The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) field office here recently conducted an orientation on preventive maintenance of heavy equipment and service vehicles in an effort to fully equip the operators on safe and efficient equipment operation.
The orientation was attended by operators, drivers, and maintenance engineers who are involved in the construction and maintenance of infrastructure projects.
DPWH Southern Leyte chief Ma. Margarita Junia said their office holds the equipment operation meeting every quarter to ensure proper use of infrastructure equipment, to minimize equipment breakdown and to avoid accidents.
“There is really a need to conduct this kind of orientation because proper equipment operation and maintenance plays an important role in the successful implementation of infrastructure projects. Our operators and drivers should always be reminded of the proper operational methods and procedures,” Junia said.
Apart from discussing the operational methods for heavy equipment, procedures in utilizing the service vehicles efficiently were also emphasized during the orientation.
Junia said the service vehicles must be in good condition as it plays a vital part in adhering to the policy of quickly responding to restore road and bridge defects.
Department Order No. 41, series of 2016 issued by the central office directs personnel to fix as early as within two days road defects such as potholes, alligator cracks, major scaling, shoving and corrugation, pumping and depression, faded road markings, inverted shoulders, lush vegetation, clogged drains, and open manholes.
“The utilization of these equipment is in line with our duty to continually improve the maintenance service delivery to the public and to keep our national roads safe and convenient for the people of Southern Leyte,” Junia said.
The DPWH field office here is tasked to maintain 299 kilometers of national roads and 155 bridges, built in 18 towns and one city.