From accident prone to-accident free – the Bambuza story
“Maganda yung nagtatrabaho ka ng walang naaksidente. Siyempre, pag may naaksidente, bawas ng tao at oras, bawas din sa kita,” said Wilberto Ayo, one of the members of Bambuza, a common service facility for bamboo crafts located at Bula, Camarines Sur.
Together with his fellow bamboo craft makers, Wilberto attended the occupational safety and health orientation conducted by the Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC) in 2009 under the Great Women Project in collaboration with the Philippine Commission on Women.
Since then, their bamboo craft enterprise has grown and improved. From being a small backyard business wherein even their small children were exposed to hazards like sharp tools, vapor from varnish and smoke from burning wood, they now have a building wherein they have a designted place for all the processess of bamboo furniture making complete with machinery and a gallery for their finished products.
“Sa tulong ng LGU at ng Metro Naga Development Council, naitayo namin itong Bambuza Common Service Facility. Ang mga makina naman ay binigay ng DOST. Lahat iyan ay may mga machine guard para siguradong walang masusugatan o kaya mapuputulan ng daliri,” said Mang Wilberto.
“We are very glad to see how workers from the informal sector appreciate and apply the learnings they have gained from our OSH orientations, especially how OSH has helped them improve their small enterprises,” said OSHC Executive Dircteor Ma. Teresita S. Cucueco. “We are continusly conducting OSH orientations for the informal sector to provide much needed information on how they can avoid getting into accidents and being sick because of the nature of their jobs. OSH is for everyone.”
After the personal protective equipment given by OSHC had been worn out, the Bambooza workers have been buying their own masks, safety gloves, earmuffs and ear plugs. Those of who have attended the OSH orientation ensured that their colleagues know how to use the PPEs.
“Lahat kami gumagamit ng mga ito,” said Mang Wilberto. Kakaiba ang pakiramdam sa umpisa kasi hindi ka sanay pero pag inisp mo naman ang kaligtasan mo, di ka magdadalawang isip,” he enthused.
END/DJ Romero
Any question on this release? Please contact Ma. Teresita S. Cucueco, MD, CESO III, Executive director, Occupational Safety and Health Center, North Avenue corner Agham Road, Diliman, Quezon City with telephone numbers 929-6036 to 39 and e-mail address: oshc_dole@yahoo.com
