SBMA to Hanjin: Comply in 30 days

THE Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority gave Korean firm Hanjin Heavy Industries, Inc. 30 days to ensure the safety of thousands of Filipino workers.

SBMA director Mario Garcia said they have discovered that Hanjin lacks safety specialists on site which is a requirement especially on the kind of construction being undertaken by the company.

At the Kapihan ng Bayan forum sponsored by the Phiippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. at the Sulo Hotel, Garcia said Hanjin was also told to put up trauma clinic at the construction site.

“The nearest hospital in SBMA is in Olongapo City. It however the hospital doesn’t have the needed equipment to treat trauma patients that is why victims need to be airlifted to Manila for treatment,” Garcia said.

A total of 19 deaths have been reported at the Hanjin shipbuilding facility.

Garcia said SBMA board are also documenting all the the accidents that happened in the construction site to be able to find a way on how to prevent it from happening again.

Hanjin to date has 8,000 Filipino workers thousands of them are welders working 24 hours. By: Jess V. Antiporda - Journal online