Workers’ group calls for breaks amid dangerous heat index

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) on Monday urged employers to offer breaks to their workers as the heat index reaches dangerous levels in some parts of the country.

In a statement, the TUCP called on employers to implement the following measures to prevent illnesses and fatalities among the workforce:

• Heat break, especially for outdoor workers, during the hottest part of the day, such as around 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., which can be facilitated through flexible work time arrangements.
• Buddy system as a proactive monitoring system for workers to check on each other’s well-being, supported by the openness and alertness of the management, especially the workplace safety officer. 
• Mandatory heat stress orientation sessions, supplemented by periodic refresher courses or training guides, to educate workers about hydration reminders, how to flag heat stress symptoms, and the corresponding treatment. 

“These measures are not just recommendations—these are life-or-death necessities. Heat breaks, a buddy system, and heat stress orientations are not a burden but a win-win investment in worker safety and productivity.  We demand immediate action before more lives are lost!” TUCP president and House deputy speaker Raymond Democrito Mendoza said.

The TUCP also wants the full implementation of DOLE Labor Advisory No. 8, Series of 2023.

The DOLE advisory mandates employers to hold heat-related health risk assessments, improve workplace ventilation, provide sufficient drinking water, adjust work-rest cycles, and launch education campaigns on heat stress prevention, the group said.

“As temperatures continue to spike across Metro Manila and nearby provinces, no worker should suffer heat exhaustion, collapse from dehydration, or, worst, die on the job due to preventable heat stress,” Mendoza said.

“Protecting workers from extreme heat is not optional but a shared moral and legal obligation of labor, employers, Government, and all stakeholders,” he added.

According to state weather bureau PAGASA, at least three areas in the country are forecast to experience heat indices under dangerous levels from 42 to 51 degrees Celsius on Monday:

• Science Garden Quezon City - 46°C
• Clark Airport, Pampanga - 46°C
• CLSU Muñoz, Nueva Ecija - 45°C

Heat index is the measure of the temperature that a person feels in contrast to the actual air temperature. Computed by factoring in the humidity as well as the air temperature, the heat index measures "human discomfort" and is the "apparent temperature" felt by the human body.

PAGASA's heat index classification defines heat index temperatures ranging from 42°C to 51°C as being in the "danger" level, where "heat cramps and heat exhaustion are likely; heat stroke is probable with continued exposure." — Joviland Rita/RF, GMA Integrated News