Republic of the Philippines

Department of Health
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY

Not/
jl{ 2016

DEPARTMENT ORDER
No.2016 - _WI

SUBJECT: Guidelines for the Institutionalization of Occupational Safety and

Health in the Department of Health

I. RATIONALE

The Occupational Safety and Health Standards' Rule 1040 and Rule 1960 under Article
162 of Presidential Decree 442 or the Labor Code of the Philippines mandated all
employers including the government agencies to establish in their place of employment
occupational safety and health services. The Civil Service Commission (CSC) issued the
Memorandum Circular No. 30 s. 1994: Checklist of Reasonable Working Conditions in
the Public Sector to assist both management and union in establishing a working
environment which will promote harmonious relationship between them, enhance the
employees' welfare and productivity and contribute to the attainment of a responsible
public service in general and the goals of agency in particular.

The CSC issued the Memorandum Circular No. 33 s. 1997: Policy on Working
Conditions at the Workplace which enjoined all heads of departments / agencies to
appropriate funds for the institutionahzation of occupational safety and health. The
Department of Health issued the Administrative Order No. 2012-0020: Guidelines
Goveming the Occupational Health and Safety of Public Health Workers (1) to promote
occupational health and safety in the healthcare facilities, (2) to protect public health
workers from the hazards and risks associated with their workplace, (3) to prevent
diseases and injuries to public health workers, and (4) to provide access to treatment,
rehabilitation and compensation of work-connected illnesses and injuries affecting public
health workers, whenever applicable.

The Department of Health, as the nation's leader in health, has the obligation to protect
and promote the safety and health of the Filipinos. But of paramount importance is
protecting and promoting the safety and health of its employees, including the hospital
workers, regardless of their employment status. Hence, there is an urgent need to
implement the Occupational Safety and Health Standards and to institutionalize it in
every workplace of the DOH as applicable.

Building 1, San Lazaro Compound, Rizal Avenue, Sta. Cruz, 1003 Manila o Trunk Line: 651-7800 loc. 1 108, 1l 1 t, I 112,1 I 13; Direct Line
7ll-9502;7lI-9503 Fax:743-1829 o URL: http://www.doh.gov.ph; e-mail: ofliceofsoh@doh.eov.ph and-doh.offisgefsqh@gmail.calq

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il. OBJECTIVES

This Order shall (a) ensure the implementation and sustainability of Occupational Safety
and Health Standards' Rule 1040 and Rule 1960, (b) institutionalize the Occupational
Safety and Health (OSH) Policy and Program in all workplaces of the Department of
Health, and (c) pursue the OSH vision, mission and goals of DOH.

III. SCOPE

This issuance shall apply to the DOH - Central Office, Regional Offices, DOH - ARMM,
Services and Specialty Hospitals; Medical Centers, Hospitals, and Sanitaria; Treatment
and Rehabilitation Centers (TRC); Bureau of Quarantine; Philippine Health Insurance
Corporation, National Nutrition Council, Population Commission, Food and Drug
Administration; and other Attached Agencies.

