Safety in the Workplace

LESSON 3

Why do we have these signage’s?

Of course, they are for everyone’s safety. According to Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Work Immersion is an integral part of the K-12 Program in fully realizing its goal to produce job-ready graduates quipped with industry – base skills.  

Likewise, it strongly affirms that while work immersion contributes to the full realization of the objectives of the K to 12 Program, the safety, health, and morals of SHS students, especially those below 18 years of age, shall be a paramount area of consideration.

Hence, being a Work Immersion student, who will also become employees or even an employer, or an entrepreneur soon, you must learn this lesson:  Safety in the Workplace. 

To learn about this, let us be familiarized with what Occupational Safety and Health Standards (OSHS) is. 

This was formulated in 1978 in compliance with the constitutional mandate to safeguard the workers’ social and economic well-being as well as their physical safety and health.

The Department of Labor and Employment under Article 162 of the Labor Code of the Philippines, the OSHS was promulgated for the guidance and compliance of all concerned. This body of rules and regulations is referred to as “Standards”

OSHS aims to protect every workingman and woman against the dangers of injury, sickness or death through safe and healthful working conditions, thereby assuring the conservation of valuable manpower resources and the prevention of loss or damage to lives and properties, consistent with national development goals and with the State’s commitment for the total development of every worker as a complete human being.

Here are some definitions you also have to understand:

1. “Employer” includes any person acting directly or indirectly in the interest of an employer, in relation to an employee, and shall include government owned or controlled corporations and institutions, as well as non-profit private institutions or organizations. 

2. “Employee” shall mean any person hired, permitted or suffered to work by an employer.

3. “Safe or Safety” shall refer to the physical or environmental conditions of work or employment, which substantially comply with the provisions of these Standards. 

4. “Health” shall connote a sound state of the body and mind of the worker, which enables him to perform his job normally, in a state of well-being. 

5. “Work Accident” shall mean an unplanned or unexpected occurrence that may or may not result in personal injury, property damage, work stoppage or interference or any combination thereof, which arises out of and in the course of employment.  

6. “Work Injury” shall mean any injury or occupational illness suffered by a person, which arises out of or in the course of his employment.

7. “Workplace” means the office, premises or work site, where the workers are habitually employed and shall include the office or place where the workers, who have no fixed or definite work site, regularly report for assignment in the course of their employment.

Duties of Employers, Workers and other Persons: 

(1) Each employer covered by the provisions of these Standards shall: 

a. furnish his workers a place of employment free from hazardous conditions that are causing or are likely to cause death, illness or physical harm to his workers; 

b. Give complete job safety instructions to all his workers, especially to those entering the job for the first time, including those relating to the familiarization with their work environment, hazards to which the workers are exposed to and steps taken in case of emergency;

c. Comply with the requirements of this Standards; and 

d. use only approved devices and equipment in his workplace. 

(2) Each worker shall:

a. Cooperate with the employer in carrying out the provisions of this

b. Standards

c. report to his supervisor any work hazard that may be discovered in his workplace. 

d. Make proper use of all safeguards and safety devices furnished in accordance with the provisions of this Standards for his protection and that of others, and shall follow all instructions given by the employer in compliance with the provisions of this Standards.

e. use personal protection and safety equipment as required by the employer

f.  Follow work safe procedures

(3) It shall be the duty of any person, including any builder or contractor or enforcement agent, who visits, builds, renovates, or installs devices, or conducts business in any establishment or workplace, to comply with the provisions of this Standards and all regulations of the employer issued there under as well as with other subsequent issuances of the Secretary.

Now that our country is in time of crisis, here are some SPECIFIC GUIDELINES that DOH implements: 

1.  The employer must ensure that the workspace is properly disinfected, ventilated, and maintained.

2.  The employer shall also provide proper visual reminders for safety policies around the workplace to improve compliance.  

3.  Other prevention and control measures are:

• • • • Conduct daily temperature and symptom monitoring and recording of all staff who report for work.

      • Establish referral network for employees who will develop symptoms.

      • Employers must enforce infection control procedures such as physical distancing, wearing of masks, meticulous hand hygiene, and cough etiquette.  Appropriate PPE shall also be worn based on the setting of their work (e.g. face shields and masks for those who render service via face-to-face encounters, full PPE for frontline healthcare workers, etc.).

      • Employers shall implement activities to promote physical and mental resilience among their employees and workers, and ensure other measures to reduce transmission, contact rate and risk of infection. (DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM No. 2020-_ 0220)

What is hazard?

Hazard is anything with potential to cause injury, illness, or damage.

Types of Hazards:

1.     Physical Hazards. These are brought by unhealthy working conditions, poor lighting, poor ventilation, insufficient facilities, inefficient or faulty equipment or machine, and improper work practices like wrong use of knives.

2.     Biological Hazards. These are brought about by workers infected with diseases or illnesses, unhygienic personal practices that can transmit bacteria, parasites, fungi to other workers and food and equipment being handled. Hence, it is advised that Covid-19 probable cases should be isolated right away. 

3.     Ergonomic Hazards. These are brought by poor posture when working long periods of standing, bending, pushing, lifting, carrying that can cause body stress, muscle pains, and soreness, back injury, numbness of hands, feet and other parts of the body

4.     Psychological Hazards. These are brought by too much stress from work that may cause mental emotional strains, anxieties, depression- losing focus on one’s work and others

When potential hazard is discovered, what does an employee need to do?

·         Be sure that every individual in the workplace is aware of the problem. 

·         Inform or notify your supervisor. Unless you are the supervisor, then get going on that safety committee plan.

·         Make a follow up. Informing about the hazard is not an assurance that problem is resolved, unless you make follow ups.

·         Record or file any reports or documents about the problem. 

Identifying the hazard is not the only way to make everyone safe. You and I have to keep ourselves clean, to keep the food clean, and to keep the workplace clean.

A.     To Keep Oneself Clean

1.     Wash hands thoroughly.

2.     Keep the finger nails short and clean.

3.     Always wear PPE while at work.              

4.     Wear mask anywhere and anytime.

5.     Remove all accessories before working.

B.     To keep the Food Clean

1.     Never handle food when you have wounds, cuts, and infections.

2.     It is best to work with clean and sanitized gloves all times to minimize hand contact with food.

3.     Refrigerate food, especially perishable ones.

4.     Keep food in clean containers with cover.  

5.     Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly before use. 

6.     Check food and containers for any possible contamination. 

7.     Clean the containers of ingredients regularly.

8.     Follow the policy of first in, first out. Those stored earlier should be used first before those stored later.

9.     Label package of food to determine information.

C.    To Keep the Workplace Clean

1.     Do not do personal hygiene activities in the workplace.

2.     Do not eat, smoke or spit in the workplace.

3.     Do not sit on equipment and worktables.

4.     Keep the surrounding areas free from dirt and disorganization.

5.     Follow the Japanese philosophy of good housekeeping-sort/seiri, set-in-order/seiton, sweep/seiso, standardize/seiketsu, and sustain/shitsuke. 

TERM: Seiri  

English Term: Tidiness   

Meaning in Japanese Context: Throw away all rubbish and unrelated materials in the workplace

TERM: Seiton

English Term: Orderliness

Meaning in Japanese Context: Set everything in proper place quick retrieval and storage

TERM: Seiso

English Term: Cleanliness

Meaning in Japanese Context: Clean the workplace; everyone should be a janitor

TERM: Seiketsu

English Term: Standardization

Meaning in Japanese Context: Standardize the way of maintaining cleanliness

TERM: Shitsuke

English Term: Discipline

Meaning in Japanese Context: Practice 5 S daily- make it a way of life (also means commitment)