Labor office to honor outstanding firms

THE Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) in Davao Region will hold this year the 8th Gawad Kaligtasan at Kalusugan (GKK), an award given to companies with outstanding occupational safety and health programs.

The Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC) of Dole is the assigned body to identify the awardees. The awarding ceremony will take place October this year, in time for the 13th National Occupational Safety and Health (Nosh) Congress.

Dr. Beatriz Villanueva, division chief Safety Control Division Health Effects of the Dole-OSHC, said the GKK is held every after two years.

Villanueva said the GKK is a prestigious national award given to establishments with best OSH practices. The award is also given to individuals whose OSH practices are worth emulating.

She said they are conducting Occupational Safety and Health Caravan to all private companies to prepare them in the 8th GKK.

"The OSHC conducted Safety Use of Chemicals Forum. Today is the last day," Villanueva said during the Kapihan sa PIA Friday.

There are around 70 participants from Mindanao who joined the forum that started Tuesday.

The Dole-OSH has so far awarded 45 private companied, two of which are from Mindanao. They are Cagayan de Oro City and Bukidnon.

Through the project, Dole aims to encourage institutions to implement their own safety, health and environment programs, and to recognize outstanding institutions or individuals who have implemented successful safety and health programs.

For a company to become recipients of the award, they must have the safety control and emergency preparedness, industrial hygiene program, occupational health program, environmental protection and community relations, social responsibility programs, and capacity building on OSH.

Villanueva said submission of entries will be before July 31. Documents will be screened OSH from August to September 30, 2012. (ALC)