CoViD-19

and the Workplace

Special Module for BOSH for SO1 Training
March 26, 2021

Mark James S. Andayog

OSHC REU 5
 CoV & CoViD-19
• Coronavirus (CoV) – large family of viruses which
may cause illness in animals or humans
o Humans
▪ Common cold
▪ Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)
▪ Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)
▪ Coronavirus Disease 2019 (CoViD-19)
• CoViD-19 – infectious disease caused by the most
recently discovered CoV, severe acute respiratory
syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)
o New virus & disease were unknown before the outbreak
began in Wuhan, China in December 2019
WHO, 2020
Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER 2
 CoViD-19 Global Situation

https://covid19.who.int/
Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER 3
 CoViD-19 National Situation

https://doh.gov.ph/covid19tracker
Department of Labor and Employment
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 CoViD-19 Region 6 Situation

DOH CHD 6
Department of Labor and Employment
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 Symptoms of CoViD-19
• Most common:
o Fever
o Dry cough
o Tiredness
• Less common:
o Body aches and pains
o Nasal congestion
o Headache
o Conjunctivitis
o Sore throat Mild & begin gradually
o Diarrhea
o Loss of taste or smell
o Skin rashes
o Discoloration of fingers or toes

WHO, 2020
Department of Labor and Employment
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 Transmission
• People can catch CoViD-19 from others who have
the virus
• Disease spreads primarily from person to person
through small droplets from the nose or mouth
which are expelled when a person with CoViD-19
coughs, sneezes, or speaks

WHO, 2020
Department of Labor and Employment
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 Treatment & Prevention
• WHO & DOH don’t recommend self-medication with
any medicines, including antibiotics, as a prevention or
cure for CoViD-19
• WHO is coordinating efforts to develop vaccines &
medicines to prevent & treat CoViD-19
• Most effective ways to protect yourself & others against
CoViD-19:
o Frequent & thorough handwashing using soap & water or
alcohol-based hand sanitizers
o Avoid touching any part of your face
o Proper coughing & sneezing etiquettes
▪ If a tissue is used, discard it immediately & wash your hands
o Maintain a distance of at least 1 meter from others
o Frequent decontamination of frequently touched surfaces
WHO, 2020
Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER 8
 Prognosis of CoViD-19
• ≈ 80% recover without needing hospital treatment
• ≈ 1 out of every 6 people who gets CoViD-19 becomes
seriously ill & develops difficulty breathing
o Older people
o Those with underlying medical problems Higher risk of
▪ High blood pressure
▪ Heart and lung problems developing
▪ Diabetes serious illness
▪ Cancer
• People of all ages who develop severe symptoms
should seek medical attention immediately
o Call the health care facility first
• Self-isolation for people of all ages who develop minor
symptoms
o Inform local ESU for BHERT to monitor your symptoms
WHO, 2020
Department of Labor and Employment
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DTI – DOLE Interim Guidelines on Workplace
Prevention & Control of CoViD-19
• Objectives & Coverage
o Assist private institutions allowed to operate during the
ECQ & GCQ in developing the minimum health protocols
& standards in the light of the CoViD-19 pandemic
o All workplaces, employers, & workers in the private
sector
o Aligned with DOH AO 2020-0015 (Guidelines in the Risk-
Based Public Health Standards for CoViD-19 Mitigation)

Department of Labor and Employment

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 Workplace Safety & Health

Increasing Physical & Mental

1 4
Resilience Reducing Risk of
Infection from CoViD-19

Minimizing Contact
Rate

Reducing Transmission of
CoViD-19 2 3
Department of Labor and Employment
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 Increasing Physical & Mental Resilience

Eat nutritious & well- Exercise

cooked food regularly

Enjoin companies
to provide free
Drink plenty of medicines &
fluids & avoiding vitamins
alcoholic
beverages

Provide referrals to
workers needing
counseling or presenting
Have adequate rest &
with mental health
at least 8 hrs. of sleep
concerns

Department of Labor and Employment

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 Reducing Transmission of CoViD-19
Prior to Entrance in Buildings or Workplaces
• All employers and workers shall:

Wear mask at all Have your

times (may use cloth temperature
masks) checked & recorded

Accomplish daily Spray alcohol to both

the health hands & provide foot
symptoms baths at the
questionnaire entrance, if
practicable

Department of Labor and Employment

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
 Health Checklist

DTI-DOLE Interim Guidelines on Workplace Prevention & Control of CoViD-19

Department of Labor and Employment
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 Algorithm for Screening
Returning Workers

DOH DC 2020-0206
Department of Labor and Employment
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 Reducing Transmission of CoViD-19
Prior to Entrance in Buildings or Workplaces

• Disinfect equipment or vehicle

entering the operational hub

• Instill physical distancing of 1

meter on queue outside the
office or store premises.

