Olongapo SubicBay BatangGapo Newscenter

Saturday, August 09, 2008

Subcontractor removed from shipyard after worker’s death

The Korean shipbuilder Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction Phils. Inc. on Friday served a notice terminating the contract of its Korean subcontractor Bodahh following the death of another Filipino worker at the shipyard in Subic, Zambales, on Wednesday.

“It did not comply with safety rules and regulations, causing us big damages,” Pyeong Jong-yu, general manager of Hanjin, said.

The Department of Labor and Employment has advised Hanjin to end the services of Bodahh because while the latest victim, Arvy Mahinay, fell from the roof of Dry Dock No. 5 due to “human error,” the subcontractor committed lapses as well, according to DOLE Assistant Regional Director Alvin Villamor.

One such lapse, Villamor said, was that Bodahh subcontracted Mahinay’s employment to Trigon, which Hanjin claimed to be not aware of.

He said Trigon conducted tool box meetings, or work briefings, but these were held in its headquarters within the 385-hectare shipyard, “not at the work area, to give the workers a sort of hands on.”

Investigation

Villamor had interviewed a foreman who was working on the same roof together with Mahinay, 19. The foreman confirmed the worker unstrapped the lifeline on his waist.

The lifeline showed no sign that it snapped, Villamor said.

“The question is, although he wore safety equipment, why did his helmet fall off that he had to get it?” he said. Mahinay only wore rubber shoes, not protective boots.

According to Villamor, Bodahh’s safety officers were not accredited with the Bureau of Working Conditions, an agency under the DOLE.

“It has no pre-employment standard criteria. Mahinay, as a roof installer, should have at least had one or more years of experience before he was hired for such kind of work,” he said.

Liabilities

Both Bodahh and Trigon are liable to pay the funeral cost and damages for the death of Mahinay, a native of Pasig City.

“This is the fault of Bodahh, not Hanjin,” Villamor said.

Pyeong earlier said the latest death at the 385-hectare shipyard made the firm’s officials “so disappointed to the point that the situation drove us speechless.”

“It happened again in spite of our drastic and strict measures being implemented after the last incident as a means of eradicating the cause of accidents,” Pyeong said.

SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza said Mahinay’s death could be attributed to “human error” and was not related to the non-compliance of the Korean shipyard company to safety standards. By Tonette Orejas - Philippine Daily Inquirer

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