DOE Issues Code of Practice Ensuring Health and Safety in RE Facility Operations

TAGUIG CITY- In pursuit of improving sustainability and resiliency of the power facilities, Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi, signed on 11 June 2021, the Renewable Energy Safety and Health Rules and Regulations (RESHERR) Code of Practices (COPs) for all Renewable Energy (RE) Power Facilities. The COPs is primarily intended to guide RE Developers in ensuring safety in the workplace to protect workers from occupational safety and health hazards,  thereby ensuring the continuous supply of electricity in the country.

Secretary Cusi emphasized that “the DOE put a premium on ensuring the safety of communities and the environment, especially the energy sector workers." 

"Our manpower in the energy sector is our most important asset, as we work with the private sector towards an adequate, stable and sustainable energy supply for our country", he added.

The COPs cover the safety, health, and environment rules and regulations per type of RE resource development to ensure the safety and protection of both workers and the surrounding community against hazards to health, life, property, as well as the pollution of air, land and water from RE operations.

Furthermore, the COPs provide various approaches in addressing a range of safety, health and environment issues and concerns, from the conduct of pre-development activities up to power plant operations.
 
The Code was developed to conform with the Energy Resiliency Compliance Plan, which institutionalizes national adaptive standards against human-induced and natural disasters.

To achieve Zero unsafe acts, incidents, and accidents in RE operations, the DOE calls for the support and full compliance of RE Developers in these COPs.

The following COPs were published in Daily Tribune and Business World on 29 October 2021 and shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its publication:

• DC2021-06-0016 Geothermal Safety, Health and Environment Code of Practice 
• DC2021-06-0017 Hydropower Safety, Health and Environment Code of Practice
• DC2021-06-0018 Solar Safety, Health and Environment Code of Practice 
• DC2021-06-0019 Wind Safety, Health and Environment Code of Practice 
• DC2021-06-0020 Biomass and Biofuels Safety, Health and Environment Code of Practice

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