THE Social and Environmental Safeguards (SES) Unit of the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) urged the observance of Supplemental Guidelines on Community and Occupational Safety and Health (COSH).
This is in line with the implementation of subprojects amid the ongoing coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
Regional Project Coordination Office (RPCO)-Central Luzon SES Officer Jes Surla said workers were instructed to abide by construction safety policies for the ongoing infrastructure and enterprise (civil works) projects that adhere to the Minimum Health Protocols and Standards recommended by the Department of Health (DOH) amid the Covid-19 crisis.
Surla said aside from the usual discourse on protective equipment and medical kit, construction machinery, toolbox meeting and accident investigation, the SES has instigated health protocols such as proper hygiene, wearing of face mask, conduct of social distancing on-site, frequent hand-washing, disinfecting of tools, provision of thermal scanner and daily monitoring of pre and post work health conditions.
She also stressed that these protocols were thoroughly discussed with the project engineers and the contractors for prompt and strict compliance.
Construction on some of the ongoing I-Build subprojects include Improvement of Sumandig-Bubulong Malaki Farm-to-Market Road (FMR) in Bulacan, Improvement of Dirita-San Agustin FMR (Zambales), Construction of Calantas-Planas-San Jose FMR and Improvement of Dirita-San Agustin FMR both in Pampanga, Improvement of San Felipe-San Nicolas-via A. Bonifacio Norte FMR, Improvement of PoblaciĆ³n Sur-La Torre-Bantug Mamandil FMR, Improvement of R.A Padilla-Bunga FMR and Construction of Cold Storage in the province of Nueva Ecija have all resumed under the modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).
Additionally, I-Reap ongoing subprojects in Tarlac-Construction of Mango Trading Station, Establishment of Mungbean Trading Post, Establishment of Nursery and Consolidation Area and Establishment of Common Service Facilities for Aromatic and Pigmented Rice have continued.
Under MGCQ, quarantine passes and medical certificates were required to individuals working on-site and were to be sheltered in their respective quarters for the entirety of the project covered by the community quarantine.
Adequate amount of food, potable drinking water, face masks, hand soaps, disinfectant sprays and foot baths are also provided to office personnel and staff.
Furthermore, the SES is bent on carrying out the mandate of the DA-PRDP to ensure excellent implementation of the subprojects without sacrificing the health of its workers.