Accidents are inevitable and they can happen anytime and anywhere but knowing the safety measures and ways on how to prevent dangerous occurrences can prevent accidents or even save lives.

A total of 40 participants completed the 40-hours training on the Construction Occupational Safety and Health (COSH) training conducted by the SALUS Training Center, a DOLE accredited training center for safety and health.

The training was organized by the Social and Environmental Safeguards (SES) Unit of the Regional Project Coordination Office 5 and the Field Operations Division (FOD) of the DA Bicol, supervised by the OIC-Chief of FOD and SES Unit Head, Dr. Mary Grace Rodriguez.

COSH aims to familiarize and develop skills among project implementors in conceptualizing and implementing occupational safety and health programs in their respective organizations as well as in the project construction sites.

The speakers gave in-depth discussion on Occupational Safety and Health concepts as well as the principles and practices that are required in the construction industry specifically on the Importance of Safety and Health, Industrial Hygiene, Occupational Health, Risk Assessment, Construction Premises, Demolition and Excavation Safety, Materials Handling, Tools and Equipment Safety, Construction Machineries, Scaffold Safety, Accident Investigation and Toolbox Meeting.

The team had also visited the on-going construction of one of PRDP Bicol’s Farm-to Market Road (FMR), the Road Opening and Concreting of Batang to San Gabriel FMR in Pamplona, Camarines Sur to observe and apply their learnings during the training.

The training was able to produce 40 Certified Safety Officers (CSO) who completed the training and passed the examination.  The new CSO’s came from the SES Unit from the Project Coordination Office (PSO) Luzon  B and Regional Project Coordinating Office (RPCO) 5,  I-BUILD Component, Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Unit, selected Department of Agriculture Employees and Provincial/Municipal Local Government Units (P/MLGUs) with PRDP Subprojects.

“I thank PRDP for the initiative to do this COSH activity, we should learn how to apply this in the regular programs of the Department of Agriculture.” Dr. Rodriguez said.

With high hopes of establishing strategic and climate-resilient rural infrastructures along the priority commodity value chains, PRDP closely works with LGUs and other partner agencies to provide projects that help residents in the remote areas, while maintaining the safety and security of the people who serve as support in bringing opportunities and livelihood to our farmers and fisherfolk. – Michelle Angela G. Alfigura, DA-PRDP RPCO 5 InfoACE Unit

Architect Eleno E. Said enthusiastically shares his expertise on construction safety and accident investigation through a series of workshops and onsite activities.

Participants from LGU Masbate, Catanduanes and Tabaco identify examples of safe and unsafe act and condition during one of the workshops on the COSH training.

Participants from the COSH training went to one of PRDPs Farm-to-Market Road in Pamplona, Camarines Sur to observe and use the knowledge gained from the training.

40 Certified Safety Officers from SES Unit of the Project Coordination Office (PSO) Luzon B and I-BUILD Component, Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Unit and SES Unit of the Regional Project Coordinating Office (RPCO) 5, selected Department of Agriculture Employees and Provincial/Municipal Local Government Units (P/MLGUs) with PRDP Subprojects.