Philippines
DOLE urged to ensure compliance of workplaces with safety, health standards
DOLE urged to ensure compliance of workplaces with safety, health standards
Senator Joel Villanueva on Wednesday urged the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to beef up its inspections of workplaces around the country to ensure compliance with occupational safety and health (OSH) standards.
In a statement, the chair of the Senate labor committee stressed the need to make sure that the businesses that were allowed to resume operations are compliant.
“Disease surveillance remains the only option we have so far to prevent the spread of the virus, but given the upward trend of cases, it shows we are failing to do contact tracing efficiently," Villanueva said.
“At the very least, DOLE has to monitor the compliance of workplaces on OSH regulations in light of the pandemic, especially whether they practice social distancing and other safety measures, to minimize the risk of workers being infected,” he added.
He said all agencies should take part in controlling the spread of the coronavirus, stressing that “our public healthcare will not be able to handle the surge in patients.”
Villanueva cited that aside from the workplace protocols set by the government against the pandemic, employers are also mandated by the OSH Law (RA 11058) to ensure the health and welfare of their workers.
The DOLE also issued guidelines enumerating the obligations of employers and workers to heighten the disease surveillance efforts and minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission in workplaces.
To mitigate the risk of workers getting infected and ensure the continued operations of businesses, Villanueva also encouraged the implementation of work-from-home arrangements for manufacturing firms, similar to cottage industry concept for those that can be produced at home or at the barangay hall, or other schemes that may be appropriate.
“With the help of DOLE, we hope that our employers consider adopting work-from-home policies in their organizations given the new normal. Such work arrangement helps maintain productivity while reducing the likelihood of our workers from getting sick of COVID-19,” said Villanueva, who also authored the telecommuting law or Republic Act No. 11165.