Pre-Immersion – Grade 12

Safety in the Workplace

Wherever you go, you see a lot of signage’s like these:

Why do we have these signage’s ?

Of course, they are for everyone’s safety. According to

Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Work
Immersion is an integral part of the K-12 Program in
fully realizing its goal to produce job-ready graduates
quipped with industry – base skills.
Likewise, it strongly affirms that while work
immersion contributes to the full realization of the
objectives of the K to 12 Program, the safety, health, and
morals of SHS students, especially those below 18
years of age, shall be a paramount area of
consideration.
Pacu.org.ph/wordpress/wpcontent/uploads/2017/06/MsRuthRodrig
uez_DOLE-BLE-ESPRD-K12WIP.pdf

Hence, being a Work Immersion student, who

will also become employees or even an employer, or an
entrepreneur soon, you must learn this lesson: Safety
in the Workplace.

To learn about this, let us be familiarized with what

Occupational Safety and Health Standards (OSHS) is.

This was formulated in 1978 in compliance with

the constitutional mandate to safeguard the workers’
social and economic well-being as well as their physical
safety and health.

The Department of Labor and Employment under

Article 162 of the Labor Code of the Philippines, the
OSHS was promulgated for the guidance and
compliance of all concerned. This body of rules and
regulations is referred to as “Standards”

OSHS aims to protect every workingman and

woman 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.
https://gselodelmsapp.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/osh_standards
_amended_1989_latest. pdf

1
AMA BASIC EDUCATION OF LAS PIÑAS
Pre-Immersion – Grade 12

Here are some definitions you also have to understand:

“Employer” includes any person acting directly or

indirectly in the interest of an employer, in relation to
an employee, and shall include governmentowned or
controlled corporations and institutions, as well as
non-profit private institutions or organizations.

“Employee” shall mean any person hired, permitted or

suffered to work by an employer.

“Safe or Safety” shall refer to the physical or

environmental conditions of work or employment,
which substantially comply with the provisions of these
Standards.

“Health” shall connote a sound state of the body and mind

of the worker, which enables him to perform his job
normally, in a state of well-being.

“Work Accident” shall mean an unplanned or

unexpected occurrence that may or may not result in
personal injury, property damage, work stoppage or
interference or any combination thereof, which arises
out of and in the course of employment.

“Work Injury” shall mean any injury or occupational illness

suffered by a person, which arises out of or in the course of his
employment.

” Workplace” means the office, premises or work site,

where the workers are habitually employed and shall
include the office or place where the workers, who have
no fixed or definite work site, regularly report for
assignment in the course of their employment.

Duties of Employers, Workers and other Persons:

(1) Each employer covered by the provisions of these Standards

shall:

a. furnish his workers a place of employment free

from hazardous conditions that are causing or are
likely to cause death, illness or physical harm to his
workers;

b. Give complete job safety instructions to all his

workers, especially to those entering the job for the
first time, including those relating to the
familiarization with their work environment, hazards
to which the workers are exposed to and steps taken
in case of emergency;

c. Comply with the requirements of this Standards;

and

d. use only approved devices and equipment in his

workplace.

(2) Each worker shall:

2
AMA BASIC EDUCATION OF LAS PIÑAS
Pre-Immersion – Grade 12

a. Cooperate with the employer in carrying out the provisions of

this
Standards

b. report to his supervisor any work hazard that may be

discovered in his workplace.

c. Make proper use of all safeguards and safety devices

furnished in accordance with the provisions of this Standards
for his protection and that of others, and shall follow all
instructions given by the employer in compliance with the
provisions of this Standards.

d. use personal protection and safety equipment as required by

the employer

e. Follow work safe procedures

(3) It shall be the duty of any person, including any

builder or contractor or enforcement agent, who visits,
builds, renovates, or installs devices, or conducts
business in any establishment or workplace, to comply
with the provisions of this Standards and all
regulations of the employer issued there under as well
as with other subsequent issuances of the Secretary.

Now that our country is in time of crisis, here are some

SPECIFIC GUIDELINES that DOH implements:

1. The
employer must
ensure that the
workspace is
properly
disinfected,
ventilated, and
maintained.
2. The
employer shall also provide proper
visual reminders for safety policies around the
workplace to improve compliance.
3. Other prevention and control measures are:
a. Conduct daily temperature and symptom
monitoring and recording of all staff who report
for work.
b. Establish referral network for employees who
will develop symptoms.
c. Employers must enforce infection control
procedures such as physical distancing,
wearing of masks, meticulous hand hygiene,
and cough etiquette.
Appropriate PPE shall also be worn based on
the setting of their work (e.g. face shields and
masks for those who render service via face-
toface encounters, full PPE for frontline
healthcare workers, etc.).

3
AMA BASIC EDUCATION OF LAS PIÑAS
Pre-Immersion – Grade 12

d. Employers shall implement activities to

promote physical and mental resilience
among their employees and workers, and
ensure other measures to reduce transmission,
contact rate and risk of infection.
(DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM No. 2020-_ 0220)

What is hazard? Hazard is anything with potential to cause injury,

illness, or damage.

Types of Hazards:

1. Physical Hazards. These are brought by

unhealthy working conditions, poor lighting, poor
ventilation, insufficient facilities, inefficient or
faulty equipment or machine, and improper work
practices like wrong use of knives.
2. Biological Hazards. These are brought
about by workers infected with diseases or
illnesses, unhygienic personal practices that can
transmit bacteria, parasites, fungi to other
workers and food and equipment being handled.
Hence, it is advised that Covid-19 probable cases
should be isolated right away.
3. Ergonomic Hazards. These are brought by
poor posture when working long periods of
standing, bending, pushing, lifting, carrying that
can cause body stress, muscle pains, and
soreness, back injury, numbness of hands, feet
and other parts of the body
4. Psychological Hazards. These are brought
by too much stress from work that may cause
mental emotional strains, anxieties, depression-
losing focus on one’s work and others
When potential hazard is discovered, what does an employee need to
do?

• Be sure that every individual in the workplace

is aware of the problem.
• Inform or notify your supervisor. Unless you
are the supervisor, then get going on that safety
committee plan.
• Make a follow up. Informing about the hazard
is not an assurance that problem is resolved, unless
you make follow ups.
• Record or file any reports or documents about
the problem.

Identifying the hazard is not the only way to make everyone

safe. You and I have to keep ourselves clean, to keep the food
clean, and to keep the workplace clean.

4
AMA BASIC EDUCATION OF LAS PIÑAS
Pre-Immersion – Grade 12

A. To Keep Oneself Clean

1.
1.
1.
1.
1.
1.
Wash hands thoroughly.
2. Keep the finger nails short and clean.
3. Always wear PPE while at work.
4. Wear mask anywhere and
anytime.
5. Remove all accessories before
working.
B. To keep the Food Clean
1. Never handle food when you have
wounds, cuts, and infections.
2. It is best to work with clean and sanitized gloves all
times to minimize hand contact with food.
3. Refrigerate food, especially perishable ones.
4. Keep food in clean containers with cover.
5. Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly before use.
6. Check food and containers for any possible
contamination.
7. Clean the containers of ingredients regularly.
8. Follow the policy of first in, first out. Those stored
earlier should be used first before those stored later.
9. Label package of food to determine information.
C. To Keep the Workplace Clean
1. Do not do personal hygiene activities in the workplace.
2. Do not eat, smoke or spit in the workplace.
3. Do not sit on equipment and worktables.
4. Keep the surrounding areas free from dirt and
disorganization.
5. Follow the Japanese philosophy of good housekeeping-
sort/seiri, set-in-order/seiton, sweep/seiso,
standardize/seiketsu, and sustain/shitsuke.

TERM English Term Meaning in Japanese Context

Seiri Tidiness Throw away all rubbish and unrelated materials in the
workplace
Seiton Orderliness Set everything in proper place quick retrieval and storage
Seiso Cleanliness Clean the workplace; everyone should be a janitor
Seiketsu Standardization Standardize the way of maintaining cleanliness
Shitsuke Discipline Practice 5 S daily- make it a way of life ( also means
commitment)

5
AMA BASIC EDUCATION OF LAS PIÑAS
Pre-Immersion – Grade 12

https://www.slideshare.net/moralescapri/5s-the-practice-of-good-housekeeping-39501798

References
Duque, F. Department Memorandum, 2020, 0220. May 11. 2020.
https://www.doh.gov.ph/sites/default/files/health-
update/dm2020-0220.pdf Accessed June 6, 2020

https://www.slideshare.net/chloeandreaa/occupational-health-and-
safetyohs?next_slideshow=6 Accessed June 6, 2020

https://issuu.com/wacksvenzon/docs/work_immersion_wor
kbook Accssed June 2, 2020

https://www.google.com/search?
q=safety+signages&tbm=isch&chips=q:safety+sig
nages,g_1:workplace:hPsyXbhZpis%3D&hl=en-
GB&ved=2ahUKEwjD4KXS6YPqAhUIxo Accessed June 5, 2020

https://www.safetysignsdirect.co.nz/product/toxic-hazard-2/
Accessed June 2, 2020

6
AMA BASIC EDUCATION OF LAS PIÑAS