LO1.

Identity hazards and risks

Hazards and Risks Identification and Control

Sound occupational health and safety policies are essential for employees, but they are
also increasingly important for your customers and other stakeholders. Occupational
Health and Safety Management systems certification to OHSAS 18001 is a strong sign
of a organization’s commitment to employees’ health and safety.

Many organizations implement an Occupational Health and Safety Management

System (OHSMS) as a fundamental part of their risk management strategy to address
changing legislation and protect their workforce and other persons working under their
control.
OHSAS 18001:2007 addresses the following key areas:

 Hazard identification, risk assessment and determining controls

 Legal and other requirements
 Objectives and OHS program(s)
 Resources, roles, responsibility, accountability and authority
 Competence, training and awareness
 Communication, participation and consultation
 Operational control
 Emergency preparedness and response
 Performance measuring, monitoring and improvement
Organizational Safety and Health Protocols
Occupational health: Concerns the physical and mental health of workers and includes
the study of work methods, conditions of work and factors in the working environment
that may cause diseases or injuries.
Occupational safety: Concerns the protection of worker’s lives and physical well-being
by eliminating or controlling risks in the working environment or the system of work
within which workers operate.
OHS Criteria and Indicators
INSTITUTIONAL AND INDIVIDUAL CATEGORIES:
1. SAFETY CONTROL AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
• Incident/accident investigation analysis, recording and reporting
• List of programs/activities in promoting housekeeping
• Safety innovations and activities
• Records of machine preventive maintenance program
• Records of downtime, running time and production schedule
• List of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) provided
• Records of fire safety orientations and drills conducted
• Records of maintenance of fire fighting facilities
• Emergency preparedness plans and related training
2. INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE PROGRAM
• Chemical safety
– Inventory and Chemical Safety Data Sheets
– Proper labelling, handling and storage of chemicals
– Emergency contingency plan
– Waste management and disposal
– Appropriate PPE
• Regular Work Environment Measurement (WEM) and compliance to Threshold Limit
Values (TLVs)
• Continuous workplace improvement and control measures
3. OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH PROGRAM
• List of medical staff and employment status
• List of clinical, dental and medical equipment
• Annual Medical Report for the past five years
• Establishment’s medical records for the past five years (including analysis)
• Health Maintenance Organization (HMO)/in-house health services or both
• Medical services and programs implemented:
– Basic
– Pre-employment
– Annual/periodic
– Transfer
– Separation
– Dental examinations
– Special examinations
– Please specify
• Other occupational health programs
– Hearing conservation program, respiratory protection program, etc.
– Occupational health surveillance programs (i.e. blood lead, etc.)
• Special occupational health programs
– Workplace drug prevention program
– HIV/AIDS prevention in the workplace
– Family welfare program
– Anti-sexual harassment
– Tobacco
– TB in the workplace
– Prevention of lifestyle-related diseases
– Others
4. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS
• Compliance with government regulations
• Employment of accredited Pollution Control Officer (PCO)
• Classification and segregation of waste
• Pollution control facilities such as waste water treatment, air cleaning device for
hazardous air emission and proper disposal of waste
• Environmental protection programs such as marine, forest preservation
• System of responding to issues and concerns
• Unresolved complaints
• Allocated budget for community development
• Continuing assistance to community
5. SOCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY PROGRAMS
• Policy on gender
• Policy on persons with disability (PWD)
• Employment of PWDs
• Other Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs
6. CAPACITY BUILDING ON OSH
• List of required orientations/training on OSH (i.e. Basic Occupational Safety and
Health Training, Construction Safety Training, OSH-Management System (OSH-MS),
chemical safety, drug abuse, HIV/AIDS, gender sensitivity, anti-sexual harassment,
family welfare
• Training calendar and other staff development activities
• Plans on communicating OSH
• Information program, materials and dissemination strategies
• Monitoring and evaluation
7. OSH-MS, INTERNATIONAL SAFETY RATING SYSTEM AND OTHERS
• Copy of certification
8. OUTCOME (OSH INDICATORS AND PRODUCTIVITY
• Comparison of safe man-hours and severity/frequency rates between 2012 and
2013
• Comparison between machine uptime in 2012 and 2013
• Comparison in resource savings in 2012 and 2013
• Comparison in 2012 and 2013 outputs

LO2. Evaluate hazards and risks

Threshold Limit Value

The threshold limit value (TLV) of a chemical substance is a level to which it is
believed a worker can be exposed day after day for a working lifetime without adverse
health effects. Strictly speaking, TLV is a reserved term of the American Conference of
Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). However, it is sometimes loosely used to
refer to other similar concepts used in occupational health and toxicology. TLVs, along
with biological exposure indices (BEIs), are published annually by the ACGIH.

