COMPUTER SYSTEMS SERVICING NC II

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Lesson 04: 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.

Click to download – OSH_Standards_Amended_1989_Latest

(https://gselodelmsapp.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/osh_standards_amended_1989_latest.pdf)

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.

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