Department of Labor and Employment

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
Reducing Transmission of CoViD-19
Inside Buildings or Workplaces

• Clean & disinfect at least once every 2 hrs. all work

areas & frequently handled objects
• Provide sufficient clean water & soap in all
washrooms & toilets
• Encourage workers to wash hands frequently &
avoid touching face
• Provide sanitizers in corridors, conference areas,
elevators, stairways, & areas where workers pass

Department of Labor and Employment

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Reducing Transmission of CoViD-19
Inside Buildings or Workplaces

• Practice physical distancing of 1 meter radius space between

workers at all times
• Communal eating is discouraged
• Ensure that physical distancing is maintained if eating in
dining areas
• Dispose wastes properly
• Clean & disinfect regularly canteens

Department of Labor and Employment

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
Minimizing Contact Rate
• Adoption of alternative work arrangements
o Shift work
o Staggered work hours
o WFH
• Discourage prolonged face-to-face interaction between
workers & with clients
o Masks should be worn
o Meetings with minimum participants & in short duration
o Use of videoconferencing

Department of Labor and Employment

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
Minimizing Contact Rate
• Arrange office tables to maintain proper physical
distancing
• Design workstation layout to allow for unidirectional
movement in aisles, corridors, or walkways
• Limit number of people in enclosed space
o Elevators
▪ Physical distancing

Department of Labor and Employment

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Minimizing Contact Rate
• Encourage use of stairs with physical distancing
(unidirectional if possible)
• Encourage highly the use of online system for clients
needing assistance from offices including the use of
videoconferencing
• Roving officer (e.g., safety officer) shall ensure physical
distancing &observance of health protocols

Department of Labor and Employment

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Reducing risk of Infection from COVID-19
Worker is a COVID-19 Suspect

• The worker shall immediately proceed to the

designated isolation area & never remove his/her
mask.
• Clinic personnel attending to the workers should wear
appropriate PPEs &, if needed, require the transport
of the affected worker to the nearest hospital
• PCR testing shall be done & results reported by hospital
to DOH

Department of Labor and Employment

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Reducing risk of Infection from COVID-19
Worker is a COVID-19 Suspect

• Decontamination of workplace:
o Workplace shall be decontaminated with
appropriate disinfectants
o After decontamination of the work area, work can
resume after 24 hours
o Workers present in the work area with the suspected
CoViD-19 worker shall go on 14 days home
quarantine

Department of Labor and Employment

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Reducing risk of Infection from COVID-19
Worker is Sick But Not a COVID-19 Suspect

Employer must advise the worker to take prudent

measures to limit the spread of communicable
diseases, as follows:
• Stay at home & keep away from work or crowds
• Take adequate rest & plenty of fluids
• Practice personal hygiene to prevent spread of disease

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Reducing risk of Infection from COVID-19
Worker is Sick But Not a COVID-19 Suspect

• Seek appropriate medical care if there is:

o Persistent fever
o Difficulty of breathing
o Weakness

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 Duties of Employers
• Provide the necessary company policies for the
prevention & control of COVID-19 in consultation
with workers
o Advocacy & IEC materials from reliable source
• Provide resources & materials needed to keep the
worker healthy & the workplace safe (masks, soap,
disinfectants, PPE, testing kit)
• Designate a safety officer to monitor CoViD-19
prevention & control measures;

Department of Labor and Employment

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
Duties of Employers

• Enhance health insurance provision for workers

• Provide shuttle services &/or decent accommodation
on near-site location to lessen travel & people
movement, when feasible
• Enjoin the hiring from the local community
• Put up a COVID-19 Hotline & Call Center for
employees

Department of Labor and Employment

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Duties of Workers
• Comply with all workplace measures in place for
the prevention & control of CoViD-19 (masks,
physical distancing, frequent handwashing)
• Observe proper respiratory etiquette
• Cough and sneeze into tissue or into shirt sleeve
• Dispose used tissues properly
• Disinfect hands immediately after a cough or
sneeze

Department of Labor and Employment

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 CoViD-19 Testing
• Employers may test workers for CoViD-19
• Testing of workers & interpretation of results shall
be in accordance with DOH DM 2020-01801 & DOH
AO 2020-00142

1 Revised Interim Guidelines on Expanded Testing for CoViD-19

2 Guidelines in Securing a License to Operate a CoViD-19 Testing Laboratory in the Philippines

Department of Labor and Employment

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Most at Risk Workers &
Vulnerable Groups
• Employer are highly encouraged to allow most at
risk workers & vulnerable groups to do work from
home arrangement
o Most at risk workers: >60 years old or of any age with
co-morbidities or pre-existing illness
• Work arrangements should be developed to detail
the workers’ deliverables & there shall be no
diminution in wages or benefits

Department of Labor and Employment

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Assistance & Reporting
• DTI & DOLE shall extend assistance & technical
support to all workplaces, employers, & workers in
complying with the guidelines

• Employers shall provide DOLE through its ROs,

copy furnished DOH, monthly reporting of illness,
diseases, & injuries utilizing the WAIR

Department of Labor and Employment

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 Workplace CoViD-19 Prevention &
Control Compliance Report Form

http://bwc.dole.gov.ph/
Department of Labor and Employment
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Thank you!

Department of Labor and Employment 33

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER