BILL OF HEALTH
INTRODUCED BY JENNIFER S. ENANOD
EXPLANATORY NOTE

Individuals involved in garbage collection, working in dumpsites or assigned in disaster areas numerous and uncommon work site and environmental hazards. Worse, they may be encountering hazard, with which they have little prior experience or training; hence, exposing them to further dangers that may deleteriously prejudice their safety and health.
Unfortunately, the Government has not taken any concrete plan of action to at least abate or minimize the risks these individuals deal with. Considering the sensitive and delicate nature of this concern, it makes one wonder how come no programs have ever been set in place to critically address the same.
The purpose of this Act is to appropriate take action. It seeks to protect the health and safety to these individuals that are involved in this operations and activities.

BILL OF HELATH
INTRODUCED BY JENNIFER S. ENANOD

AN ACT
SEEKING TO PROTECT THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN GARBAGE COLLECTION, WORKING IN DUMPSITES OR ASSIGNED IN DISASTER AREAS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall also be known as the “Individuals’ Health and Safety Act.”
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is hereby declared the Policy of the state to protect the health and safety of individuals that are involved in garbage collection, working dumpsites or assigned in disaster areas. Towards this end, this Act aims to protect the right of this individuals to ensure and provide their healthy and safety.
SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. – As used in this Act, the following terms shall mean:
Garbage Collection – performed by a garbage collector, which recycles memory that it can prove, will never be use again. It also known as automatic management is the automatic recycling of heap memory.
Dumpsite – Location of a dump, especially garbage dump.
Disaster Areas – region or a locale heavily damaged by their natural hazards, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, floods, earthquakes, technological hazards including nuclear and radiation accidents, or sociological hazards like riots, terrorism or war.
Hazard – a situation that poses a level of threat to life, health, property or environment. Most hazards are dormant or potential, with only a theoretical risk of harm, however, once a hazard becomes ‘active’, it can create an emergency situation.
SECTION 4. Provisions.
Gloves, Masks, and other Proper Protective Equipment
No individuals involved in garbage collection, working in dumpsites or assigned in disaster areas may be allowed to continue with any of their respective activities, unless they are properly equipped with protective gloves and masks and other healthy and safety gears and proper protective equipment, such as but not limited to respirators to protect against airborne toxins, which may be required depending on the nature and extent of risks involved in clean-up operations, where hazardous and infectious chemicals are present.
Closed Containers
Any contractor operator, or entity, duly contracted to carry out garbage collection in Metro Manila and other parts of the country shall place all collected garbage inside close containers. Use of open garbage trucks is strictly prohibited.
SECTION 5. Comprehensive Guidelines. – the Secretary of the Department of health, in coordination with the Department of Environment and Natural resources, and other appropriate and concerned agencies shall come up with comprehensive guidelines, which shall be strictly observed by any responder or clean-up crew deployed to attend to rescue or clean-up operations in disaster areas, where presence of hazardous and infectious materials shall place them greater risks.
Specifically, the guidelines adopted shall ensure that:
Work sites and areas where responders and clean-up crews are to be sent are subject to a full environmental assessment and identification of hazards through onsite evaluation and monitoring and identification of workers likely to be facing high risk of hazardous exposures;
Relief, reconstruction and clean-up workers of all contributing agencies, whether government or private-
Are properly informed of the environmental hazards they may face in their work;
Are provided proper training in handing toxic materials;
Are provided with the proper protective equipment.
Receive proper immunizations, where necessary and appropriate;
C. These efforts are coordinated in close collaborated with local employers, unions and safety and health professionals.
SECTION 6. Periodic Medical Check-up. – all individuals involved in garbage collections, working in dumpsites or assigned in disaster areas, shall be required to undergo period mandatory medical check-up to ensure that their health and safety are not prejudiced by their activities. The proper government agencies or private corporations or entities who employ said individuals shall provide for the necessary fund to finance the cost of medical attention or intervention that may be needed.
SECTION 7. Penalties. - Any person who violates any provisions of this Act shall be liable to payment of fines ranging from one hundred thousand pesos (P100, 000.00) to three hundred thousand pesos (P300, 000.00), including revocation of necessary license to operate as regards private entities.
SECTION 8. Separability Clause. – If any provision or part hereof is held invalid or unconstitutional, the law provision not otherwise affected shall remain valid subsisting.
SECTION 9. Repealing Clause. – Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or inconsistent with the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly.
SECTION 10. Effectively Clause. – This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

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