The House of Representatives Committee on Labor and Employment has sponsored a measure aimed at enhancing workers’ safety against climate-related threats and hazards.
House Bill No. 10559 under Committee Report No. 552 seeks to strengthen the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) framework by integrating climate-adaptive measures.
‘Hindi dapat maging kapalit ng kabuhayan ang kalusugan. Hindi dapat maging kapalit ng trabaho ang buhay. At hindi dapat kailanman mangyari na ang isang manggagawa ay kailangang mamili sa pagitan ng pagkita para sa kanyang pamilya at pagprotekta sa kanyang sarili,’ House Committee on Labor and Employment chairperson Rep. Ramon Jolo Revilla said on Tuesday.
(Health should not be sacrificed for livelihood. Life should not be sacrificed for a job. And a worker should have to choose between earning for their family and protecting themselves.)
He said that unpredictable weather has become a daily occupational risk to workers, particulalry those working outdoors.
‘For construction workers exposed to intense heat and employees who must report for work amid heavy rains and severe weather, climate change is no longer an abstract issue but a danger they confront in earning their livelihood,’ said Revilla.
Revilla added that the measure also seeks to impose stiffer penalties for OSH violations, which resulted in the injury or death of a worker.
He, however, clarified that the move is not intended to criminalize ‘ordinary mistakes’, but to penalize ‘willful or grossly negligent violations that put workers in danger.’
These include identified risks, violations, and deficiencies in training or protective equipment that are disregarded by the company or employer.
‘Hindi sapat na sabihin nating may OSH program ang isang kumpanya. Ang tanong ay-handa ba itong harapin ang mga panganib na kinakaharap ng ating mga manggagawa ngayon? Handa ba ito sa matinding init o bagyo? Handa ba itong protektahan ang manggagawa bago pa mangyari ang aksidente?’ he said.
(It is not enough to simply say that a company has an OSH program. The question is-is it prepared to address the risks our workers face today? Is it prepared for extreme heat or typhoons? Is it prepared to protect workers before an accident occurs?)
‘Hindi natin pinaparusahan ang pagkakamali. Pinapanagot natin ang sadyang pagwawalang-bahala sa kaligtasan,’ he added.
(We don’t punish mistakes. We hold accountable willful disregard for safety.)