EMPLOYERS are urged to protect their workers from heat stress as summer temperatures reach dangerous highs due to El Niño, a lawmaker said on Sunday.
Citing a Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) advisory issued in 2023, Rizal Rep. Juan Fidel Felipe F. Nograles reminded employers to provide adequate ventilation systems and heat insulation in workplaces and adjust employee work breaks to reduce heat stress and other health risks.
Mr. Nograles, who chairs the House Labor and Employment Committee, said employers should monitor their employees’ occupational safety to prevent “productivity loss, accidents, and possible lawsuits due to violation of the law.”
Labor groups, among them Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), have said that extreme heat condition is a work hazard that must be addressed by employers. “Extreme heat… is a health and safety hazard that must be met with responsive measures,”
The state weather monitoring bureau’s heat index bulletin on Friday stated that Laoag City in Northern Luzon and six other cities and municipalities throughout the country may reach “dangerous” levels of heat on Monday.
A person exposed to a “dangerous” heat index between 42° and 51° Celsius could experience cramps and heat exhaustion, which could lead to heat stroke.
Federation of Free Workers – Mindanao said DoLE should implement occupational safety and health standards to mitigate heat stress risks amid hot weather.
The labor group urged DoLE to convene the National Tripartite Industrial Peace Council so that both employees and workers can discuss possible measures that could ease heat stress.
“Through the National Tripartite Industrial Peace Council, workers and employers with the government may adopt or establish a unified and effective strategy to protect our workforce from heat-related hazards,” Joel Tongco, a president of a labor union attached to the Federation of Free Workers, said in a statement.
KMU also said workers should conduct “dialogues with their employers, local government units, and other agencies” to discuss measures that could ensure work safety amid scorching heat. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio
