Mining in the Philippines: OHS Point of View

1
Mining in the PhilippinesOHS Point of View

• by
• Institute for Occupational Health
• and Safety Development
• (IOHSAD)

2
Philippine Workers

• cost of living is around Php 800/day ( USD 17)
  for a family of 6
• minimum wage is Php 365/day ( USD 8)

3
OHS Situation

• Occupational accidents resulting to death
  increased by 69.7 from 2000 to 2002
• In 2000 there were 68,691 accidents
• In 2002 it was 46,661

• According to the ILO, some countries account only
  10 (lowest) of the accidents, while coverage can
  be as low as 30.

4
Workplace conditions

• In 2002 there were only 59 accredited workplace
  inspectors assigned to monitor more than 700,000
  registered enterprises.
• Each inspector, to provide at least 80 coverage
  must check 9,492 firms a year or 32/day

5
Rich with natural resources

• 2nd to Indonesia in geological prospectivity in
  South East Asia
• 2nd to South Africa in gold production
• 3rd in copper production
• 3rd in gold
• 4th in copper deposits
• 5th in nickel deposits
• 6th in chromite in nickel deposits

6
OHS and Mining

• In 2005, 50 miners were buried after mine
  explosion
• In 2007, 4 miners were again buried after mine
  collapsed

7
Sodium Cyanide

• Sodium Cyanide is used to leach gold from the ore
• Acute effects include rapid breathing, gasping,
  tremors, convulsions and death
• Effects of sublethal poisoning include headache,
  dizziness and thyroid enlargement.

8
Lead poisoning

• Acute effects of lead poisoning are seizures,
  headaches, dizziness, memory deficit, nausea and
  miscarriage.
• Chronic effects includes pallor, seizures, memory
  loss, wrist/foot drop and renal failure.

9
Intense heat, poor ventilation

• Poor ventilation robs the body of needed oxygen
  causing the brain to malfunction and leads to
  many deaths especially in underground operations

10
Globalization threatens labour rights

• In order to attract foreign investments, labor
  rights like the right to form unions and the
  right to strike are not allowed in economic zones

11
Support workers to form unions
12
Promote OHS

• Elimination of Hazard
• Substitution
• Isolate the Hazard
• Engineering control
• Administrative control
• Personal Protective Equipment

13
Thank You!