OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS

AS AMENDED

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT

MANILA

The objective of this Standard is to protect every workingman against the dangers of
injury, sickness or death through safe and healthful working conditions, thereby
assuring the conservation of valuable manpower resources and the prevention of loss
or damage to lives and properties, consistent with national development goals and with
the State’s commitment for the total development of every worker as a complete human
being. This Standards shall apply to all places of employment except otherwise
provided in this Standard.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

RULE 1000 GENERAL PROVISION

1001 Purpose
1002 Definitions
1003 Administration and Enforcement
1004 Special Inspection, Investigation and Review
1005 Duties of Employers, Workers and Other Persons
1006 Confidentiality of Trade Secrets

RULE 1010 OTHER SAFETY RULES

1011 Promulgation of Rules

1012 Special Rules
1013 Hazardous Workplaces

RULE 1020 REGISTRATION

1021 General Provision

1022 Registrable Unit
1023 Period of Registration
1024 Registration
 RULE 1030 TRAINING OF PERSONNEL IN OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND
HEALTH

1031 Training Programs

1032 Accreditation
1033 Training and Personnel Complement
1034.01 Qualification of a Safety Consultant
1034.02 Prohibition in the Practice of Occupational Safety and Health

RULE 1040 HEALTH AND SAFETY COMMITTEE

1041 General Requirements

1042 Types and Composition of Health and Safety Committee
1043 Duties of the Health and Safety Committee
1044 Term of Office of Members
1045 Duties of Employers
1046 Duties of Workers
1047 Duties of the Safety Man
1048 Other Types of Safety Organizations

RULE 1050 NOTIFICATION AND KEEPING OF RECORDS OF ACCIDENTS AND/OR

OCCUPATIONAL ILLNESSES

1051 Definitions
1052 Special Provision
1053 Report Requirements
1054 Keeping of Records
1055 Evaluation of Disability
1056 Measurement of Performance

RULE 1060 PREMISES OF ESTABLISHMENTS

1060.01 General Provisions

1061 Construction and Maintenance
1062 Space Requirement
1063 Walkway Surface
1064 Floor and Wall Opening
1065 Stairs
1066 Window Openings
1067 Fixed Ladders
1068 Overhead Walks, Runways and Platforms
1069 Yards

RULE 1070 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL

1071 General Provisions

1072 Threshold Limit Values for Airborne Contaminants
1073 Threshold Limit Values for Airborne Contaminants (Tablets)
1074 Physical Agents
1075 Illumination
1076 General Ventilation
1077 Working Environment Measurement

RULE 1080 PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT AND DEVICES

1081 General Provision

1082 Eye and Face Protection
1083 Respiratory Protection
1084 Head Protection
1085 Hand and Arm Protection
1086 Safety Belts. Life Lines and Safety Net
1087 Use of Safety Shoes

RULE 1090 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS

1091 Scope
1092 Definitions
1093 General Rules
1094 Hot and Corrosive Substances
1095 Storage
1096 Use of Lead and its Compounds

RULE 1100 GAS AND ELECTRIC WELDING AND CUTTING OPERATIONS

1100.01 General Provisions

1100.02 Personal Protective Equipment
1100.03 Welding or Cutting in Confined Spaces

RULE 1120 HAZARDOUS WORK PROCESSES

1121 Underground Tank and Similar Confined Space Work

 RULE 1140 EXPLOSIVES

1141 General Provisions

1142 Definitions
1143 Authorization
1144 Limitation
1145 Quantity and Distance Tables
1146 Storage of Explosives
1147 Records of Disposition of Explosives

RULE 1150 MATERIALS HANDLING AND STORAGE

1150.01 General Provisions

RULE 1160 BOILER

1161 Definitions
1162 General Provisions
1163 Power Boilers
1164 Heating Boilers
1165 Cleaning and Repairs
1166 Personal Protective Equipment
1167 Color Coding
1168 Requirement in the Preparation of Boiler Pressure Vessels Plans

RULE 1170 UNFIRED PRESSURE VESSELS

1171 Definitions
1172 Steam Heated Pressure Vessels
1173 Closed Steam Heated Pressure Vessels
1174 Open Steam Heated Pressure Vessels
1175 Water and Air Pressure Tanks
1176 Refrigeration Tanks
1177 Compressor
1178 Gas Cylinders

