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Enviro nme ntal Manage me nt and He alth
8 / 5 [1997] 1 7 1 –1 7 2 © MCB Unive rs ity Pre s s [ISSN 0956-6163]
Low-cost solution to improving Philippine working
conditions: is it wise?
Reydeluz D. Conferido
Ins titute fo r Labo r Studie s , Manila, Re public o f the Philippine s
Shows how, in the Philippines, a programme (called WISE) to encourage the introduction of occupational health and safety into small-scale enter-prises has been developed with the help of the Interna-tional Labour Organization. Eight technical areas are taught in a very systematic and action-oriented pro-gramme. Local experiences and low-cost solutions are given high priority. Gives several examples.
Introduction
Occu p a t ion a l sa fet y a n d h ea lt h (OSH ) is n ow r ecogn ized a s a n im p or t a n t fa ct or in bu sin ess d evelop m en t , h ea lt h b ein g a k ey a sp ect in t h e p r om ot ion of a p r od u ct ive wor k for ce. In t h e P h ilip p in es, t h is d im en sion is r eceiv in g sp ecia l a t t en t ion in t h e d evelop m en t of sm a ll a n d m ed iu m -sized en t er p r ises (SME s) b eca u se of t h eir p a r t icu la r r eleva n ce t o t h e cou n t r y ’s econ om y. Accor d in g t o t h e De p a r t -m en t of T r a d e a n d In d u st r y d a t a , SME s -m a k e u p over 99 p er cen t of a ll m a n u fa ct u r in g est a blish m en t s a n d a ccou n t for over 55 p er cen t of t h e job s in t h e P h ilip p in es. T h ey a lso con t r ibu t e 28.1 p er cen t of t h e va lu e-a d d ed in p r od u ct ion . Im p r ov in g p r od u ct iv it y in t h is sect or cou ld , t h er efor e, r esu lt in a t r em en d ou s b oost t o t h e econ om y of t h e cou n t r y.
Am on g sm a ll a n d m ed iu m -sized en t er p r ise ow n er s a n d m a n a ger s in t h e P h ilip p in es, a n im p or t a n t p r ogr a m m e t o p r om ot e t h e r ea liza -t ion of -t h e va lu e of OSH in im p r ov in g p r od u c-t iv ic-t y is b ein g m a d e c-t h r ou gh a c-t r a in in g p r o-gr a m m e for en t r e p r en eu r s ca lled WISE or Wor k Im p r ovem en t in Sm a ll E n t er p r ise. WISE w a s in t r od u ced a n d im p lem en t ed t h r ou gh t h e la b ou r in sp ect or a t e of t h e De p a r t m en t of La b ou r a n d E m p loy m en t , w it h t ech n ica l a ssist a n ce fr om t h e In t er n a t ion a l La b ou r Or ga n iza t ion (ILO). It is a
p r ogr a m m e w h ich a im s t o im p r ove t h e wor k -in g con d it ion s of SME s -in eigh t t ech n ica l a r ea s, n a m ely : m a t er ia ls st or a ge a n d h a n -d lin g, wor k st a t ion -d esign , p r even t ive m a ch in e sa fet y, con t r ol of h a za r d ou s su b -st a n ces, ligh t in g, wor k p r em ises, w elfa r e fa cilit ies a n d wor k or ga n iza t ion . T h e p r ogr a m m e p r om ot es t h e id ea t h a t good OSH p r a ct ices im p r ove t h e p r od u ct iv it y of t h e en t er p r ise. T h e p r ogr a m m e a lso
con t r ibu t es t o t h e d evelop m en t of a n ew a dv i-sor y r ole for la b ou r in sp ect or s t o su p p lem en t t h eir t r a d it ion a l r ole of en for cin g r e gu la -t ion s.
T h is p a p er exa m in es som e of t h e
com m on OSH p r oblem s fou n d in en t er p r ises t h a t p a r t icip a t ed in t h e WISE p r ogr a m m e a n d som e of t h e im p r ovem en t s d on e t h r ou gh it .
