Korean company to blame for death of workers

“The death of the 3 workers yesterday at the Hanjin Shipyard was very tragic. It was an accident waiting to happen and the blame rest squarely on the shoulders of Hanjin Heavy Industries Corporation Philippines based in the Subic Bay Freeport.”

This was the view of Noel Colina, Executive Director of the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development (IOHSAD) on the accident which happened at the Hanjin Shipyard which claimed the lives of 3 workers.

Two workers, Neil Mojica and Eduardo Molina, were crushed when a crane they were working on fell on them last Monday. Angelo Banaag, died after falling from the roof on Tuesday morning, just a few hours after Mojica and Molina were crushed.

“When a work area is hazardous, risks of accidents causing death and injury to workers increase. Government inspectors have found the Hanjin management of clear violations of several health and safety standards last January, 2008 when 2 workers died because of gas explosions. The failure of Hanjin management to comply to work standards have made work hazardous and this lead to the death of the workers. The management should be held accountable,” clarified Colina.

Initial reports said the platform on which the crane rested were uneven which led to the crane collapsing. “When working with heavy equipment, the possibility of it accidentally moving or sliding should always be checked and this possibility should immediately be eliminated,” said Colina.

Colina also picked on the existing fall protection plan of the company. “If a job can be done at the ground level, finish the job first and then move to elevated area later. Workers should also be provided with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) like a body harness, safety lines, lanyards and rope grab devices which could prevent a person from falling but this probably were not provided.”