ry. DEFINITION OF TERMS

A. Case Management is a collaborative process which assesses, plans, implements,

coordinates, monitors and evaluates the options and services required to meet an
individual's health, social care, educational and employment needs, using
communication and available resources to promote quality cost-effective
outcomes.
B. Ergonomics is the science of optimizing the job to the worker - maximizing the
safe and efficient interaction between people, their work systems, tools, tasks and
environment to enhance productivity and minimize or prevent costly injuries.
C. Industrial Hygiene is the science and art of anticipation, recognition, evaluation,
and control of physical, chemical, biological, and ergonomic hazards or stressors
arising in or from the workplace, which may cause harm or induce discomfort or
adverse health effects to workers or members of the community. (Fundamentals
of Industrial Hygiene, 1996)
D. Medical Surveillance is the systematic assessment of employees exposed or
potentially exposed to occupationalhazards. This assessment monitors individuals
for adverse health effects and determines the effectiveness of exposure prevention
strategies. A medical surveillance progrcm includes the analysis of both
individual and aggregate surveillance data over time, with the goal of reducing
and ultimately preventing occupational illness and injury.
E. Occupational Safety and Health is defined as the a) promotion and maintenance
of the highest degree of physical, mental and social well-being of workers in all
occupations; b) prevention among its workers of any departures from health
caused by their working conditions; c) protection among workers in their
employment from risks usually from factors adverse to health and d) placing and
maintenance of the worker in an occupational environment adapted to hisArer
physiological ability. (ILOAVHO Joint Safety and Health Committee)
F. Occupational Safety and Health Practitioner refers to a physician, nurse,
engineer, dentist or chemist and other qualified health professional duly licensed
to practice his/her profession in the Philippines and possessing all of the
additional qualifications required by the Department of Labor and Employment.
G. Occupational Safety and Ilealth Management System enables organizations to
improve their overall OSH performance through a process of continual
improvement.
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 H. Reasonable Working Conditions pertain to the humane and acceptable working
environment that promotes, develops, sustains, and satisfies the physical,
economic, psychosocial, and spiritual well-being of the employees; promotes
harmonious relationship between employees and management to enhance their
dignrty; provides motivation and recognition and hamesses their potentials
towards increased productivity and efficiency in the attainment of the goals and
objectives of the employees as well as the organization for a more responsive
public service.
I. Travel Medicine or Emporiatrics is the branch of medicine that deals with
prevention and management of health problems of intemational travelers.
Mortality studies indicate that cardiovascular disease accounts for most deaths
during travel (50-70%), while injury and accident follow (-25%). Infectious
disease accounts for about 2.8-4% of deaths durindfrom travel.

V. GENERAL GUIDELINES

A. The Department of Health through the Occupational Safety and Health

Committee and Secretariat shall develop and implement guidelines, policies and
standards that are aligned with the Occupational Safety and Health Standards and
other laws pertaining to OSH.

B. The Occupational Safety and Health Policy and Program shall be developed,
implemented and sustained in all the workplaces of DOH. Monitoring and
evaluation of the programs, projects and activities shall be conducted periodically.

C. The DOH OSH Policy and Program shall be the benchmark in the implementation
and institutionalization of OSH in other national government agencies, local
govemment units (LGUs), state universities and colleges and government-owned
and -controlled corporations.

D. The DOH shall ensure the availability and accessibility of occupational safety and
health services as provided for in the Occupational Safety and Health Standards.
One of which is the establishment and operationalization of medical clinic in the
workplace, as applicable, and the designation of OSH-trained physician and nurse
to man the clinic.

E. The DOH shall ensure sustained funding, generation and mobilization of

resources needed for the implementation and institutionalization of OSH Policy
and Program.

F. OSH personnel shall be encouraged to attend the continuing OSH-related training

and development

vr. SPECIFIC GUIDELINES

A. Vision of DOH on OSH

The Department of Health will be the Center of Excellence in Occupational

Safety and Health in the public sector by 2022.

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B. Mission of DOII on OSH

As the nation's leader in health, we are fully committed, first and foremost, to
safety and health of our workforce by building and sustaining a culture of
prevention on Occupational Safety and Health

C. Goals of DOH on OSH

1) To reduce work-related and occupational illnesses and injuries among the

DOH employees;
2) To create and maintain a safe, secure, and healthy working environment;
and
3) To inculcate safety-first mindset and health-seeking behaviors among the
DOH employees

D. Occupational Safety and Health Committee Composition and Functions

1) Composition
a) The DOH Central Office OSH Committee shall be composed of the
following:

Chair : ExeCom member designated by the Secretary

Vice-Chair : Occupational Safety and Health Practitioner
designated by the Secretary
Members (*) : Director, Disease Prevention and Control Bureau
(DPCB)
Director, Administrative Services (AS)
Director, Health Human Resource Development
Bureau (HHRDB)
Director. Finance Service
Director, Health Promotion and Communication
Service (HPCS)
Director, Health Emergency Management Bureau
(HEMB)
President, National DOH Employees' Association
CNADEA)
OSH Physician, DOH Clinic

