DTI, DOLE issue new workplace guidelines

by Louella Desiderio (The Philippine Star), 16 Aug 2020

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) yesterday issued guidelines for additional protocols in the workplace, which include designating an occupational safety and health (OSH) committee and officer and providing temporary isolation facilities for symptomatic employees.

Under Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) 20-04-A of the DTI and DOLE, establishments should have an OSH committee or officer to oversee and monitor the implementation of minimum health standards to prevent COVID-19 transmission.

For large and medium private establishments with total assets worth more than P15 million, they are mandated to designate an isolation area of one room for every 200 employees.

The isolation room should be different from the company clinic and should have personal protective equipment for health personnel and symptomatic patients as well as its own restroom.

For malls and buildings, there should at least be one isolation area near the entrances.

Private establishments unable to provide an isolation area may make arrangements with a temporary treatment and monitoring facility nearby or with the barangay local government unit, for immediate referral of employees who fulfill the criteria for isolation.

Employees with COVID-19 symptoms and those who have been exposed to positive cases would have to undergo the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing.

Asymptomatic employees returning to work, meanwhile, need not go through RT-PCR or antibody-based tests.

As part of efforts to minimize the risk of transmission of the virus, large and medium sized enterprises are enjoined under the JMC to provide shuttles to employees.

The guidelines state that employees should wear face shields and masks when interacting with colleagues and customers.

To restrict interaction of employees with each other during meal breaks, eating alone in the workstation is being encouraged.

Dining in canteens will be prohibited, except if there is strict compliance with the one-meter physical distancing and if there are physical barriers.

For designated smoking areas in the workplace, these should have individual booths and employees should observe physical distancing and not be talking while inside.

In case of non-compliance with the JMC, the establishment would be temporarily closed until it is able to make corrections and comply with the minimum health protocols.

‘Buy local products’

Meanwhile, the DTI has appealed to government offices to prioritize locally manufactured products when procuring materials and supplies for their operation.

Lopez said the move would help businesses remain afloat and eventually recover from the country’s first recession in almost 30 years caused by the pandemic.

Various sectors have also called on the government to purchase locally manufactured products such as face masks, test kits and personal protective equipment rather than buy expensive goods from other countries.

They also encouraged the government to purchase goods from local farmers and utilize local cement and other construction materials for its “Build, Build, Build” program to stimulate the economy and help protect the employment of Filipinos.

The Philippine Retailers Association expressed its support for the DTI’s initiative, saying it will help local industries recover from the negative economic effects of the pandemic.

At the same time, consumer groups called for vigilance against those who will mislead the public through mislabeling, wherein imported products are being sold as Filipino-made.

The Department of Justice had earlier vowed to go after businessmen capitalizing on the pandemic for their financial gain.