Practice occupational health and safety procedures
What the exam tests
This domain covers hazard identification, risk control, electrical safety, lockout/tagout, working at heights, manual handling, emergency response, and incident reporting under Philippine OSH law, principally RA 11058 and its implementing rules, DOLE Department Order 198-18.
Core rules
- Apply the hierarchy of controls: eliminate, substitute, engineer, administrate, then PPE as the last layer.
- Use a permit-to-work and lockout/tagout for isolation; each worker applies a personal lock.
- Test for dead with a proven tester, and prove the tester before and after the test.
- Provide PPE free of charge and ensure it fits: insulated gloves, arc-rated clothing, hard hat, safety shoes, fall protection.
- Keep walkways clear, control cables, and use cable ramps or matting.
- Inspect tools and cords; remove damaged equipment from service.
- Report incidents and near misses; preserve the scene where required.
- Know emergency procedures: isolation point, exits, assembly area, first aid, and contact numbers.
Worked example
Before working on a distribution board, you identify the upstream breaker, notify affected users, open the breaker, apply your lock and tag, test the outgoing terminals with a proven tester, and confirm zero voltage. Reasoning: opening the breaker alone is not isolation; another person could reclose it or a backfeed could be present.
Traps that cost marks
- Relying on PPE alone instead of engineering controls.
- Skipping the tester proving step.
- Working live because "it will only take a minute."
- Letting one person hold all the locks for a crew.
- Ignoring housekeeping and trip hazards.
Key points
- Apply the hierarchy of controls, with PPE last.
- Use personal locks and tags for every isolated worker.
- Prove the tester before and after testing for dead.
- Remove damaged cords and tools from service.
- Report near misses, not only injuries.