The TLV is an estimate based on the known toxicity in humans or animals of a given
chemical substance, and the reliability and accuracy of the latest sampling andanalytical
methods. It is not a static definition since new research can often modify the risk
assessment of substances and new laboratory or instrumental analysismethods can
improve analytical detection limits. The TLV is a recommendation by ACGIH, with only a
guideline status.

As such, it should not be confused with exposure limits having a regulatory status, like
those published and enforced by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA). The OSHA regulatory exposure limits permissible exposure limits (PELs)
published in 29CFR 1910.1000 Table Z1 are based on recommendations made by the
ACGIH in 1968, although other exposure limits were adopted more recently.
Many OSHA exposure limits are not considered by the industrial hygiene community to
be sufficiently protective levels since the toxicological basis for most limits have not
been updated since the 1960s. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH) publishes recommended exposure limits (RELs) which OSHA takes into
consideration when promulgating new regulatory exposure limits.

The Philippine OHS Standards

The objective of this Standard is to protect every workingman 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. This Standards shall apply to all places of employment except otherwise
provided in this Standard.

Effects of Hazards in the Workplace

Most workplace health hazards target a particular part of the body such as the lungs,
skin or liver. A large number of workplace diseases and disease agents are recognized.
Virtually any part of the body can be affected in some way by some workplace health
hazard. An important consideration is how exposure occurs.

For some hazards, there can be one type of effect from a single, high exposure (an
acute effect) and a quite different result when exposure is at a low level, but repeated
regularly over a prolonged time period (chronic effect). Acute effects depend on the
degree of exposure.

It is therefore relatively easy to control exposure (keep it at a low enough level) to avoid
acute effects. Or, to put it another way, if workers are experiencing acute effects, they
know exposure to the hazard is not being properly controlled. With chronic effects there
is no immediate warning. Where long-term exposure is known to cause disease without
any warning of the hazard, it may be necessary to control worker exposure through
regulations that prescribe occupational exposure limits (OELs).
Ergonomics
Human factors and ergonomics (HF&E), also known as comfort design, functional
design, and user-friendly systems, is the practice of designing products, systems or
processes to take proper account of the interaction between them and the people who
use them.
The field has seen contributions from numerous disciplines, such as psychology,
engineering, biomechanics, industrial design, physiology and anthropometry. In
essence, it is the study of designing equipment and devices that fit the human body and
its cognitive abilities.

HF&E is employed to fulfill the goals of occupational health and safety and productivity.
It is relevant in the design of such things as safe furniture and easy-to-use interfaces to
machines and equipment. Proper ergonomic design is necessary to prevent repetitive
strain injuries and other musculoskeletal disorders, which can develop over time and
can lead to long-term disability.

Human factors and ergonomics is concerned with the “fit” between the user, equipment
and their environments. It takes account of the user’s capabilities and limitations in
seeking to ensure that tasks, functions, information and the environment suit each user.

To assess the fit between a person and the used technology, human factors specialists
or ergonomists consider the job (activity) being done and the demands on the user; the
equipment used (its size, shape, and how appropriate it is for the task), and the
information used (how it is presented, accessed, and changed). Ergonomics draws on
many disciplines in its study of humans and their environments, including
anthropometry, biomechanics, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, industrial
design, information design, kinesiology, physiology, cognitive psychology and industrial
and organizational psychology.

Environmental Compliance Certificate

Any project in the Philippines that poses a potential environmental risk or impact (such
as mining, agriculture projects, and construction) is required to secure an Environmental
Compliance Certificate (ECC) from the Department of the Environment and Natural
Resources – Environmental Management Board (DENR-EMB).

An ECC is issued by DENR-EMB after a positive review of the project’s application. This
certificate indicates that the proposed project or undertaking will not cause a
significantly negative impact on the Philippine environment. The ECC contains specific
measures and conditions that must be met by the project proponent before and during
the operation of the project. In some cases, conditions are listed to be performed during
the project’s abandonment phase to lessen identified potential environmental impacts.