(*) Members may designate a permanent alternate representative whose rank

shall be not lower than a Division Chief

b.) The DOH Central OSH Secretaiat shall be composed of the

following:
Head : Chief, Occupational Diseases Division, DPCB
Members : Two (2) Technical Staff, DPCB
One (1) Technical Staff, HHRDB
One (1) Technical Staff, AS
Union representative

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 c.) The OSH Committee in the Regional Offices, DOH-Retained
Hospitals, TRCs, Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) and Attached Agencies shall be
composed of the following:

Chair : Head of Office / Chief of Hospitals / TRC / Heads

of Attached Agencies
Members : Heads of Human Resource / Personnel, Budget,
and other offices deemed necessary, Designated
OSH Practitioner
Secretariat : To be determined by the respective OSH Chairs

2.) Functions
a) The DOH Central OSH Committee shall provide OSH policy direction
and oversee the implementation and sustainability of OSH program
b) The DOH Central OSH Secretariat shall perform the following:
i. lead in the OSH policy development and program
management;
ii. provide regular updates, reports and technical
recommendations / advisory to the OSH Committee on the
activities relevant to the OSH program; and
iii. carry out other functions as may be directed by the OSH
Committee
c.) The OSH Committee and Secretariat in the Regional Offices, DOH -
ARMM, Services and Specialty Hospitals; Medical Centers, Hospitals,
and Sanitaria; Treatment and Rehabilitation Centers (TRC); Bureau of
Quarantine; Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, National
Nutrition Council, Population Commission, Food and Drug
Administration; and other Attached Agencies shall adopt and replicate
the aforementioned functions.

E. The scope of Occupational Safety and Health Program shall include, but not
limited to, the following as applicable:
1) Employee Health Audit thru Annual Physical Examination
2) Medical Surveillance including Registry for Compensable Diseases /
Injuries
3) Sickness Absence Assessment and Management
4) Worksite Health Promotion
5) Case Management, Work Fitness, and Disability Management
6) First Aid and Basic Life Support Training
7) OSH Audit Checklist for Green Productivity in the Workplace
8) Assessment of Waste Management and Eco-Initiatives
9) Water, Sanitation and Hygiene including Industrial Hygiene
l0) Celebration of World Day for Safety and Health Work on April28
at
11) Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Control / Belly Gud for Health
I2)Cancer Prevention and Control
13) Palliative and Hospice Care
1 4) Immun ization Pro gram
I 5) Hazar d Reco gnition, Evaluation and Control
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 16) Travel Medicine or Emporiatrics
17) Smoking Cessation
18) Comprehensive Eye Health Care
19) Safety andHazard Risk Surveillance Audit and Management
20) Oral Health Care
2l)Disaster Preparedness, Emergency Managanent and Post-Disaster
Continuity of Operations
2})Yiolence and Injury Prevention including Road Safety and Anti-
Sexual Harassment
23) Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health
24) Life-Coaching / P sycholo gically H ealthy Workplace
25) Dangerous Drugs Abuse Prevention and Treatment / Drug-Free
Workplace
26) Prevention and Control of HIV / AIDS, including Sexually-
Transmitted Infections (STIs) and Hepatitis B
27) Infection Control and Antimicrobial Stewardship
28) Ergonomics or Human Factors
29) Prevention and Control of Needle Stick and Sharps Injuries
30) Tuberculosis Prevention and Control
31) Thyroid Disorders Prevention and Control
32) Chemical Safety Program

VU. FUNDING

The Heads of DOH - Central Office, Regional Offices, DOH - ARMM, Services and
Specialty Hospitals; Medical Centers, Hospitals, and Sanitaria; Treatment and
Rehabilitation Centers (TRC); Bureau of Quarantine; Philippine Health Insurance
Corporation, National Nutrition Council, Population Commission, Food and Drug
Administration; and other Attached Agencies of this Department shall ensure that funds
be allocated for this purpose. Said funds shall be reflected in the annual operational plan
as well as work and financial plan.

VIII. REPEALING CLAUSE

All previous Orders inconsistent in part or in whole to this Department Order are hereby
rescinded or amended accordingly.

IX. EFFECTIVITY

This Order shall take effect immediatelv.

PAUL