Construction Reality - Paolo Bediones: USI TV5 Under Special Investigation

Paolo Bediones of TV5's Under Special Investigation steps into a pair of rubber boots as he explores the high risks of construction labor and issues of construction safety. In a project site by JAO Builders, he joins a group of laborers and engineers building residences in a hands-on discovery of real construction and real dangers. Construction Reality It is a game of hard work and creative science. Construction is application of physics, psychology, art and of course, common sense. It is engineering and architecture combined. It is also hard physical labor under the heat of the sun. Any man who enters the construction world gambles his life as he climbs scaffolds of metal and temporary lifts to reach his work plane. Philippine construction workers have been quite infamous. They have the reputation of disregarding safety protocols despite the provisions for them. When construction workers are accustomed to slippers and the absence of protective gears, setting them up with new and strict safety protocols have been a challenge for engineers all over the country. Tragedy On a late Thursday morning, January 27, 2011, 11 construction workers fell from a gondola that collapsed from a ride down from the 32nd floor of an Eton construction site in Makati City. Only one survived but still in critical condition. The image is harrowing as rescuers pull-out bodies from a tangle of reinforcement bars, concrete and scaffolds. This is the first reported and massive construction accident of 2011. Labor groups and the government are once again alerted to the lack of safety measures in construction in the country. The investigation led to the obvious. They were too heavy for a gondola and rope designed to carry a maximum of three passengers. At such height, no net could lessen the blow. Neither could a quick mind.

A Lesson to Learn Construction work is tough, dangerous even. Though a living in it is hardly good, thousands of people enter this world by choice or lack of a better one. It takes skill and almost no academic training to work as a construction worker. The wages are small and the harsh weather does not make it easier. A lesson had to be learned and Paolo Bediones was no stranger to it. Armed with a hard hat, gloves and rubber boots, he took a shot at picking and shoveling in creation of a ditch for foundation. He learned to secure reinforced bars with tie wires but failed to impress Supervising Engineer Roland Labugen of his skills. Though the gloves he wore protected him, it was obvious to Paolo Bediones that he could have wounded himself easily. "Paolo Bediones holding on to a scaffold while shooting for Under Special Investigation, a TV5 production." "Wearing a safety belt and hard hat, Paolo looks below from a slab and temporary railings." He walked through excavations, abutting rebars and pipes with a cautious step and a hand constantly holding on to something. Construction workers are far more courageous [or insane] when they walk through narrow beams without safety harnesses while several stories up. Look Ma, no hands! He learned to use the harness in a 4-storey project. And likely thinking how billboard workers would choose not even a safety belt but rather free climb a billboard. Safety is every man's concern and must be every construction site's priority. Yet the dangers never dissipate. When you wear a hard hat into a site, there is never a guarantee that you will be 100 percent protected. A hard hat protects your head only from falling objects. "[Boots] are for protection against, for example, nails..." says Engr. Labugen. For an engineer with so many years of experience and exposure to construction highs and lows, the stories are always quite colorful with a bit of gore stuck in between. Nevertheless, we have to learn of the gory and gruesome in construction just to keep in mind how dangerous it can get. Awareness As Paolo Bediones tried to accomplish a few strokes of picking and shoveling on soil, he realized how much injury, bruising, and discomfort it can cause. It is inherent part of the job. You have to sweat and toil to get the job done. However, the mind has to be at work as well. Like the masters of martial arts, you have to wield a move and a weapon with proper stance and technique. Otherwise, injury for you rather than your opponent is a likely aftermath. Awareness is everything. You have to know your tool. Master it to keep it from overcoming you. One wrong stroke, one loose grip with a pick in your hands could mean your life or someone else's - a life no can replace. It is a responsibility to be mindful, to be aware of the dangers. To keep the workers constantly aware, "site engineers act as safety engineers as well" says Engr. Oliver Zapanta. It is a task of managing work quality and work ethics so workers maintain strict compliance with protocol. If you visit a construction site, one of the most obvious safety measures would be a clean engineer holding a piece of paper and yelling at some workers who care not to wear mandatory safety gear until they do. Construction Safety is a job for both workers and management. More importantly, it is a matter of respect for life.