Duterte signs occupational safety law

The Philippines now has a law for appropriate standards of occupational safety and health

President Rodrigo Duterte has signed the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Law (OSHB), which mandates strict compliance of employers to workplace safety standards.

Duterte signed the Republic Act 11058 on Agust 17 but was released to the media only on Monday.

Under the new law, the Labor Secretary is mandated to issue “the appropriate standards of occupational safety and health based on the number of employees, nature of operations, and the risk or hazard involved.”

The law said it “applies to all establishments, projects, sites, including Philippine Economic Zone Authority establishments, and all other places where work is being undertaken in all branches of economic activity, except in the public sector.”

The occupational safety law lists the rights of workers as well as the duties of employers, workers, and other persons.

The law also requires “all safety and health personnel to undergo training on basic occupational safety and health for safety officers as prescribed by the Department of Labor and Employment.”

A maximum amount of P100,000 will serve as an administrative penalty for the erring employer for every day of non-correction of violation.

This is counted from the date the employer or contractor is notified of the violation or the date the compliance order is duly served on the employer, the law stated.

It added that “the amount of fine imposed shall depend on the frequency or gravity of the violation committed or the damage caused, provided, however, that the maximum amount shall be imposed only when the violation exposes the workers to a risk of death, serious injury or serious illness.”

The new law also provided for the creation of an OSH Committee, which would ensure the enforcement of the safety and health program of the covered workplaces.

It said the OSH Committee would be chaired by an employer or representative while serving as secretary would be the company’s or project’s safety officer.

Its members will include safety officers representing the contractor or subcontractor and company workers either coming from the union (if organized) or those picked via simple majority vote (if unorganized).

/vvp

READ THE ENTIRE LAW HERE: