The Department of Labor and Employments’ safety awareness orientation program for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) bound to Korea has started due to continuous preference for OFWs of the host country.

Safety awareness orientation program is the step taken by the host country to strengthen the growth of their rapidly increasing economy.

According to Secretary Patricia A. Sto. Tomas of DOLE, early in 2006, some of occupational safety and health (OSH) orientation activities for OFWs bound to Korea are either been accomplished or scheduled at the DOLE’s Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC). She likewise added that the continuing orientations came on the heels of the earlier OSHC training of 6,600 OFWs under its Appreciation Courses on OSH for OFWs in 2005 as part of the joint RP-Korea bilateral efforts to ensure properly trained and oriented OFWs.

"It is expected that in 2006, OSH and other relevant training for OFWs shall continue as Korean employers affirm their general preference for Filipino workers." OSHC Executive Director Dulce P. Gust said.

Gust added OSH courses serves as the pre-employment training under the Korean Employment Systems (KEPs) which allows for the employment and protection of foreign workers in small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

The course has three modules which include training modules, safety modules and occupational environment session. Training module will discuss relevant issues in occupational safety, health and work environment. Safety module will particularly covers machine and electrical safety, safety in transporting and handling materials, tools and equipment, construction safety, and emergency preparedness. And occupational environment sessions focus on chemical safety, with various health hazards and effects tackled in the health module.

"Alongside with the preventive aspects, the training also provides inputs on responsive measures such as basic first aid concepts and knowledge, as well as OSH laws and policies in Korea," Gust said.

After the orientation of OFWs bound to Korea held on January 3 to 4, 5 to 6, and 9 to 10 further schedule will be on January 11 to 12, 16 to 17, and 18 to 19 2006 at the OSH auditorium in Quezon City.

"The OSHC with a dedicated core of 30 trainors has responded ably to the challenge of providing OSH orientation to the OFWs, which now comprises a significant portion of our work." However, to respond to the need to orient on safety the thousands of OFWs being accepted for employment in Korea, the 30 instructors are being reinforced by private sector trainors, Gust said.

Tentative schedules for the continuous nationwide have been lined up for the first quarter of 2006 and beyobd for the country's government, labor and management sectors. They are as follows:

January 24 to 26 - Zero Accident Program (ZAP) seminars for Regions 1, 2, 3 and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR); February 6 - Basic Occupational Safety and Health (BOSH) in the Distance Mode (Pilot); Feb. 6-10 - BOSH for Supervisors; Feb. 21 to 23 - ZAP Seminars for Regions 4-A (CALABARZON), 4-B (MIMAROPA), and the National Capital Region; Feb. 27 to March 3 - BOSH for the Public Sector (Cluster 1); March 7 to 10: Assessment Team Training (Drugs); March 13 to 17 - BOSH for the Department of Health, including hospitals (Cluster 3); March 21 to 24 - SOLVE Training; March 27 to 31 - BOSH for Region 10; and April 10 to 14, and 24 to 28, 2006 - BOSH for the Public Sector (Clusters 2 and 4, respectively).