"Palace: More inspections after Kentex fire", 16 May 2015

Malacanañang said...that the labor department and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) will be ramping up efforts to ensure proper working conditions in industrial workplaces...Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte explained...that "the labor department is also intensifying their inspections when it comes to the industrial work places like the one in Valenzuela." Valte added that Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz already has initial reports on Kentex Manufacturing engaging the services of a subcontractor that is not registered with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)...The labor chief said that representatives of both Kentex Manufacturing and the sub-contractor CJC Manpower Services have been summoned to a special meeting with the DOLE...Valte added that Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II was also making sure that the Fire Code – through the BFP – is properly implemented, with necessary permits issued based on compliance with fire and building codes...The special inter-agency task force, including members from the national police, the fire-fighting service, the justice and health departments, have been given two weeks to finish their investigation, said spokesman Renato Marcial."Definitely, if someone deserves to be punished, they will be punished,"...The fire started when sparks from a welder repairing a metal gate apparently ignited nearby chemicals. Marcial said that Kentex should have secured a special permit for such a dangerous welding job and its owners could face charges for safety lapses. This could range from 6 months to 6 years in jail but the scale of the fatalities could result in more stringent punishment...Marcial said the investigation will be "complete, thorough and based on scientific findings."