The law and the 2025 rules
Republic Act No. 11058 strengthens compliance with OSH standards and sets penalties. It was approved on 17 August 2018. DOLE Department Order 252, Series of 2025, is the revised set of implementing rules. It was signed on 28 April 2025 and replaced DO 198-18. The older Occupational Safety and Health Standards still set the technical detail.
Who it covers
The Act covers all private establishments, projects and sites in every industry, including those in economic zones (Sec. 2). DO 252 also covers contracting and subcontracting arrangements and government corporations without an original charter. Government agencies follow a separate joint circular.
Employer and worker duties
Employers, contractors, subcontractors and anyone who controls the work must (DO 252 Sec. 4):
- register with DOLE;
- keep the workplace free from hazards;
- give job safety instructions before anyone starts;
- provide approved PPE and safety devices;
- run emergency drills and provide first aid;
- send DOLE every required report.
Workers must take part in OSH activities, use the safeguards, follow instructions and signs, and report imminent danger to their supervisor or safety officer.
The employer, project owner, contractor, subcontractor and supervisors are jointly and solidarily liable for breaches (RA 11058 Sec. 21).
Workers' rights
- Right to know: workers are told about hazards in a language or dialect they understand.
- Right to refuse: a worker can refuse work where there is imminent danger, without threat or reprisal. The safety officer can stop the work, and DOLE investigates. Workers can also refuse high-risk work if proper PPE is missing.
- Right to report: workers can report accidents and dangers, including on the DOLE hotline 1349, without retaliation.
- Right to free PPE.
If work stops because of the employer's fault, workers are still paid (DO 252 Sec. 38).
Safety officers, first aiders and committees
DO 252 sets four safety officer levels:
| Level | Training |
|---|---|
| SO1 | 8-hour Basic OSH (BOSH) |
| SO2 | 40-hour BOSH |
| SO3 | 40-hour BOSH, 48 hours advanced training and 2 years' experience |
| SO4 | 40-hour BOSH, 80 hours advanced, 320 hours OSH training and 4 years as SO3 |
A safety officer must be present every workday, and on every shift in high-risk workplaces. Small workplaces (10 to 99 workers) need at least one first aider and an OSH committee. The committee is chaired by the employer, with the safety officer as secretary and at least two worker representatives. It meets at least monthly. First aiders must be certified by the Philippine Red Cross or an authorised organisation.
Every worker gets an 8-hour OSH orientation, free and on paid time. Scaffold, excavation, confined space and welding work need specialised training.
Construction
| Workers on site | First aiders | Safety officers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 9 | 1 | 1 SO2 |
| 10 to 99 | 2 | 2 SO2 |
| 100 to 199 | 3 | 3 SO2, or 2 SO3 |
| 200 to 500 | 6 | 2 SO3 and 1 SO4 |
Before the project starts, the contractor files a Construction Safety and Health Program with the DOLE office. DPWH approves it for publicly funded projects (DO 252 Sec. 22).
Under the OSH Standards, anyone working on an unguarded surface 6 metres or more above ground or water must be secured by a safety belt and lifeline, or a safety net (Rule 1086). See also our working at height hub.
Reporting
The safety officer reports accidents, disabling injuries, imminent dangers and dangerous occurrences to the DOLE office within 24 hours. Regular reports go through reports.dole.gov.ph:
- the Work Accident/Illness Report (WAIR), on the 30th of each month;
- the Annual Work Accident/Illness Exposure Data Report, by 30 January;
- the Annual Medical Report, by the end of March.
Where work is contracted out, the principal files the WAIR.
Penalties
RA 11058 allows fines of up to PHP 100,000 a day until a breach is fixed (Sec. 28). DO 252 sets the daily amounts by offence:
| Breach | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not registered | 1,000 | – | – |
| No WAIR, annual exposure report or medical report | 1,000 | 2,000 | 3,000 |
| No first aider, safety officer, OSH committee, orientation, signs or free PPE (each) | 3,000 | 5,000 | 7,000 |
| No OSH programme, construction safety programme or permit system for high-risk work (each) | 5,000 | 10,000 | 15,000 |
A further PHP 100,000 applies when a breach leads to death or serious injury, and for obstruction, false statements or retaliation.
Quick check for your site
- Registered with DOLE, with an OSH programme filed.
- For construction: a Construction Safety and Health Program filed before work starts.
- Enough safety officers at the right level, and certified first aiders.
- An OSH committee that meets every month.
- Every worker has done the 8-hour orientation, and PPE is issued free.
- The safety officer knows the 24-hour reporting rule, and the monthly WAIR is on the calendar.
Sources
- Republic Act No. 11058, Supreme Court E-Library.
- Department Order 252-25: Revised IRR of RA 11058, DOLE Bureau of Working Conditions.
- Occupational Safety and Health Standards (2019 reprint), DOLE Bureau of Working Conditions.
- OSH forms, DOLE Bureau of Working Conditions.
- About OSHC, Occupational Safety and Health Center.
This is practical guidance, not legal advice. Check the current official text and your site's own procedures.
