THE Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) said it launched a campaign to educate young workers on occupational safety and health (OSH), because that segment of the labor force is deemed most vulnerable to workplace hazards.

In a statement, DoLE said Undersecretary Ciriaco Lagunzad III on Wednesday launched in Makati City during the launch of the Youth4OSH Communication Platform, an interactive resource 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.

He said the ILO’s resource is interactive and youth-friendly and expressed the hope that it will effectively engage young workers in OSH issues.

“The Youth4OSH Communication Platform… will facilitate the education and involvement of youth in the OSH advocacy,” Lagunzad said.

The platform allows workers to access interactive videos on OSH practices to minimize workplace accidents and illnesses.

According to ILO, young workers are 40% more likely to suffer injuries and illnesses at work than older workers because of lack of job experience and inadequate preparation for the job.

ILO also said the Philippine workforce is young with around 26% of the labor force 25-34 years old, while 17.5% are 15-24.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR