Second worker in fatal Hanjin shipyard accident dies; DoLE orders work stoppage at Hanjin

Second worker in fatal Hanjin shipyard accident dies
Randy V. Datu May 21, 2018 https://www.rappler.com/nation/202975-second-worker-hanjin-shipyard-acci...

Both the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) issue suspension orders to Binictican I-Tech, Hanjin's subcontractor, following the accident

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT, Philippines – A second worker in the fatal accident at the Hanjin shipyard on May 12 succumbed to head injuries and was declared dead on Sunday, May 20.

Valian Dela Cruz, one of the 3 workers who sustained injuries after falling from the scaffolding they were resting on, died at the Baypointe Hospital here. He and 8 others were taking a break from the heat of the sun while working at one of the project vessels of Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Philippines (HHIC-Phils) at the Redondo Peninsula.

The 39-year-old worker from Zambales was employed as a general worker of Binictican I-Tech, a Hanjin subcontractor.

Ferdinand Leuterio, 38, a foreman from Leyte, was the first fatality of the accident. Leuterio died due to internal organ injuries.

Johnny Alegre, 39, and Gerry Bayuta, 34, were reportedly still in the intensive care unit of the hospital.

Alegre suffered a head injury while Bayuta had a fracture on his lower back after the fall.

Both the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) issued suspension orders to Binictican I-Tech.

Song Suk Bae, president of the subcontractor company, expressed regret over the fatal incident and said it has adopted corrective measures to prevent the recurrence of a similar incident. (READ: From shipyard to graveyard)

Leuterio and Dela Cruz are the 39th and 40th fatalities from industrial accidents inside Hanjin since it began its shipbuilding operations in Subic in May 2006.

SBMA chairman and administrator Wilma Eisma called the latest fatal accident “deplorable” and said “the SBMA is now in close coordination with the DOLE Occupational Health and Safety on this.”

She added the Public Health and Safety Department of the SBMA will look into the matter and impose appropriate fines and penalties.

“But more importantly, I want measures passed the soonest, for stricter and prohibitive safety measures,” Eisma said. – Rappler.com

DoLE orders work stoppage at Hanjin
WILLIAM DEPASUPIL, May 18, 2018 http://www.manilatimes.net/dole-orders-work-stoppage-at-hanjin/399402/

THE Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) has issued a work stoppage order (WSO) at the Hanjin shipyard in Subic, Zambales, after an accident that killed one worker and injured three others.

In a report to DoLE Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd, Ma. Zenaida Angara-Campita, DoLE Region 3 director, said the accident happened on May 13 at the Binitican I-Tech Corp., a sub-contractor of Hanjin Heavy Industries Corp. Philippines (HHIC Phils).

Worker Ferdinand Leuterio died in the hospital from internal organ injury, two days after the accident.

The injured workers were identified as Gerry Bayuta, Johnny Alegre and Vailian Dela Cruz.

Campita said the victims were among the nine other workers resting on the scaffolding during their break when it collapsed.

An investigation by technical safety inspectors (TSIs) showed that the concentrated weight of the workers, raw materials and equipment might have caused the tilting of the scaffolding.

The team observed that the bolt of the scaffolding’s bracket was sheared.

The supervisor informed the TSIs that only two workers were authorized to work in the area.

Campita said the overall findings of the investigation revealed that the sub-contractor failed to strictly implement and monitor safety procedures.

“Clearly, there was an unsafe working condition because of an overload of workers and their equipment on the scaffolding, causing its sudden collapse. Aside from this, unsafe acts were also observed because of workers’ failure to use safety harnesses, as well as their supervisor’s failure to control them on the adherence to safety practices,” she added.

HHIC Phils is the largest shipyard in the Philippines and one of the largest private employers in the country with about 20,000 workers in 2017.

The WSO will remain in effect until Binictican I-Tech fully complies with occupational safety and health standards by submitting the required employer’s accident-illness report, among others, including the proof of financial assistance given to the fatality’s family and the other injured victims.

The sub-contractor must also submit proof of remittance of SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG coverage, as well as proof of payment of victims’ salary while recovering, Employees’ Safety Orientations (HSE Education Report) and revised work procedures in different areas of operations.