COSH Module 1 Importance of Safety and Health

1. OSH Situation in the Construction industry

 
1.1 International and Local Data

Global OSH Data: ILO Report

355,000 fatal work-related accidents every year
(half occur in agriculture; other high risk sectors: mining,
construction and commercial fishing)
4%(or over 1.2 million USD) of the world’s GDP is lost
due to occupational diseases and accidents
12,000 children are killed on the job annually

1
 Local Scenario: Filipino Workers
41.5 million + employed Filipinos (January 2018)
both in the formal and informal sectors
57%services sector; 25%agriculture;
18%industry sector (mining, manufacturing, construction etc.)
3.5 million government employees

I n your company
How many worke rs ?

1
https://images.app.goo.gl/aYUqJ7uxqju1unv16
1,2 What happens when the country decides to strengthen the infrastructure for transportation and
communication in the shortest period of time
 
A program called Build, Build, Build was inaugurated in 2016 with a budget of trillion . Infrastructure
programs continued from previous administration but the number of OSH personnel were inadequate.
Previously, the levels of safety and health officers and practitioners were 2000, safety consultant 250,
safety training organizations were 40 and safety-training organizations were 10.
 
The number of labor inspectors rose from 200 to 550 in the last 5 years and in 2019 it reached 1800.
 
Government and accredited private sector had or have to run fast to cope with the demands in
construction and transportation. Thus, training and some experience in technical assistance added to the
capability building of potential OSH personnel.
 
In 2017 the Republic Act 11058 was passed by the Congress. It was soon followed by the Implementing
Rules and Regulations, DO-198 in 2018 and finalized in 2019,
 
Several mandatory training programs were put in place. The levels of safety officers were classified by the
IRR of the new law as Safety Officer or SO1, SO2, SO3, SO4 where the Human Resource officers’s of the
company were given the mandate to appoint safety officers with the appropriate training an practical
experience in the industry.
Some examples of the infrastructure projects are:
 
Metro Manila Subway Project

North-South Commuter Railway Project

Clark International Airport Expansion Project,

Cebu Monorail System Project

Panay-Guimaras-Negros Bridge Project

Samal Island-Davao City Connector Bridge Project and the Mindanao Rail Project.
 
 
Statistics on work-related accidents during the two years have not been
produced by either PSA or DOLE. The latter said that the pandemic
preoccupied the agency.
In 2017, the ISLE demonstrated that there were 38,288 occupational
accidents in all industries and 1% were fatal.
But there are case studies which have occurred in large and small
undertakings

Text Box 1: DOLE suspends work on site of accident

 
On November 21, 2020, a crane tilted and fell on a steel girder or beam, which fell
and crushed vehicles along Muntinlupa’s East Service Road, leaving one person
dead and six injured.
Secretary of DOLE directed project contractor EEI Corp. and sub-contractors to
stop work only in the Muntinlupa construction site where the accident took place.
The labor chief set aside the supplemental work stoppage order issued by Dole-
NCR Director Sarah Mirasol on Monday covering the entire Skyway project asa this
situation woul create more safety hazards, and would impede the. Progress of the
Skyway project, not to peak of the unemployment it would create.
 
Leading Cause of injuries in Construction

LEADING CAUSES OF WORK-RELATED INJURIES

1. Stepping on, striking against or struck by objects,
excluding falling objects (36.3%).
2. Caught in or between objects (21.0%) and
3. Falls of persons (10.5%).

27
1.3 Costs of accidents to workers, family, company, community.
 
