Occupational Safety and Health Problems and Issues of Firefighters in the Bureau of Fire Protection Region 4-A CALABARZON

Abstract

Occupational safety and health problems and issues of firefighters are a timely and relevant concern that needs to be studied, as they are considered critical given the hazards and  dangers of the work. This research measured the firefighters’ awareness of the occupational safety and health standards, knowledge of the 2008 Fire Code of the Philippines, and  knowledge of various workplace hazards, issues, and concerns encountered. All these factors were established to determine whether or not firefighters could achieve decent work based
on the following four pillars, namely, worker’s rights, employment, social security, and social dialogue. The research used personal interviews, surveys, ocular visits, fire code miniexam,
and compliance checklist to gather the necessary information in the quantitative and qualitative research design. It used questionnaires and interviews in a descriptive narrative form. The structured interviews and surveys were assessed and provided a description of the current safety and health conditions of the firefighters. Results show that knowledge of the occupational safety and health standards was average while knowledge of the 2008 fire code was low. Workplace concerns were on lack of health insurance, insufficiency and  inappropriate sizes of personal protective equipment, unserviceable fire trucks, lack of free trainings and seminars, and lack of medical practitioners in every fire station. It is highly recommended that these facilities and services, including health care insurance, be provided to firefighters, as these are necessities to enable them to have decent, safe and healthy
work environment.