An ECC also certifies that the proponent has complied with all the requirements of the
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) System and has committed to implement its
approved environmental management plan.

LO3. Control hazards and risks

Safety Regulations in the Philippines

Clean Air Act
The State shall pursue a policy of balancing development and environmental protection.
To achieve this end, the framework for sustainable development shall be pursued. As
such, it shall be the policy of the State to:

Formulate a holistic national program of air pollution that shall be implemented by the
government through proper delegation and effective coordination of function and
activities; Encourage cooperation and self-regulation among citizen and industries
through the application of incentives market-based instruments; Focus primarily on
pollution prevention rather than on control and provide for a comprehensive
management program on air pollution; Promote public information and education to
encourage the participation of an informed and active public in air quality planning and
monitoring; and Formulate and enforce a system of accountability for short and long
term adverse environmental impact of a project, program or activity. This shall include
setting up of a funding or guarantee mechanism for clean-up and environmental
rehabilitation and compensation for personal damages.

Electrical and Fire Safety Code

Disasters can occur anywhere, and they often occur when we least expect them. NFPA
codes and standards are there to provide us with ways to prevent their occurrence,
manage their impact, and protect us. NFPA develops, publishes, and disseminates
more than 300 consensus codes and standards intended to minimize the possibility and
effects of fire and other risks. Virtually every building, process, service, design, and
installation in society today is affected by NFPA documents. Our codes and standards,
administered by more than 250 Technical Committees comprising approximately 8,000
volunteers, are adopted and used throughout the world.

Waste Management
RA 9003 describes solid waste management as a discipline associated with the control
of generation, storage, collection, transfer and transport, processing, and disposal of
solid wastes. The manner by which these activities are conducted shall be in accord
with the best principles of public health, economics, engineering, conservation,
aesthetics, other environmental considerations, and public attitudes. The Act provides
for a comprehensive ecological solid waste management program by creating the
necessary institutional mechanisms and incentives, appropriating funds, declaring
certain acts prohibited, and providing penalties.

Disaster Preparedness and Management

Disaster management is the the “actions taken by an organization in response to
unexpected events that are adversely affecting people or resources and threatening the
continued operation of the organization”.

Disaster management “includes the development of disaster recovery plans, for

minimizing the risk of disasters and for handling them when they do occur, and the
implementation of such plans. Disaster management usually refers to the management
of natural catastrophes such as fire, flooding, or earthquakes”.

Contingency Measures and Procedures

A contingency plan is a course of action designed to help an organization respond
effectively to a significant future event or situation that may or may not happen.
A contingency plan is sometimes referred to as “Plan B,” because it can be also used as
an alternative for action if expected results fail to materialize. Contingency planning is a
component of business continuity, disaster recovery and risk management.

LO4. Maintain occupational health and safety awareness

Operational Health and Safety procedure, practices and regulations in the Philippines.
The Occupational Safety and Health Standards was formulated in 1978 in compliance
with the constitutional mandate to safeguard the worker’s social and economic well-
being as well as his physical safety and health. Adopted through the tested democratic
machinery of tripartism, the 1978 Standards is considered as a landmark in Philippine
labor and social legislation.

The advent of industrialization and the continuing introduction of technological

innovations in our country today have, however, correspondingly increased the number
and types of occupational hazards that our workers are exposed to. Viewed against this
backdrop, it became imperative that the Standards be revised to make it truly
responsive to the workers’ needs.

Emergency Related drills and training in the Philippines

The Philippine disaster management program has a broad scope covering disaster
preparedness, organization and training, construction of disaster reduction facilities,
disaster response and rehabilitation, public information, and research and development.

Disaster preparedness is an essential element of the disaster management program.

Disaster management plans of key agencies and organizations have been prepared,
review and updated. These plans are properly documented and are regularly tested for
continuing relevance.

Organizations and training are continuing disaster preparedness tasks which are
preformed by various disaster coordinating councils. Over the past few years, various
emergencies services necessary during disaster have been developed in all the region
and provinces. Designated organizations have been oriented in their various roles in the
disaster management Local chief executives, particularly those elected to their posts for
the first time, have been provided training on disaster management to equip them
effectively lead their local disaster coordinating councils. Specialized skills in search and
rescue, evacuation, disaster medicine, vulnerability analysis, damage assessment and
first-aid have been widely undertaken. In 1995 alone, 159 training sessions on various
aspects of disaster management have been conducted all over the country.

