Manila Bulletin
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Occupational health expert recommends limiting outdoor work to 2-3 hours amid extreme heat
Philippines
National
Occupational health expert recommends limiting outdoor work to 2-3 hours amid extreme heat
Occupational health expert recommends limiting outdoor work to 2-3 hours amid extreme heat
By Jel Santos
Published May 14, 2026 04:41 pm
(MB FILE PHOTO)
Amid extreme heat conditions being experienced across the country, an occupational health expert on Thursday, May 14, urged employers to limit outdoor field work to only two to three hours to help prevent heat-related illnesses among workers.
During a press conference organized by the Health Reporters Organization in Makati City, Dr. Abdul Javar Esturco, the president of the Philippine College of Occupational Medicine (PCOM)-Zamboanga Peninsula Chapter, warned that prolonged heat exposure may affect workers’ health, hydration, and productivity.
“With this heat, nandiyan lang tayo sa mga two to three hours (With this heat, workers should only be exposed for around two to three hours),” Esturco said when asked how long workers should perform field work amid the ongoing dry spell.
Esturco stressed that three hours should already be considered the “maximum time” for continuous outdoor work under extreme heat conditions.
“Yung continuous na mainit, the same ang init. The three hours is the maximum time (If the heat exposure is continuous and the temperature remains the same, three hours is already the maximum time),” he said.
Esturco warned that continuous exposure to high temperatures could already trigger heat-related complications.
Dr. Abdul Javar Esturco (JEL SANTOS/MB PHOTO)
According to him, employers should provide cooling stations and rotate workers assigned to outdoor tasks to reduce heat exposure.
The occupational health expert said heat exposure commonly causes muscle cramps and exhaustion among workers, particularly in the construction industry.
“‘Yung mga cramps, no? Usually in the construction industry, nakikita namin may mga cramps (We usually observe cramps among workers in the construction industry),” he said.
“So, nako-compromise ‘yung pagkain paminsan and also the hydration (Sometimes even their food intake and hydration become compromised),” he added.
Esturco also advised workers to stay hydrated, saying men should drink up to three liters of water daily, while women should consume at least three liters, especially amid extreme heat conditions.
Esturco noted that some workers avoid taking breaks or going down from elevated work areas just to save time, further increasing health risks.
“Usually, ina-economize nila yung time na nandoon sila (Usually, they try to economize the time they spend there),” he said.
Likewise, he underscored the need to rationalize work schedules, particularly for employees rendering long shifts under hot conditions.
“Rerationalize ‘yung schedule, no? Na hindi puwedeng more than this, especially kung mga 24 hours shift, dapat hindi continuously sila (Schedules should be rationalized. Workers should not be exposed beyond these limits, especially during 24-hour shifts where exposure should not be continuous),” he said.