Accidents not only trigger physical harm to the victims, but also economic and financial harm. Corollary to accidents are costs that companies have to bear whether directly or indirectly. The cost of accidents can be best explained by the Iceberg Theory. Once an accident happens, money has to be spent for medical expenses of the injured
worker/workers, insurance premiums and, in some cases, for penalty and litigation expenses. Companies also spend huge amounts to replace damaged equipment and wasted raw materials. These are the direct costs of accidents; but these are just the tip of the iceberg.
The larger and more dangerous part of the iceberg however is the part that lies beneath the water. This represents the indirect costs of an accident which have a more damaging impact to the worker, their families, the company and the community in general. Indirect costs include:

a. Lost or lesser productivity of the injured – workers lose their efficiency and income due to work interruption on the day of the injury.
b. Loss of productivity among other employees due to work stoppage when assisting the injured worker, inspection or merely out of curiosity. The psychological impact of the accident reduces the workers’ productivity.
c. Loss of productivity among supervisors because instead of focusing on managing people and the work flow, they spend their time assisting the injured, investigating the accident and preparing inspection reports.
d. Hiring and training replacement workers
e. Downtime due to equipment damage
Apart from these are humane aspects of accidents such as sorrow due to loss, hardships and inconveniences, physical pain and discomfort and psychological problems.
 
If the accident victim is the only breadwinner of the family, then the family members will also suffer from the bitter consequences provoked by the injury.
 
 
2. Factors that contribute to the occurrence of accidents in the construction industry.
Some factors can be seen at a establishment level:
absence of OSH system
absence of OSH program (OSH Committee, safety and health personnel, documentation-daily, weekly, monthly reports)
inadequate number or no OSH personnel
none or inadequate penalties and sanctions on non-compliance
Unsafe Conditions
No perimeter fence
Obstructions
No signages
No safety officers, no OH doctor and or nurse
No supervisor
Open edges
Electrical safety not practiced
No Fire prevention programs
No EDRP
EDRP- EMERGENCY DISASTER AND PREPAREDNESS PLAN or PROGRAM
At an individual level:
lack of knowledge and awareness of OSH Standards , DO 13, other construction-related policies
no training on at least the 40 hours
on safety attitude and behavior
lack of experience, and technical knowledge on safety in general
lack of knowledge on heavy equipment, tools
No Job Hazard Analysis
Poor knowledge of scaffolding
Working at heights without appropriate PPEx
Poor knowledge of engineering control
Poor knowledge of materials handling
 
3. The importance of occupational safety and health
This is emphasized in the RA 11058, and DO 198. (The State shall afford full protection to labor, local and overseas, organized and unorganized, and promote full employment opportunities for all.
It shall guarantee the rights of all workers to self-organization, collective bargaining and negotiations, and peaceful concerted activities, including the right to strike in accordance with law.
They shall be entitled to security of tenure, humane conditions of work, and a living wage.”
(Reference: Article XIII, Section 3 of the 1987 Constitution
Construction is one of the high risk industries. The presence of hazard or potential hazard within the company may affect the safety and/or the health of workers not only within but also persons outside the premises of the workplace.
Other industries are also considered as high-risk. These are:
Chemical works and chemical production
Deep sea fishing
Explosives and pysrorechnics
Fire fighting
Health care
- EDRP- EMERGENCY DISASTER AND PREPAREDNESS PLAN or PROGRAM
Installation of communication accessories, towers
LPG filling, refilling
Mining
Petrochemical
Power generation
Storage, distribution centers fpr toxic or hazardous materials
Storage and handling of fertilizers
Transportation
Water supply, sewerage, waste management
Work in which chlorine is used in bulk
- Activities closely related to the above classification of estbalishments
 
Owing to the presence of many potential hazards and risks in construction, , the worker is frequntly exposed to imminent danger. . This is a situation caused by a condition or practice of employment that could reasonably be expected to lead to death or serious physical harm.” (Chapter II, Sec. 3, (i), D.O. 198-18)
In the practice of OSH program, one is able to anticipate, recognize, evaluatie and control hazards arising in or from the workplace that could impair the health and well-being of workers. It also takes into account the possible impact on the surrounding communities and the general environment.”
There are many possible impact on health of exposure to hazards in industry. Workers can suffer from injury, illnesses, disabilities, or even death.
Such negative impact to health and safety can be prevented by several strategies starting with knowledge building, training, experience as safety officer, being part of the OSH Committee and the technical committee on OSH of the company; defining and developing a strategic plan for OSH in the company, among others.