MANILA — Majority of the 67 establishments engaged in manufacturing and wholesaling of pyrotechnic in Bulacan have passed the occupational safety and health (OSH) inspections by labor laws compliance officers (LLCOs), the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reported on Saturday.
In a statement, the department’s Central Luzon regional office said that a total of 61 of the 67 establishments inspected in Bocaue, the country’s fireworks capital, were compliant with the prescribed safety standards.
DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III has ordered regional offices to monitor establishments’ safety and health compliance with OSH in the pyrotechnics and firecrackers sector nationwide in connection with the New Year’s celebrations.
In Labor Advisory No. 17, the DOLE chief also directed LLCOs to assist establishments in correcting safety and health deficiencies.
Compliance officers were authorized to investigate violations pursuant to Department Order No. 183, or the Revised Rules on the Administration and Enforcement of Labor Laws, in cases of refusal to comply with OSH standards.
Some non-compliant establishments were allowed to correct their deficiencies such as having more than two sellers and the use of stores as sleeping quarters.
There are 152 pyrotechnic establishments in Bocaue and Sta. Maria, Bulacan.
Meanwhile, reports of other regions have yet to reach DOLE main office in Manila.
The Bureau of Working Conditions (BWC) was tasked to consolidate the list of monitored and assisted pyrotechnic establishments nationwide. (PNA)
