Emphasizes on Culture of Prevention

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Davao region led the celebration of World Day of Safety and Health enjoining workers and employers to heed the culture of risk control and injury prevention.

This year’s World Day of Safety and Health celebration was grounded on the theme “Join in Building a Culture of Prevention on OSH slated on May 5, 2015 at Ayala Abreeza Ayala Mall Activity Center.

“The safe and healthy working environment begins with the involvement of different sectors such as the government, the workers and their employers, their organizations, among others,” said Joffrey M. Suyao, regional director of DOLE XI.

Over 300 participating companies and individuals comprised of safety practitioners, safety officers, occupational health doctors, occupational health nurses, professional organizations, trade unions and industry workers from across Davao region participated the event.

Enjoining the participants to be active stakeholders of the culture of prevention, Suayo said that to build a culture of prevention on occupational safety and health entails “respecting the rights to safety and healthy working environment, active participation of all stakeholders in securing a safe and healthy working environment through a system of defined rights, responsibilities and duties; and according the highest priority to the principle of prevention.”

Among the highlights of the event was awarding of Two Million Safe Man Hours No Lost Time Accident to 3 firms to recognize their efforts of maintaining a safe and healthy working environment for a period of two million man-hours.

Also, the SafetyHow website was launched. SafetyHow is  “website for and about safety and health and is developed to become one of the virtual partners in cyberspace of the government, private companies, safety practitioners and the general public to promote awareness on safety and health in the workplace and in the community.”

This is done through the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement between Rethink Safety Limited, Inc., the developer of Safetyhow and the DOLE. It will then be turned over to OSHNET XI, Association of Safety Practitioner in the Philippines, Inc. (ASPPI XI) and Philippine College of Occupational Medicine (PCOM).

As promulgated by the International Labor Organization the observance of the world day of safety is every 28th day of April. (DOLE11)