The world is full of environment, health, and safety regulations, with new ones being added every day. Most of these requirements focus on manufacturing operations, but a surprising number of regulations apply to offices and other non-manufacturing, lower-risk operations! Check in with us once a month for our new blog series: EHS Global Moments, where we highlight a country-specific EHS regulation applicable to non-manufacturing operations, organized by place, topic, or theme.
In the Philippines, there are specific regulations requiring trained Safety Officers in lower-risk workplaces. The Philippines Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Occupational Safety and Health Standards, Rule 1030, Training and Accreditation of Personnel on Occupational Safety and Health, states that “a trained and accredited Safety Officer is required for non-hazardous workplaces, including offices.” The regulation includes requirements for how many Safety Officers are needed depending on employee headcount, and the type of training they will need to undergo to meet the regulatory requirements. Read on for an overview of these office-related regulations:
- Under the Philippines DOLE Occupational Safety and Health Standards, Rule 1030, Training and Accreditation of Personnel on Occupational Safety and Health, a trained and accredited Safety Officer is required for a non-hazardous workplace, including offices.
- The number of Safety Officers, as well as their part-time or full-time status, varies depending on the number of employees in the workplace.
- Locations with less than 250 employees must have at least one part-time Safety Officer for six hours per week.
- Locations with 251-500 employees must have at least two part-time Safety Officers for six hours per week for each Officer.
- Locations with 501-750 employees must have one full-time Safety Officer.
- Locations with 751-1000 employees must have two full-time Safety Officers.
- For every additional 500 employees, there must be one additional full-time Safety Officer.
- The Safety Officer must be trained and accredited by the Philippines DOLE in accordance with the DOLE Occupational Safety and Health Standards, Rule 1030.
- A qualified consultant may fill the role of the Safety Officer.
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