BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO
IN a move to continuously promote safety and health, FCF Minerals Corp. in Runruno village in Quezon town, Nueva Vizcaya has started a program that emphasizes everyone’s wellbeing in the workplace.
Led by the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) department, FCF Minerals has developed the Employee Safety Spotlight (ESS) program to encourage and give recognition to employees who have shown exemplary efforts in promoting safety and health in their workplace in the mines.
“We believe that giving the employees a platform to be heard while recognizing their efforts can contribute in the creation of a just, safe and healthy culture in the workplace,” according to the OHS department.
Under the ESS program, the first employee to be recognized was Cristine Raspado who is an executive assistant and TSM project assistant.
Raspado has advised co-workers to influence and encourage others to act safely and that the best way to keep employees motivated when it comes to safety is by setting a good example and applying positive reinforcement.
“OSH has rolled out safety programs and policies and I am confident that my co-employees attend to trainings not just for the sake of earning a certificate but to be knowledgeable about health and safety issues in the workplace,” Rasp[ado said.
She said one of the strengths of their workforce is that they have the best OSH team on board.
“And being surrounded with safety professionals who are dedicated to their work to keep our workplace safe is something that every FCF employee should be proud of,” Raspado added.
FCF country manager James Carmichael said the company as an employer has the responsibility to maintain a safe and healthy workplace.
“A safety and health management system or safety program can help the employees focus their efforts on improving their work environment. Whatever you call it, the company’s plan describes what the people in its organization do to prevent injuries and illnesses in workplaces especially in the mines,” Carmichael said.