MODULE 2 SYLLABUS

Unit 1 – Introduction to OSH

MODULE 2: OSH SITUATION IN THE GLOBAL AND LOCAL LEVELS
Module 2, aims to provide a background on both the local and international OSH situation. We
hope that by being aware and focusing on the magnitude of work-related accidents, injuries
and illness, you will understand the prevalent conditions that exist which contribute to the
accidents and illness at work.
Objectives:
Working on this module should help you:
- articulate a heightened awareness of the OSH situation, both local and international
- identify the problems, issues and challenges associated with OSH conditions in the country

HISTORY

Historical event which led to OSH improvements in the early 19th

century:
During the industrial revolution of 1800 – 1900s, the use of
machines, equipment and chemicals were intensive as manufacturing
processes, agriculture and train/steam engine transport were the
driving force of the economy.
However, numerous work-related accidents and deaths occurred
arising from hazards in these industries. Statistics, at that time, showed
that safety hazards, chemical exposures and injuries from
manufacturing work were very high.
This led to the development of guidelines and standards to
protect workers from work-related hazards and risks in the above-
mentioned industries.
Global OSH figures
The International Labour Organization (ILO) Safework Introductory Report in 2008
showed that close to 50% of work-related deaths occur in Asia.
In developing countries, fatality rates are five to six times higher than in industrialized
nations and in developing countries where, every year, around 170,000 agricultural workers
and 320,000 people die from exposures to biological risks such as viral, bacterial, insect or
animal related risks.

The latest ILO figures reveal that,

-Every 15 seconds, 160 workers have a work-related accident.
-Every 15 seconds, a worker dies from a work-related accident or disease.
-Everyday, 6,300 people die as a result of occupational accidents or work-related
diseases – more than 2.3 million deaths per year.
-Over 337 million accidents occur on the job annually; many of these resulting in
extended absences from work.
-The human cost of this daily adversity is vast and the economic burden of poor
occupational safety and health practices is estimated at 4% of global Gross
Domestic product each year.
The safety and health conditions at work are very different between countries,
economic sectors and social groups.
Deaths and injuries take a heavy toll in developing countries, where a large part of
the population is engaged in hazardous activities such as agriculture, fishing and
mining.
Throughout the world, the poorest and least protected – often women, children
and migrants – are among the most affected.

To see figures in other countries, you may refer to these websites

United States of America
http://www.bls.gov/iif#tables
http://www.bls.gov/data/home.htm

Canada
http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/information/information/injury_statistics.html

Japan
http://www.jniosh.go.jp/icpro/jicosh-old/english/statistics/index.html

Philippines
http://www.oshc.dole.gov.ph
http://www.bles.dole.gov.ph

International Labour Organization

http://laborsta.ilo.org
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/stat/index.htm

Philippine Labor and OSH statistics

According to the latest Labor Force Survey (LFS) of the National Statistics Office (NSO),
the Philippine labor force/ economically active population, which refers to persons 15 years old
and above who are employed or underemployed, totals 38.905M in October 2010.
About 2.9 million Filipinos were unemployed in 2010 representing an unemployment
rate of 7.3 percent for the year. The unemployed persons who have attained high school
accounted for 45.2 percent of all unemployed. The proportion of unemployed males was
greater than that of their female counterparts (63.3% compared to 36.7%).”
(2010 ANNUAL LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT STATUS, released February 8, 2011,
http://www.census.gov.ph/data/press release/2011/pr1111tx.html)

Taken in 2007-2008 and released in 2010, the Bureau of Labor and Employment
Statistics (BLES) Integrated Survey (BITS) on cases of occupational injuries and diseases that
affected private sector establishments covered 6,460 sample non-agricultural establishments
with 20 or more workers.
It has expanded its coverage 65 industries including (manufacturing industry);
(transport, storage and communications); accounting, bookkeeping and auditing activities; tax
consultancy, architectural, engineering and related technical consultancy; call center activities,
medical transcription and related outsourcing activities (real estate, renting and business
activities); and animated films and cartoons production (other community, social and personal
service activities) industries.
The BITS results reveal that a total of 44,800 occupational accidents occurred in 4,600
non-agricultural establishments employing 20 or more workers in 2007, a figure lower by 14.7%
than the 52,515 accidents that affected 4, 824 establishments in 2003.

Fatalities decreased by 31.8% (from 170 in 2003 to 116 in 2007.

However those permanently incapacitated increased by 23.7 % (from 131 in 2003 to 162 in
2007).
Contributing factors to occupational accidents and injuries include machines, equipment, hand
tools, materials, buildings, structures and chemical substances.
On the other hand, training on the proper handling and correct operation of machines, use of
personal protective equipment (PPE) precautions and carefulness in work prevent accidents
and promote safety in establishments.
Definition of Terms:

Occupational accident

 an unexpected and unplanned occurrence, including acts of violence arising out of or in

connection with work which results in one or more workers incurring a personal injury,
disease or death.

 It can occur outside the usual workplace/premises of the establishment while the
worker is on business on behalf of his/her employer, i.e., in another establishment or
while on travel, transport or in road traffic.

Occupational injury

 an injury which results from a work-related event or a single instantaneous exposure in

the work environment (occupational accident).

 Where more than one person is injured in a single accident, each case of occupational
injury should be counted separately.

 If one person is injured in more than one occupational accident during the reference
period, each case of injury to that person should be counted separately.

 Recurrent absences due to an injury resulting from a single occupational accident

should be treated as the continuation of the same case of occupational injury not as a
new case.

