Assessment of the Working Conditions Of Crop Agricultural ... and Proceedings/3b... · Assessment...
Transcript of Assessment of the Working Conditions Of Crop Agricultural ... and Proceedings/3b... · Assessment...
Analyzing Child Labor in Agriculture Towards Amending D.O. No. 4 –
1999 on Hazardous Work and Developing Guidelines on Allowable Work
for 15 – 17 years old
Assessment of the Working Conditions Of
Crop Agricultural Workers Aged 15 to 17 Years (Phase II)
Presented By:
Engr. Melba F. Marasigan Sr. Industrial Hygienist OSHC-DOLE
Introduction
Updating and amending the coverage on hazardous work and activities list
of Department Order No. 4 – 1999 on Hazardous Work and Developing
Guidelines on Allowable Work for 15 – 17 years old is one of the initiatives of
Department of Labor and Employment in cooperation with International
Labour Organization (ILO) – International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour (IPEC)
Phase I - Hazards at Work: Child Labor in Agriculture conducted by ILS
Phase III – Conducted by Bureau of Workers and Special Concern
Background:
Agriculture is one of the hazardous industries in developing countries where occupational safety and health of workers should be prioritized regardless of age. The working children younger than 18 years old are susceptible to environmental stresses as their minds and bodies are still developing and fragile.
The International Labor Organization has defined the work performed by children engaged in agriculture affects them mentally, physically, socially, and morally. At an early age, the children become out-of-school or farm-working student to contribute to their family income working in excessively long hours and heavy workload.
Background:
In view of the hazardous conditions, the DOLE under the
Philippine Employment Plan 2011 – 2016 had included
the review and updating of the D.O. No. 4 – 1999 in
compliance with ILO Convention no. 182 as a priority action to strengthen measures to prevent and eliminate
the worst forms of child labor.
OBJECTIVES: Phase 2 To assess the exposure of child laborers in various agricultural production processes to various work environment hazards
Describe the workplace general conditions of agricultural child laborers particularly the unsafe acts and conditions in different agricultural crops
Provide description of the general working profile such as work experience, employment conditions, and safety and health outlook of the child laborers.
METHODOLOGY
A checklist for the walk-through ocular survey was used to evaluate the workplace general conditions and observations, welfare facilities, and unsafe
acts and conditions.
Work Environment Measurement was conducted by Industrial Hygienists to
assess the exposure of child laborers to respirable and total dust, heat stress,
chemicals and illumination levels
Face-to-face interview of at least 30 child laborers was conducted for the
general working profile including work experience, employment condition,
safety and health outlook, and other concerns
Coordination with the DOLE regional office, provincial, municipalities, and barangay level and ILO-IPEC enumerators were conducted to identify child
laborers
COVERAGE:
The study covered five (5) agricultural crops:
1. Corn and sugarcane - Region 10 (Bukidnon)
Brgy. San Jose, Malaybalay
Quempres, Butong, Quezon
2. Rice and coconut - Region 4A (Catanauan, Quezon Province)
San Isidro, Tuhian, Ilaya, Madulao
3. Abaca - Region 5 (Albay)
Brgy. Ogob, Malinao
Brgy. Jocoan, Tiwi
Limitation of the Study:
However, there were some limitations in the conduct of work environment measurement and interview due to weather conditions and farm crop activity at the study site limits the number of respondents since some child agricultural workers are attending school at the time of the survey.
Evaluation of the results of work environment measurement utilized the Occupational Safety and Health Standards of Department of Labor and Employment for adult workers In the absence of the threshold limit values (TLV) for children.
RESULTS of the STUDY
Child laborers experienced ergonomic stresses caused by heavy physical
workload in carrying agricultural crops and other materials, and are
exposed to safety hazards in the use of dangerous tools and equipment.
Moreover, certain conditions that gave rise to health concerns/issues of
back pain, over fatigue, numbness, headache etc. were attributed to
heavy physical workload in carrying agricultural products and the use of
sharp tools.
Assessment of the work environment revealed that agricultural child
laborers are exposed to chemical hazards such as dusts, toxic gases and
heat stress.
General Working Profile
Number of respondents : 36
Mean Age of children : 15.3 years old
Education : 60% are out of school; 40 % are studying
Most of the subject child laborers have been working for (2 - 3) years in the farm and started working at the age of 12 years old.
Generally children migrate from farm to farm.
The highest salary received per day at the time of site visit is Php 250.00 and the least is Php 50.00. Most of the children are receiving Php 50 – 100 per day. There are variable earnings like in “per harvest” salary.
Work schedule : 7am – 4pm
(Republic Act 9231 states that the working hours of the child laborers below 15 years old should be 20 hours / week and not more than 4 hours / day and for 15 – 18 years old, it should be 40 hours / week and not more than 8 hours / day.
Welfare Facilities Description/s Observation/s
4. Drinking Water None for all Child laborers are drinking from the “bukal”,
bringing their own water, or going home
when the workplace is near their house.
