Ensuring Young Workers’ Safety, Health Gets Boost

The labor department is pushing for interactive and youth-friendly approach of engaging young workers, as the most vulnerable to job risks and hazards, in building work safety and health culture.

Labor Undersecretary Ciriaco Lagunzad III made the call on Wednesday in Makati City during the launch of the Youth4OSH Communication Platform, an interactive knowledge-sharing platform on OSH practices introduced by the International Labour Organization (ILO).

“We at DOLE are working full time to reach out to the youth and empower them on concepts of OSH in the hopes of inspiring them to be future advocates and champions of work safety and health. What we need is a more creative and friendly-approach in generating the public and youth support in building a preventative safety and health culture,” Lagunzad said.

The undersecretary underscored the commendable initiative of the ILO in coming up with an interactive and youth-friendly platform that will effectively engage young workers in the OSH advocacy.

“The Youth4OSH Communication Platform is an excellent complement to the labor department’s programs because it will facilitate the education and involvement of youth in the OSH advocacy,” Lagunzad said.

The said platform allows workers, particularly the Internet-savvy youth to familiarize themselves with the learning resources and interactive videos on OSH practices, as a preventative strategy of reducing accidents and illnesses among young workers.

According to ILO, young workers are 40 percent more likely to suffer injuries and illnesses at work than older workers because of lack of basic trainings, less job experiences, and inadequate preparation for the job.

ILO also indicated Philippine’s workforce as relatively young with around 26 percent of its total labor force belongs to the age group of 25-34, while 17.5 percent come from 15-24 age group.

Lagunzad said DOLE continues to intensify its safety orientations and seminars at all workplaces nationwide and at schools to empower students on OSH practices and prepare them on their future work.

“With the collaboration with our social partners, we hope to influence more young and future workers to practice safe work procedures and look out for their comrades and families so that we can eventually achieve zero occupational accidents and illnesses,” Lagunzad said. (DOLE PR)