Employers, workers urged to stay vigilant vs. COVID-19 in offices amid Alert Level 1

With more offices now requiring employees to physically report back to work due to the de-escalation to Alert Level 1, the Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC) on Thursday reminded them to remain vigilant against possible COVID-19 infections.

During a Laging Handa briefing, OSHC executive director Noel Binag was asked how workers and employers alike could avoid contracting the viral disease considering the eased COVID-19 restrictions in the country.

“Ang advise po namin sa mga employers na sana still vigilant pa rin po sila. Hindi dahil tayo ay nasa Level 1 or lower than Level 1 na tayo ay wala na po, babalewain na natin ang mga protocols sa safety and health,” he said.

(We advise employers to remain vigilant. It’s not because we are already at Level 1 or lower that we could ignore the safety and health protocols.)

“Sana ‘yung mga may-ari, mga owner, at employers ay patuloy pa rin na nagbabantay upang sa gayon ay laging ipinapatupad ang kanilang OSH program lalo na ang prevention and control in the spread of the COVID,” he added.

(Hopefully, the owners and employers will continue to monitor so that their OSH program is always implemented, especially the prevention and control in the spread of COVID-19.)

The National Capital Region and several other areas have been placed under Alert Level 1 since March 1 after meeting the metrics set by the Inter Agency Task Force (IATF).

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the Philippines may remain under Alert Level 1 until President Rodrigo Duterte's term ends on June 30, 2022.

Under Alert Level 1, intrazonal and interzonal travel shall be allowed without regard to age and comorbidities. All establishments, persons, or activities, are allowed to operate, work, or be undertaken at full on-site or venue/seating capacity provided it is consistent with minimum public health standards.

Moreover, Binag encouraged companies and establishments to get accredited so they could receive their Safety Seals which would certify their compliance with the health and safety guidelines set to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Establishments seeking to apply for a safety seal must adopt the StaySafe.PH or any other local government unit-mandated digital contact tracing application and implement the minimum health standards against the virus.

“Maganda naman ang feedback. Karamihan ay sumusunod sa ating safety and health protocols maliban na lang, meron ding pa-ilan ilan diyan na nagko-complain na wala silang mga safety officers, at wala silang policy, OSH programs sa kanilang respective establishments,” Binag said.

(We received good feedback so far. Most of them follow our safety and health protocols except for some that complain that they don't have safety officers, and they don't have an OSH policy and programs in their respective establishments.)

He also noted that the OSHC continues to conduct free online training for safety officers, research on safety and health, and testing on personal protective equipment to ensure that they pass the OSHC standards.—AOL, GMA News