The WISE concept
WISE is a t r a in in g a p p r oa ch for en t r e p r e-n eu r s a e-n d m a e-n a ger s of sm a ll ee-n t er p r ises w h ich p r om ot es t h e goa ls of en t er p r ise p r o-d u ct iv it y a n o-d im p r ovem en t of wor k in g con o-d it ion s it h r ou gh p r a cit ica l a n d low cosit m ea -su r es. It w a s a d op t ed fr om t h e In t er n a t ion a l La b ou r Or ga n iza t ion ’s con ce p t of “H igh er p r od u ct iv it y a n d a b et t er p la ce t o wor k ”, w h ich is a ver y sy st em a t ic a n d a ct ion -or i-en t ed p r ogr a m m e. WISE con ci-en t r a t es on p r ov id in g p r a ct ica l a dv ice, loca lly sou r ced id ea s, a n d p r od u ct iv it y or q u a lit y -en h a n cin g solu t ion s. It s effect iven ess a s a n a p p r oa ch d e p en d s ver y m u ch on it s a b ilit y t o let en t r e-p r en eu r s t h in k a b ou t w h a t t h ey a r e d oin g a n d t o en cou r a ge t h em t o id en t ify, a ssess a n d con t r ol t h e p r oblem s in t h eir wor k p la ces. E sp ecia lly n ot a ble in t h is a p p r oa ch a r e t h e im m ed ia t e a n d a ct u a l a p p lica t ion of im p r ove-m en t s a n d follow -u p a ct ion s w h ich p r ov id e lon g-t er m b en efi t s.
T h e WISE con ce p t u t ilizes t h e follow in g b a sic p r in cip les:
• bu ild on loca l p r a ct ice; • focu s on a ch ievem en t s;
• lin k wor k in g con d it ion s w it h ot h er m a n -a gem en t go-a ls;
• u se lea r n in g-by -d oin g m et h od s; • en cou r a ge exch a n ge of exp er ien ce; • p r om ot e wor k er s’ in volvem en t .
T h e a p p r oa ch is p r a gm a t ic a s it seek s t o fi n d low -cost solu t ion s t o com m on bu t u su a lly ign or ed issu es in t h e wor k p la ce. Su ch low -cost solu t ion s h ave a gr ea t a p p ea l for m ost SME ow n er s a n d m a n a ger s, w h o t en d t o t h in k t h a t com p lia n ce t o OSH st a n d a r d s is a lw ay s cost ly.
Case 1
In t h e q u a lit y con t r ol sect ion of a ga r m en t fa ct or y in Re gion IV (Sou t h er n Ta ga log Re gion ), t h e con ven t ion a l w ay of m ea su r in g fi n ish ed p r od u ct s d u r in g en d -of-lin e in sp ec-t ion is ec-t h r ou gh ec-t h e u se of a ec-t a p e m ea su r e. Wh en n ot b ein g u sed , t h e t a p e m ea su r e is h u n g a r ou n d t h e wor k er ’s n eck . T h e d iffer en t p a r t s of t h e fi n ish ed ga r m en t (e.g. n eck lin e, a r m h ole, sleeves, et c.) a r e in d iv id u a lly
Us e ful mo de ls o f s e rvic e de live ry, wo rkplac e
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Re yde luz D. Co nfe rido Lo w-c o st so lutio n to impro ving Philippine wo rking c o nditio ns: is it wise ? Enviro nme ntal Manage me nt and He alth
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m ea su r ed a ccor d in g t o t h e p r escr ib ed m ea -su r em en t s for sm a ll, m ed iu m a n d la r ge sizes. Som et im es, a d h esive t a p es a r e u sed t o fi x t h e p r od u ct t em p or a r ily on t h e wor k in g t a ble. T h e wor k er s con sid er t h is p r ocess r a t h er t ed iou s a lt h ou gh q u it e sim p le.
To in cr ea se efficien cy, t h e m a n a ger, w it h t h e h elp of t h e wor k er s, im p lem en t ed a ch a n ge. T h is con sist ed of lay in g ou t , p a r a llel t o on e a n ot h er, t h r ee len gt h s of t h r ee-in ch w id e p a ck a gin g t a p es a cr oss t h e len gt h of t h e t a ble a b ou t eigh t t o t en in ch es fr om t h e ed ge of t h e t a ble w h er e t h e wor k er w a s u su a lly p osit ion ed . T h e t a p es fu n ct ion ed a s m ea su r -in g gu id es a n d m a r k ed t h e d im en sion s of t h e d iffer en t ga r m en t sizes. T h e t a p es w er e u sed t o in d ica t e, for exa m p le, t h e m ea su r em en t for t h e a r m h ole of a m ed iu m -sized blou se. In t h is w ay, t h e t a sk of m ea su r em en t w a s sim p lifi ed a n d t h e en d -of-lin e in sp ect ion w a s m a d e ea s-ier. T h e a r m m ovem en t s of t h e wor k er s h ave b een r ed u ced a n d a lso t h e ch a n ge r esu lt ed in t h e sp eedy sor t in g ou t of p r od u ct s w h ich a r e n ot in a ccor d a n ce w it h t h e r eq u ir ed sp ecifi ca -t ion s.
