Pampanga First District Representative Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin Jr. is seeking stricter penalties, including imprisonment, for employers who willfully violate Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) standards under his proposed House Bill 9899.

The measure seeks to amend Republic Act No. 11058 or the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Law by imposing criminal liability on employers, contractors, and subcontractors whose deliberate noncompliance exposes workers to grave and imminent danger.

Under the proposed bill, violators may face administrative fines of up to P200,000 or imprisonment of one year and one day to two years, or both, if their actions endanger workers and may result in death, injury, serious illness, or accidents.

If a violation leads to the death of a worker, the proposed penalty includes a fine ranging from P1 million to P3 million for every death, imprisonment of one year and one day to five years, or both, at the discretion of the court.

The bill also requires Safety Officers to conduct workplace health and safety inspections at least once a month and mandates the issuance of Work Stoppage Orders when imminent danger exists.

Lazatin said workplace accidents, injuries, and deaths highlight the need for stronger enforcement of safety standards and greater accountability among employers.

The proposed legislation further provides that administrative fines shall be without prejudice to the filing of criminal or civil cases when warranted.

According to the Department of Labor and Employment, common OSH violations include the lack of personal protective equipment, absence of safety officers and first aiders, failure to establish safety and health committees, lack of mandatory OSH training, and the absence of workplace safety programs.