The Philippines: Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority Holds Shipyard Safety Briefing

Stressing the importance of safety in the workplace, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) conducted a briefing on safe shipyard practices for companies in the maritime and shipbuilding sector in this free port.

SBMA director Norberto Sosa, who is a marine and terminal operations expert, made a presentation on standard safety procedures to Freeport locators in the maritime and shipbuilding industry here and said that local firms should exert extra efforts to keep the industry safe and help erase the country’s image as a disaster-prone country.

“We are being known for maritime disasters. I do not want that to continue,” Sosa said. “There should be visible management commitment to safety,” he told representatives of maritime firms here. Sosa also said that there are lessons to be learned in recent accidents in the shipbuilding industry, particularly the tragedy that struck the Keppel shipyard in Subic, Zambales. “We should always prevent accidents. However, if prevention fails, we must be prepared for emergencies and we should be able to manage crises,” he said.

The SBMA official also emphasized that business locators in the Subic Bay Freeport should place safety on equal footing with business objectives.

Sosa also revealed that a committee has been organized by the SBMA to conduct safety inspections of the different shipyards and drydocks in the free port.

Director Wilfredo Pineda, on the other hand, assured the locators that the SBMA has done its part in enforcing safety practices, as the Subic Bay Freeport is now hosts several shipbuilding and repair companies, including Hanjin Heavy Industries, Co., Ltd., the fourth largest shipbuilder in the world and the largest in the Philippines. “So please do your part to help prevent accidents, too,” Pineda asked the business locators here.

Meanwhile, SBMA deputy administrator for corporate communications Knette Fernando clarified in a separate statement that the recent accident at the Keppel shipyard that killed six workers and injured six others did not happen in this free port, but in another special economic zone in the neighboring town of Subic, Zambales.

Fernando issued the clarification after some news reports identified the Subic Bay Freeport as the site of the tragic mishap. “That’s inaccurate,” Fernando said. “We want to make it clear that the Keppel shipyard where the unfortunate incident happened is not located in the Subic Bay Freeport, but in Subic town.” Fernando said the misidentification of Subic Freeport has caused some confusion even among investigators looking into probable causes of the accident.

“Now, there are reports that some investigating bodies want to summon SBMA officials to shed light on the matter. Of course, they wouldn’t know anything about it,” she said.

The Keppel shipyard, officials of the Subic town said, is located inside a special economic zone that is under the jurisdiction of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA). The Subic Bay Freeport on the other hand is under the management and control of the SBMA.

[mappress]

Source: sbma, October 26, 2011;