Labor department issues guidelines versus virus

After two confirmed cases of the Influenza A(H1N1) virus in the Philippines, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) issued guidelines to help prevent the disease from spreading in the workplace.

In a statement on Monday, Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said he issued an advisory to guide employers and workers on prevention.

The advisory directs business establishments to regularly provide information about A(H1N1), including its transmission, disease outcome and treatment options. The advisory also asked employers to monitor their employees’ health, especially those with fever and those who have recently traveled to other countries with confirmed cases of the dreaded flu virus.

If an enterprise suspects a worker of having A(H1N1), the employer should refer the person to the company’s healthcare provider and decontaminate the work area.

The symptoms for A(H1N1) are similar to the regular flu, including fever, cough, difficulty in breathing, vomiting or nausea, and diarrhea.

Roque said that the necessary measures for the prevention of the disease should be part of plant-level efforts so as to avoid disruptions to the workers’ productivity and to the growth of business and Philippine industry.

He added companies and social partners could delegate a focal person responsible for monitoring that the guidelines, ensuring that they are properly implemented and strictly followed in the workplace.

Roque also said that the Labor department was ready to assist establishments in training and educating their designated focal persons. The department would also provide technical assistance in risk management, use of protective equipment, including a respiratory program and workplace improvements to reduce possible contamination by the disease.

Health benefits

In case a worker in a public or private sector became infected with killer flu, the worker may avail of a P150,000 medical insurance package in addition to existing company health benefits and PhilHealth coverage, Roque also said in his statement.

PhilHealth member and their dependents infected with the disease can avail of hospital benefits amounting to P75,000.

The secretary also said that a worker who contracts the disease from his or her workplace was entitled to sickness benefits from the Social Security System (SSS) and employee benefits under Presidential Decree 626 or the Employees’ Compensation Commission Law. –Bernice Camille V. Bauzon, Manila Times