International Labor Organization estimates that 2.78 million men and women die each year due to workrelated accidents, including occupational injury or disease. The number is increasing as globalization continues, especially in the construction sector. Out of these fatalities, around 65% ore in Asia and that includes the Philippines.
After President Rodrigo Duterte signed the bill into law, the Republic Act No. 11058 or “An Act Strengthening Compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Standards and Providing Penalties for Violations Thereof” is expected to curb the growing number of work-related deaths, illnesses and diseases, and to implement this could be one of the hurdles amidst the backlash and pressure by sectors and labor groups around the country.
This will test how this law be implemented and enforced by the Department of Labor and Employment and its attached agencies such as the Bureau of Working Conditions, Occupational Safety and Health Centers, including its regional and field offices nationwide.
Could this only be the concern of DOLE? How about the provincial, municipal and city local governments? Do they have the power to fully enforce this law?
Most of the problems we are seeing are in the provinces where there are less monitoring on health and safety, where we can observe workers not wearing personal protective equipment and no enough safety signage in place.
We expect that there will be no more shortcuts in the implementation of the Occupational Safety and Health Standards in the country, and more erring companies be penalized with huge amount of fines.
In the approved bill, there is no criminalization as part of the offense, especially jail time for the company owners and their managers involved in the project. Unlike in other countries, work-related deaths could possibly result to jail time of safety officers and the managers involved.
This is a good start of doing it right – to give teeth and power to fully enforce the law so that there will be no more people dying and getting injured at work.
As we move forward, this landmark law on occupational safety and health seals the fate of our workers, all of us together, to be fully protected and be free from the hazards and risks at work.
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