Dad moves to monitor bldg constructions
MONITORING of construction is being pushed.
Reeling from the tragedy of collapsed building in Sandico Street, Councilor Michael Lawana is moving for a tighter monitoring of ongoing construction of structures in the city.
In a proposed ordinance, Lawana is eying to mandate construction companies and contractors to provide an independent safety officer on site to assure the safety of all.
“A construction safety officer performs various functions to ensure a safe environment for
workers at a project site. The job itself entails collaborating with contractors and locating sources of potential hazards on project sites including toxic materials, potential electrocution and structural threats to human life and finding ways to reduce or completely eliminate such hazardous threats from the sites,” Lawana said of his proposed measure.
Weeks ago, a building construction a collapsed burying in mud and soil both Engr. Patrick Lachica, and Hanna Jean Aragon when the retaining wall and the lane of the road eroded.
“If only if there will be a safety protection officer, the two employees who died in the Sandico might be still alive. There was already a proposed ordinance requiring all constructions firms to employ a safety officer or safety supervisor or safety engineer to see to it that safety is not being sacrifice in their workplace. Normally, the project engineer or civil engineer is also the one who in charge in the safety which is not good or it was a mortal sin because in that case you are sacrificing your accomplishment as an engineer against your safety. So there should be a safety officer or safety person whose only focus is on the safety issues no more no less,” Lawana quipped.
The new law aims to hire an independent safety protection officer to check the safety of the employees and workers as well as the building itself.
Lawana added the problem in the establishing of building was because there was no guidance from the safety engineer or safety officer or safety supervisor.
During a probe by the City Council last week, City Engineering Office OIC Engineer Edgar Victorio Olpindo said initial findings in the Sandico collapse show both a man made and a natural disaster due to continuous rains and dangers because of deep excavation, causing the road to give in.
Olpindo said there will be no violation because in the report from CBAO, the plans and specification are well-followed as per building permit.
“The investigation still on-going and as far as I know no violation committed,” Olpindo stated.
Head of the City Buildings and Architecture Office (CBAO) Engr. Nazita Bañez said the owner and the contractor submitted and secured an excavation permit from CBAO.
Fernando Laranang, president and chief executive officer of FCLaranang Development Construction said the incident was because the left side of the contrails of the street had a leak and was connected directly to the main office which caused the landslide.
Laranang said after the incident, they received a stop order from Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) but was lifted partially June 20.
The company has assisted the families of the two victims with compensation packages since the tragedy and promised to repair the damaged city road.