THIS is not just a story about helping to ease traffic congestion but, more important, about safety, as well. So compelling it is that it has to be told here.
Here: Among safety advocates and experts, achieving the feat of logging zero-accident in 3 million hours speaks well of the company behind it. This number of man-hours alone is equivalent to 375,000 man-days (one man-day being the equivalent of eight man-hours).
Within the ranks of construction engineers and workers, 3 million safe man-hours are unprecedented.
To motorists, 3 million safe man-hours means the project will be completed on schedule in July 2017 or thereabouts, assuming right-of-way acquisitions are completed this year.
We are speaking here of the Harbor Link Segment 10 of the North Luzon Expressway (Nlex), an all-elevated expressway—or Skyway—which stretches to 5.7 kilometers. It is called Harbor Link because the tollway is mainly for trucks carrying cargo to and from the Manila ports.
Segment 10 is another project of the Manila North Tollways Corp. (MNTC), whose safety measures matched global safety standards.
Segment 10 forms part of the Nlex as an all-elevated roadway, which starts from MacArthur Highway in Karuhatan, Valenzuela City, going to C3 Road in Caloocan City and extending to Road 10 in Navotas. It is a P10.5-billion, four-lane expressway, which is being built above the existing Philippine National Railways (PNR) railroad tracks. The elevated structure is 20 meters high.
Safety breakthrough
“THIS safety breakthrough is a strong testament to MNTC’s strict adherence to safety standards in its operations and projects,” said Raul Ignacio, the MNTC COO.
Raul said safety has always been at the core of MNTC’s culture, since the company started operating the Nlex, and now also the SCTEx (Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway).
“We achieve safe tollways by ingraining safety in the company culture,” Raul said. “While infrastructure and technological features are key to safety, ultimately, it is us humans—the company employees and the road users—who can make the difference between hazard and safety.”
The key to Segment 10’s safety is MNTC’s commitment to providing a healthy and safe workplace and the Strive for LIFE (Leighton Incident Free Environment) initiative of its contractor Leighton Contractors Asia Ltd. (LCAL). LIFE’s framework includes assessing and identifying risks before they become problems. Strict enforcement of measures and continuous review of safety precautions assures safety success.
“We have been telling Segment 10 workers that, aside from finishing their job on time on a day-to-day basis, they must have on top of their mind safety as top priority,” said Nemesio Castillo, the MNTC vice president for construction management services.
International standards of safety
MNTC and LCAL have developed and nurtured a strong safety culture throughout their respective organizations. Both companies hold international certification OHSAS18001: 2007 for occupational health and safety system.
“Building a 20-meter-high expressway entails many hazards that’s why we constantly conduct safety trainings to eliminate health and safety risks that can endanger Segment 10 workers,” said Richard Wood, LCAL project director.
Among the trainings that are frequently held for Segment 10 workers include emergency rescue, basic life support and stress management.
“We are continuously looking at ways of controlling risks and eliminating injuries at Segment 10 and complete the project with the highest health and safety standards,” Castillo said.
Dear readers, it’s reassuring to know that the people behind Nlex stick to their standards of safety even if we are not looking. A company being accident-free for 3 million man-hours is no ordinary achievement. These are just numbers, yes, but, hey, they speak volumes about builders and concessionaires endowed with an unflagging determination to make safety their top priority.
After all, in human terms: In an accident-free workplace, any project will be completed practically on schedule. And may I reiterate my commendation of MNTC’s culture of safety because it affirms a company’s courageous commitment—not only to deliver what it promises, but also because such safety standard it embraces to the hilt keeps humans out of harm’s way.
Sir John on Ali
THE following was contributed for my Muhammad Ali (1942-2016) book project, which I started in 2008. It came from Danny “Sir John” Isla, the president of Lexus Manila:
“I was still a student when the 1975 ‘Thrillla in Manila’ happened. At that time, I disliked Ali for his arrogance, loud mouth and wise-crack attitude—forcing me to root for whoever his opponent was.
“It was a complete turnaround for me when I started hearing Ali one-liners, like ‘Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee,” ‘Rope-a-Dope’ and ‘Russian Tank.’ I realized this guy is not just a good boxer, he’s also a good marketing man! He knew how to get the attention of the world and he was able to bring a new level of excitement to the world of boxing. I said then, this man was making history.
“How things could change so quickly. In no time, he has become my idol!”
PEE STOP. Muhammad Ali, the greatest boxer of all time, drove a Cadillac when he returned to his hometown Louisville, Kentucky, as the new world heavyweight champion in 1964. Being an innate lover of children, Ali didn’t shoo away neighborhood kids watching, touching, his parked muscle in awe. Ali died on June 4 after complications of the Parkinson’s disease. Bye, idol. Please say hi to Dear Jess up there?