Protect workers from hot weather, labor group says
ORGANIZED labor on Monday called for the implementation of preventive measures to protect workers from heat-related illnesses as temperatures continue to rise in Metro Manila and other parts of the country. The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) said that with the heat index surging to 42 to 51°C, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) should immediately implement Labor Advisory 8, series of 2023, to protect workers from heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses. The labor advisory mandates all employers to conduct heat-related health risk assessments, improve workplace ventilation, provide sufficient drinking water, adjust work-rest cycles, and implement education campaigns on heat stress prevention. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) has forecast a '"danger" heat index of up to 46 degrees Celsius while the Department of Health (DOH) warned against heat-related illnesses ranging from heat cramps and exhaustion to fatal heat stroke. "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. Protecting workers from extreme heat is not optional but a shared moral and legal obligation of labor, employers, government, and all stakeholders," the TUCP said in a statement. The TUCP also urged all workplaces to immediately adopt and enforce critical non-negotiable measures by giving workers a "heat break," especially for outdoor workers, during the hottest part of the day, such as between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., which can be facilitated through flexible work time arrangements. It also moved for a "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 and especially the workplace safety officer. It also stressed that heat stress orientation sessions should be mandatory, and should be 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," TUCP President and House Deputy Speaker Raymond Democrito Mendoza said.
Tomas Kauer - Moderator 
ORGANIZED labor on Monday called for the implementation of preventive measures to protect workers from heat-related illnesses as temperatures continue to rise in Metro Manila and other parts of the country.
The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) said that with the heat index surging to 42 to 51°C, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) should immediately implement Labor Advisory 8, series of 2023, to protect workers from heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses.
The labor advisory mandates all employers to conduct heat-related health risk assessments, improve workplace ventilation, provide sufficient drinking water, adjust work-rest cycles, and implement education campaigns on heat stress prevention.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) has forecast a '"danger" heat index of up to 46 degrees Celsius while the Department of Health (DOH) warned against heat-related illnesses ranging from heat cramps and exhaustion to fatal heat stroke.
"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. Protecting workers from extreme heat is not optional but a shared moral and legal obligation of labor, employers, government, and all stakeholders," the TUCP said in a statement.
The TUCP also urged all workplaces to immediately adopt and enforce critical non-negotiable measures by giving workers a "heat break," especially for outdoor workers, during the hottest part of the day, such as between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., which can be facilitated through flexible work time arrangements.
It also moved for a "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 and especially the workplace safety officer.
It also stressed that heat stress orientation sessions should be mandatory, and should be 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," TUCP President and House Deputy Speaker Raymond Democrito Mendoza said.
