Private-sector employers must take steps to protect workers when deteriorating air quality poses a threat to public health, under new guidelines issued by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
Labor Secretary Francis N. Tolentino signed Labor Advisory No. 15, Series of 2026, directing employers to assess workers’ exposure to polluted air and implement measures appropriate to the level of risk.
Employers must conduct Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment, and Control (HIRAC) procedures using the Air Quality Index Matrix and Action Points (AQIMAP) issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Health.
HIRAC assessments must also be periodically reviewed and updated, particularly when air quality, workplace conditions or workers’ exposure levels substantially change.
For very unhealthy air conditions, employers must monitor air-quality advisories, provide necessary personal protective equipment and improve indoor airflow and ventilation.
Outdoor work must also be suspended or limited when air quality reaches a very unhealthy level, while workers must be informed about the health risks associated with exposure to air pollution.
When conditions become acutely unhealthy, DOLE advises employers to consider flexible work arrangements as an additional measure to reduce workers’ exposure.
At emergency air-quality levels, DOLE strongly recommends suspending non-essential work or adopting alternative work arrangements to protect workers.
Employers are expected to adjust workplace controls based on the severity of air pollution rather than rely on a single set of measures, with the advisory requiring continuing assessment of exposure and risk.
DOLE said the guidelines form part of its efforts to address workplace risks arising from environmental air pollution and strengthen measures for the health and safety of workers.
The advisory provides employers with a risk-based framework for determining when protective measures, work adjustments or suspension of non-essential activities may be necessary as air quality deteriorates.