Case 2
Wor k p r ocesses in volved in t h e p r od u ct ion of ca p iz (a p op u la r va r iet y of sh ell fou n d in t h e P h ilip p in es) a n d sh ell d ecor s a r e st r en u ou s b eca u se of t h e d ifficu lt y of h a n d lin g t h e t in y p ieces. A p a r t icu la r ly d ifficu lt st e p in t h e p r ocess is t h e d esign a n d cu t t in g of sm a ll p ieces of ca p iz w it h t h e a id of a m et a l sh eet cu t t er, w h ich is a t ool, sh a p ed lik e a sh ea r a n d u sed t o cu t m et a l sh eet s. A wor k er h a n d lin g t h is p r ocess n eed s som e p h y sica l effor t t o h old t h e h eav y cu t t er st ea dy. T h is p r ocess a lso p r od u ces p len t y of w a st e on t h e wor k t a ble.
To im p r ove t h e sit u a t ion , t h e ow n er of t h e fi r m in st a lled a p er m a n en t su p p or t a n d h a n d le for t h e cu t t er a t t h e ed ge of t h e wor k t a ble a n d a lso a t t a ch ed a u sed sa ck a t t h e ed ge of t h e t a ble t o collect t h e w a st e m a t er ia l. In st a llin g t h e cu t t eer in a sem ip eer m a -n e-n t p osit io-n m a d e cu t t i-n g a lot ea sier si-n ce t h e wor k er s d id n ot n eed t o su p p or t t h e w eigh t of t h e cu t t er. T h e p r oblem of d isp osin g of w a st e m a t er ia ls p r op er ly w a s a lso solved .
Case 3
In a m ot or sh op en ga ged in m ot or r ew in d in g a n d r e p a ir in Re gion IV, t h e wor k er s w er e p r ov id ed w it h ch a ir s w it h n o b a ck r est s. T h e h eigh t of t h e ch a ir s w a s a lso n ot a d ju st a ble. Wor k er s, t h er efor e, oft en com p la in ed of low er b a ck p a in b eca u se of t h eir b en t p osit ion .
T h e ow n er d esign ed som e low ch a ir s m a d e of em p t y wood en w ir e sp ools. T h ese ch a ir s cou ld b e a d ju st ed a t t wo levels t o a ccom m o-d a t e t h e o-d iffer en ces in wor k er s’ h eigh t . T h e ch a ir s a lso h a d low b a ck r est s t o su p p or t t h e lu m b a r r e gion . T h e r esu lt w a s a r em a r k a ble in cr ea se in t h e wor k er s’ ou t p u t . T h e t im e t h a t wor k er s u sed t o st r et ch t h eir b a ck s w a s r ed u ced a n d t h ey a lso st op p ed com p la in in g of b a ck p a in .
Lessons drawn
Clea r ly, SME ow n er s a n d m a n a ger s cou ld a p p r ecia t e t h e va lu e of im p r ov in g wor k in g con d it ion s a n d t h e n eed for solv in g p r oblem s r ela t ed t o t h em . T h e WISE m et h od of low -cost solu t ion s is a cce p t a ble b eca u se it d oes n ot im p ose t oo m u ch on t h e fi n a n ces of t h e en t er -p r ise. T h e st r a t e gies of su -p -p or t in g loca l -p r a c-t ices a n d c-t h e r elia n ce on c-t h e exp er ien ces of t h e ow n er a n d wor k er s h ave led t o a gr ea t er d e gr ee of a cce p t a n ce of ch a n ges in t r od u ced .
A d elib er a t e effor t t o r a ise t h e OSH aw a r en ess of bu sien ess ow en er s is en ecessa r y t o ca t -a ly ze t h em in t o -a ct ion . T h e d iscu ssion s on t h e t ech n ica l a r ea s, w h ich in clu d e in p u t s on er gon om ic p r in cip les a n d ot h er OSH p r in ci-p les d u r in g t h e t r a in in g, d ee ci-p en t h e k n ow l-ed ge of t h e ow n er s on su ch m a t t er s.