Temporary incapacity
case where an injured person was absent from work for at least one day, excluding the day of
the accident, and
 1) Was able to perform again the normal duties of the job or position occupied at the
time of the occupational accident or

2) Will be able to perform the same job but his/her total absence from work is
expected not to exceed a year starting the day after the accident, or

3) Did not return to the same job but the reason for changing the job is not related to
his/her inability to perform the job at the time of the occupational accident.

Permanent incapacity
case where an injured person was absent from work for at least one day, excluding the day of
the accident, and

1) was never able to perform again the normal duties of the job or position occupied at the
time of the occupational accident, or

2) will be able to perform the same job but his/her total absence from work is expected to
exceed a year starting the day after the accident

Fatal case
case where a person is fatally injured as a result of occupational accident whether death occurs
immediately after the accident or within the same reference year as the accident.
Frequency Rate (FR) – refers to cases of occupational injuries with workdays lost per
1,000,000 employee-hours of exposure.
Incidence Rate (IR) – refers to cases of occupational injuries with workdays lost per 1,000
workers.
Severity Rate (SR) – refers to workdays lost of cases of occupational injuries resulting to
temporary incapacity per 1,000,000 employee-hours of exposure.
Average Workdays Lost – refer to workdays lost for every case of occupational injury resulting to
temporary incapacity.

The present local data does not present a total picture of OSH situation in the Philippines. As
you can see, the BITS survey is limited only to the 6,460 companies covered out of the
estimated 780,500 existing establishments in the country. Many companies do not report
accidents and injuries.

Data gathering has been problematic because of the following conditions:

 Under reporting of work-related accidents and illnesses .

Rule 1050 of the Philippine Occupational Safety and Health Standards (OSHS) requires all
employers to report all work accidents or occupational illnesses resulting to disabling
conditions to the DOLE Regional Office in their area. However, very few companies submit
reports.

 Limited coverage of the OSH information and education and OSHS implementation .

Vulnerable groups such as the informal sector (which amounts to 28M or 80% of the
Filipino workforce) are often left out in the OSH education, information and program
implementation because they are do not have the capacity to pay for trainings and
most of the time are not even aware that they can protect themselves from accidents
and illnesses. Many of them think that the diseases and accidents they experience is
part of the nature of their work and cannot be prevented. On a positive note, OSHC
has been doing a lot of OSH awareness campaigns for informal workers

 Inadequate number of trained OSH personnel.

 There has been an upsurge of OSH awareness worldwide and companies both here and
abroad require companies to hire trained OSH personnel. This has caused an
exponential increase in the number of workers who have undergone and are wanting to
avail of OSH trainings but because accidents continue to happen, more dedicated and
trained personnel are needed.

 Absence of strict penalties.

There is no system of fines for violations of the different provisions of the OSHS.

 Weak enforcement of OSH laws

–problem is traceable also to the absence of strict penalties on violations of OSH

standards.

 Fragmented OSH administration. There is no central authority to coordinate all OSH

efforts.

 Public apathy on OSH concerns.

Most people do not generally pay attention to OSH concerns.

 Low priority on OSH concerns by both management and labor.

The former is more concerned about profit while the latter is with wages and other
monetary benefits.

Emerging issues in OSH

Aside from the problems already identified, participants should also be aware that there are
emerging OSH issues – such as women workers’ issues, OSH and child labor, OSH in the informal
sector, agriculture, in schools and lifestyle diseases such as AIDS and diabetes, and many
others.

 Women are often faced with multiple burdens.

They have take on the burden of the home they perform the role of a wife and a
mother. These may also affect her performance at the workplace and add to the
stresses that come with the job. The hazards that a women worker is exposed to while
at work to can affect her reproductive health and for a pregnant worker, her unborn
child.
  There are 250 million child laborers around the world of which 3.7 million are found in
the Philippines. Of these, 2.2M are in hazardous jobs. Employing children in these types
of work greatly affects the quality of their life and in serious cases, may even cause
serious disabilities or death. The OSHC researches on the footwear industry, fishing,
mining, and agriculture, helped in the formulation of policies, in advocacy campaigns to
take children out of hazardous work.

 The use of pesticides in farms is also another issue. Farmers or farm workers who
handle pesticides may be unaware of the hazards that they are exposed to. Constant
exposure of a worker, has enormous adverse effects his or her health. Workers handling
pesticides may even bring home residues of the chemicals and, affecting their families
and the community.

 There is also little mechanism on OSH for the informal sector considering that they
represent more than half of the total workforce and is the sector badly in need of OSH
information since they have the tendency to ignore such concerns just to get their daily
incomes.

 In schools, students are also exposed to hazards such as chemicals and electricity ,
while bullying and hazing (both psycho-social issues) are becoming more common.
Many school buildings are also risks themselves

Although the number of work-related accidents and illnesses has decreased in the recent years
here in the Philippines, cases of occupational injuries and diseases continue to occur.

The OSHC subscribe to the principle that “one life lost is one too many.” Everyone must
therefore be involved in the effort to contain OSH concerns to enhance one’s working life. After
all, most of us work mainly for economic purposes - “ang hanap-buhay ay para ikabuhay,
hindi para ikamatay.”

Check up quiz

WHAT CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO OCCUPATIONAL ACCIDENTS 7

WHAT IS OCCUPATIONAL INJURY? ,EXPLAIN 3

WHAT ARE THE REASONS WHY DATA GATHERING HAS BEEN PROBLEMATIC GIVE 5