The emergency responders of the Municipality of Oton in Iloilo province attended a face-to-face 40-hr Basic Occupational Safety and Health (BOSH) Training Course for Public Sector last June 11-15, 2022. The OSHC-Region 6, in collaboration with the Western Visayas OSH Network, conducted the event in pursuance of the CSC-DOH-DOLE Memorandum Circular No. 01 series of 2020, otherwise known as the “Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Standards for the Public Sector.”
The guidelines of the OSH Standards for the Public Sector apply to all officials and employees in the NGAs, SUCs, LGUs, and GOCCs, whether permanent, temporary, or casual status. The guidelines will institutionalize occupational health and safety in government workplaces. It sets to identify and delineate the roles and responsibilities of lead agencies, heads of agencies, and safety and health committees within the scope of the Joint Memorandum Circular. Lastly, to establish Safety and Health Committees within government agencies.
According to the guidelines, the head of an agency shall appoint a safety and health officer (SHO). The SHO will undergo training in Occupational Safety and Health and related programs. Also, they will act as the focal person of the agency in implementing programs to eliminate workplace hazards and correct and amend risky and unsafe work practices.
During the 5-day BOSH training, the participants learned the importance of OSH, unsafe/unhealthy acts and conditions, basic safety rules and measures, industrial hygiene, occupational health, workplace emergency preparedness, OSH programming, the employees’ compensation program, and the roles of safety officers as trainers, among others. A workshop on risk assessment was also provided for participants to gain the skills in identifying hazards, evaluating the risks, and recommending appropriate control measures.
The OSHC-Region 6 and its OSH partners are committed to providing more technical assistance and capacity-building to protect all government workers from the dangers of injury or sickness in Western Visayas. For inquiries and requests, please contact OSHC-Region 6 OIC Melveen Melocoton at telephone numbers (033) 327 4065 or via email at reu6@oshc.dole.gov.ph.