MANILA – Congress has ratified the bill strengthening compliance with occupational safety and health standards (OSHS).
The 41-year-old Labor Code of the Philippines does not declare OSHS violations as unlawful.
An erring employer shall be penalized with administrative fines of up to P100,000 for each day of non-correction of the violation, the ratified measure stated. Previous fines were only pegged between P1,000 and P10,000.
As of this writing the bill only needed President Rodrigo Duterte’s signature to become law.
“Isang hakbang na lang po at maisasabatas na ang Occupational Safety and Health Standards Bill,” said Sen. Joel Villanueva, author.
“Kapag nalagdaan ito ng ating Pangulo, hindi na pwedeng balewalain ng mga employer, contractor o mga subcontractor ang OSHS,” he said. “Buhay po ng mga manggagawa ang nakataya sa pagpapabaya.”
The measure covers all establishments and workplaces, said Villanueva, chairman of the Senate Committee on Labor.
It requires mandatory training on basic occupational safety and health for safety officers as prescribed by the Department of Labor and Employment.
Employers must provide a workplace free from hazardous conditions, and give workers complete job safety instructions or orientation and inform them of the hazards associated with their work, the bill said.
They must also comply with OSHS, including the provision of protective and safety devices such as personal protective equipment and machine guards, stated the bill.
In addition, workers must use only approved protective devices and equipment, the measure said./PN