RULE 1200 MACHINE GUARDING

1201 Definitions
1202 Provisions of Guards
1203 Standard Machine Guards
1204 Machine Guard at Point of Operation
1205 Transmission Machinery Guarding
1206 Woodworking Machinery
1207 Guarding Mechanical Power Presses and Foot Hand Power Presses

RULE 1210 ELECTRICAL SAFETY

1211 Philippine Electric Code

1212 Electrical Safety Inspection
1213 Inspection Fees
1214 Requirements in the Preparation of Electrical Plans

RULE 1220 ELEVATORS AND RELATED EQUIPMENT

1221 Definitions
1222 General Provisions
1223 General Requirements
1224 Standards Requirements
1225 Requirements in the Preparation of Plans

RULE 1230 IDENTIFICATION OF PIPING SYSTEM

1230.01 Scope
1230.02 Standard Requirements
1230.03 Definitions
1230.04 Methods of Identification of Contents of Piping Systems
1230.05 Visibility
1230.06 Location of Stenciled or Lettered Legends
1230.07 Type and Size of Letters for Stencils

RULE 1410 CONSTRUCTION SAFETY

1411 Definitions
1412 General Provisions
1413 Excavation
1414 Scaffoldings
1415 Construction Equipment
1416 Plant and Equipment
1417 Demolition
1418 Mechanical Demolition
1419 Explosives
 RULE 1420 LOGGING

1421 General Provisions

1422 Handtools
1423 General Logging Operations
1424 Use and Maintenance of Power Saws
1425 Logging Engine
1426 Logging Engine Operation
1427 Tractor Yarding
1428 Lines, Blocks, Rigging

RULE 1940 FIRE PROTECTION AND CONTROL

1941 General Provisions

1942 Definitions
1943 Building Construction and Facilities
1944 Fire Fighting Facilities
1945 Flammable and Combustible Liquids
1946 Combustible Solids
1947 Electrical Installation
1948 Alarm Systems and Fire Drills

RULE 1950 PESTICIDES AND FERTILIZERS

1951 Scope
1952 Definitions
1953 General Provisions
1954 Pesticides
1955 Fertilizers
1957 Disposal of Unwanted Materials

RULE 1960 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH SERVICES

1961 General Provisions

1962 Hazardous Workplace
1963 Emergency Health Services
1964 Training and Qualifications
1965 Duties of Employers
1966 Occupational Health Program
1967 Physical Examination
 RULE 1970 FEES

1971 General Provisions

1972 Explosives
1973 Local Fabrication of Boilers/Pressure Vessels
1974 Certificates of Safety Practitioner/Consultants

RULE 1980 AUTHORITY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT

1981 General Provisions

1982 Authority to Chartered Cities
1983 Authority of Municipalities
1984 Authority of Other Government Agencies
1985 Application of this Standard of Existing Plans and Authorities
1986 Duplication of Inspection

RULE 1990 FINAL PROVISION

1991 False Statement or Representation

1992 Separability
1993 Resolution of Conflicts and Overlapping Jurisdictions
1994 Repeal of Prior Safety Orders 1995 Penal Provisions
1996 Effectivity

By virtue of the powers vested in the Department of Labor and Employment under
Article 162 of the Labor Code of the Philippines, this Occupational Safety and Health
Standards is hereby promulgated for the guidance and compliance of all concerned.
This body of standards rules and regulations shall hereafter be referred to as
“Standards”.

RULE 1000
GENERAL PROVISION

1001: Purpose and Scope:

(1) The objective of this issuance is to protect every workingman against the dangers of
injury, sickness or death through safe and healthful working conditions, thereby
assuring the conservation of valuable manpower resources and the prevention of loss
or damage to lives and properties, consistent with national development goals and with
the State’s commitment for the total development of every worker as a complete human
being.

(2) This Standards shall apply to all places of employment except as otherwise provided
in this Standard.

1002: Definitions:
For purposes of this Standards and except as otherwise indicated, the following shall
mean:

(1) “Employer” includes any person acting directly or indirectly in the interest of an
employer, in relation to an employee, and shall include government-owned or controlled
corporations and institutions, as well as non-profit private institutions or organizations.