The Philippines conducted 103 drills were conducted in 1998 alone. Other disaster
preparedness measures have also been undertaken such as disaster drills and
exercises, and establishment of disaster management operations centers. Disaster
management operations centers have been established with capabilities of a wide
range of emergency services which include rescue, evacuation, emergency housing
and relief services.

The Philippines has also devoted considerable resource to the construction and
provision of disaster reduction facilities such as river dikes and sea walls, as well as
non-structural measures like warning systems for typhoons, floods, tsunamis, volcanic
eruption and lahar flows. Flood control projects and watershed management projects, in
additions to the broader reforestation effort, are all geared to mitigate the worst effects
to natural disasters.

In the event of disasters, plans and capabilities prepared beforehand are activated. The
improved quality of planning, coordination and high state of preparedness have been
responsible for a more and rapid and comprehensive disaster response capabilities in
various areas of the country. Volunteer workers with proper training , and reaction
teams with proper equipment and skills have been invaluable in the various military and
civil agencies of government as well as those in the private sector. In addition, the
communications and warning capabilities of the government have also been augmented
by the media organizations and the corporate communication capabilities of large
Philippine enterprise. Together these resources have provided which are the essential
safety margins during disaster of uncertain and unexpected destructive force.

Public information before, during and after disaster is an important aspect of disaster
management in the Philippines. Both through training and public education campaigns
the disaster coordinating councils maintain and enhance public awareness of disaster
reduction. Manuals and bulletins provided to media professionals help keep disaster
preparedness in the public agenda. Special events like civil defense day, fire prevention
month, disaster consciousness week, and the day for the international decade for
natural disaster reduction help to mobilize civic consciousness.

Since the knowledge base of disaster management remains inadequate, the Philippines
has also included research and development in disaster reduction techniques as part of
its national disaster management program. Current priorities in this area include
meteorological and hydrological disaster researches being conducted by the Philippine
weather bureau(PAGASA) such as the tropical cyclone research on typhoon movement
prediction, typhoon surface structure research, typhoon formations and intensification
research and meteorological and hydrological hazards assessment. The Philippine
Institute of Volcanology and Seismology(PHIVOLCS) is also conducting studies on the
seismicity of Luzon and Visayas island as well as the volcanic hazards of Mindanao
island.

Hereunder are some of the programs/projects/activities which PAGASA and PHIVOLCS

undertake related to National Disaster Reduction;

PAGASA
1. Special Tropical Cyclone Reconnaissance Information Dissemination and Damage Evaluation
(STRIFE) a quick response team (QRT) to conduct in the spot investigation in areas affected by
landfilling TC’s, tornadoes, storm surges etc.
2. Provision of Farm-Weather Forecast and Warning Services-Provides Weather Information
related to plant growth/development and farming operations including livestock and crop
production.
3. Information and Education Campaign(IEC) Program for natural Disaster Reduction. Include the
level of awareness/preparedness of the people on natural hazards and disasters through the
development of hi-tech audio-visual and multi-media technology, conducts seminars/workshops,
lectures and training’s throughout the country.
PHIVOLCS
1. Volcanic Hazards Identification and Mapping-identify, catalogue and characterize activities and
potentially active volcanoes.
2. Hazardous Volcanic Products and Process: to map extent of emplacement, thickness of
deposition, stratigraphy and source vents to these hazardous volcanic products which may give
an overview of the anticipated hazards and risks from future eruptive episodes.
3. National Lahar Mapping Program: this involves mapping out the possible extent of emplacement
and distribution of lahar deposits from past explosives eruption. The ultimate aim of this
program is to generate lahar hazard maps for selected active volcanoes which shall identify
possible routes and areas that can be affective during a particular lahar flow incidents.
Disaster response in the Philippines is truly a multi-sectoral and mass-based endeavor.
A major contingent to the disaster management structure is composed of civic
organization, non-government organization, people’s organizations, and all forms of
religious and social voluntary groupings. Partly because of their democratic political
experience, the high public awareness of the destructiveness of disaster, and partly
because the institutional framework for disaster management has encouraged it,
popular participation of the Filipino people in disaster response is very broad, sustained,
enthusiastic, organized and ultimately decisive.