations of environmental health, safety and protection standards or regulations.– With Christina Mendez