(2) “Employee” shall mean any person hired, permitted or suffered to work by an
employer.

(3) “Industrial Enterprise” shall mean any workplace, permanent or temporary, including
any building or collection of buildings, shed, structure, yard or any other place, where
permanently or temporarily one or more persons are employed in any manufacturing of
goods or products processing and any other activity similar and incidental thereto.

(4) “Agricultural Enterprise” shall include forestry and logging operations, farming in all
its branches, and among other things, includes cultivation and tillage of the soil,
dairying, the production, cultivation, growing and harvesting of any agricultural and
horticultural commodities, the raising of livestock and poultry, and any practice
performed by a farmer on a farm as an incident to or in conjunction with such farming
operations, but does not include the manufacturing or processing of sugar, coconut,
abaca, tobacco, pineapple or other farm products.

(5) “Dry Dock” shall include premises where work is performed on shore or on board
ships in which ships or vessels are constructed, repaired, refitted, finished or broken up
and housed.

(6) “Health” shall connote a sound state of the body and mind of the worker, which
enables him to perform his job normally, in a state of well-being.

(7) “Safe or Safety” shall refer to the physical or environmental conditions of work or
employment, which substantially comply with the provisions of this Standards.

(8) “Work Accident” shall mean an unplanned or unexpected occurrence that may or
may not result in personal injury, property damage, work stoppage or interference or
any combination thereof, which arises out of and in the course of employment.

(9) “Work Injury” shall mean any injury or occupational illness suffered by a person,
which arises out of or in the course of his employment.

(10) “Occupational Illness” shall mean any illness caused by environmental factors, the
exposure to which is characterized or peculiar to a particular process, trade or
occupation and to which an employee or worker is not ordinarily subjected to or
exposed outside of or away from such employment.

(11) “Recognized Hazards” are those which do not require technical or testing devices
to detect.

(12) “Workplace” means the office, premises or work site, where the workers are
habitually employed and shall include the office or place where the workers, who have
no fixed or definite work site, regularly report for assignment in the course of their
employment.

(13) “Approved” shall mean acceptable to the Secretary in writing after proper
examination showing compliance with prescribed Standards.

(14) “Code” shall mean the Labor Code P.D. 442 as amended.

(15) “Department” shall mean the Department of Labor and Employment.

(16) “Secretary” shall mean the Secretary of Labor and Employment.

(17) “Bureau” shall mean the Bureau of Working Conditions.

(18) “Director” shall mean the Director of the Bureau of Working Conditions.

(19) “Standards” shall mean the Occupational Safety and Health Standards.

(20) “Enforcement Officer” shall mean the industrial safety engineer, the labor regulation
officer, or any duly authorized representatives of the Secretary to enforce this
Standards.

(21) “Authorized Representative” shall mean and include chartered cities, municipalities,
employees or officials of other government agencies empowered by the Secretary of
Labor and Employment to enforce the provisions of this Standards.

1003: Administration and Enforcement:

1003.01: Department of Labor and Employment:

(1) The Department of Labor and Employment shall administer and enforce the
provisions of this Standards.

(2) Every employer shall give to the Secretary or his duly authorized representative
access to its premises and records for the purpose of determining compliance with the
provisions of this Standards.

(3) Every establishments or place of employment shall be inspected at least once a

year to determine compliance with the provisions of this Standards. Special inspection
visits, however, may be authorized by the Regional Labor Office or as authorized under
Rule 1980 of this Standards, to investigate accidents, occupational illnesses or
dangerous occurrences, especially those resulting in permanent total disability or death,
to conduct surveys of working conditions requested by the Bureau for the purpose of
evaluating and assessing environmental contaminants and physical conditions or to
conduct investigations, inspections or follow-up inspections upon request of an
employer, worker or a labor union of the establishment.

(4) The enforcement officer shall determine reasonable periods of compliance with
recommendations depending on the gravity of the hazards needing corrections or the
period needed to come into compliance with the order.

1003.02: Application to Other Places of Employment:

When a condition of employment in workplaces not specifically covered by this

Standards is the subject of complaints, the provision of this Standards shall apply.