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


Coconut Crop

3) Loading of fuel (husk) into coconut kiln or “tapahan”

4) Heating of piled coconut


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)


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


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


Sugarcane Crop

1) Weeding using bolo

Heat stress exposure is

at the “action level”.


General Working Conditions - Abaca

Abaca Warehouse

Classifying of abaca fibers

Finish product area

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.


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.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR

ATTENTION

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