2. First-aid Kit None for all Using herbal such as “Hagonoy” and
banana leaves/ peel
1. Toilet and Hand washing
area
Most do not have
toilet and hand
washing area
Usually in the nearby houses and spring
(“sapa”)
3. Place to rest and sheltered
eating area
None for all Usually under the tree.
Results of the Study: Welfare Facilities
Workplace conditions disclosed the absence of welfare facilities such as toilet, first aid kits, place to rest and potable drinking water.
Results of the Study: Workplace Conditions
Parameters Description
Description of workareas Open area except for abaca, corn and
rice warehouse. Multi –purpose building
are utilized as storage area.
Source of Dust exposure From the crop itself during harvesting, de-
meating of coconut, weighing and
loading of coconut-filled basket crates
into trucks and soil dust.
Type of lighting Natural lighting
Source of Heat From direct sunlight. Some areas are
shaded within the farms
General Working Conditions : Coconut
Unsafe storage
of “bolo”
De-meating using “tikalan”
Concrete kiln De-husking using
“tapasan”
Loading of coconut husk into the
traditional kiln / “tapahan”.
Checking/ counting of coconut
Hazardous Work Processes for Child Laborers
Rice Crop
1) Hand weeding
Exposed to high
temperature due to sunlight
resulting to heat stress
exposure exceeding the
Screening Criteria for Heat
Stress.
Coconut Crop
1) Charcoaling and
2) de-husking
Both activities exposed
child laborers to high
temperature exceeding the
Screening Criteria for Heat
Stress.
coconut
Hazardous Work Processes for Child Laborers
Coconut Crop
3) Loading of fuel (husk) into coconut kiln or “tapahan”
4) Heating of piled coconut
Hazardous Work Processes for Child Laborers
Both work processes exposed children to heat stress exceeding the Screening Criteria and exposed to carbon monoxide (CO); 130 to 682 ppm) and Volatile Organic Compound (VOC); 12 ppm
Coconut Crop
4) De-meating
5) Weighing and lifting of coconut-filled crates into trucks
Both activities exposed children to heat (33.8 degrees C) and to high levels of nuisance respirable dust (maximum concentration of 6.18 mg/m3)
Hazardous Work Processes for Child Laborers
General Working Conditions - Rice
Slips, Trips and Falls
Prone to insect and animal
bites
Resting after work
General Working Conditions - Corn
Corn
Interview process during the survey at
the open multi-purpose building.
Transport of filled sacks
from farm to semi-
open storage area.
De-kernelling using
improvised tool
De-kernelling using
bare hands
Unloading of filled sacks
from horse back
Corn Crop
1) Filling of corn cobs into sacks
Heat stress exposure and total / respirable dust exceeded the Threshold Limit Value of 5 mg/m3.
Corn Field
Semi-open area for storage
Hazardous Work Processes for Child Laborers
Corn Crop
2) Loading of filled sacks (~50kg) at the back of the horse
3) Walking as a “horse guide” during transport of filled sacks from farm to semi-open area
4) Unloading
These activities exceeded the screening criteria for heat exposure.
5) Manual removal of corn kernel from cob
The children were exposed to respirable dust concentration is at the “action level of 2.5 mg/m3
Hazardous Work Processes for Child Laborers
Sugarcane Crop
1) Weeding using bolo
Heat stress exposure is
at the “action level”.
Hazardous Work Processes for Child Laborers
General Working Conditions - Abaca
Abaca plantation
Open within the forest
Accidents through slips and fall
going to the place of work and at
the workarea
“kag-ot”- bolo knife with a curve end;
“pamakos” – tuxying/ stripping knife
(pointed knife)
Stripping process
Loading and Carrying of dried
abaca fibers
“Panghag-ot”, used for making
abaca fibers
Abaca Crop
The finished product area (warehouse) that stores the classified abaca fibers are generally dim.
Illumination level in the storage area did not meet the recommended level of 50 lux.
Hazardous Work Processes for Child Laborers
RESULTS of INTERVIEW
Most of them are giving cash as contribution to family needs from their earnings. Nonetheless, parents are within the economically productive age usually as farmer and housewife.
They are being employed by family members as it is easy to find employment within the family circle as contractuals on a per work done basis. More so, they had a hard time in using farm tools and equipment. At the same time, they are using improvised Personal Protective Equipment to protect themselves from safety and health hazards.
It is important to note that a certain number of the child laborers are unaware of Safety and Health Concerns on their surroundings.
Recommendation:
Activities in farming that put the child laborers at risk must be considered in the amendments of Department Order No. 4-1999 particularly as part of “Coverage under Section 3 and as part of Section 4.
Section 3 enumerates “work with dangerous machinery, equipment and tools, or which involves manual handling or transport of heavy loads” while Section 4 enumerates “work in an unhealthy environment which may expose children to hazardous processes to temperatures, noise levels or vibrations damaging to their health, to toxic, corrosive, poisonous, noxious, explosive, flammable and combustible substances or composites, to harmful biological agents, or to other dangerous chemicals including pharmaceuticals.
Information or awareness on safety and health must be provided to the children including their parents in coordination with the barangay officials.