The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) announced on Friday that it had issued a work stoppage order on a surgical clinic after inspections found that it had failed to meet occupational safety and health (OSH) requirements.

During their inspections—conducted on September 30 and October 1—the Labor department discovered the clinic did not have an OSH program, such as a Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Control (HIRAC) framework.

In addition, the clinic failed to submit required OSH reports, had not ensured the presence of adequate safety personnel, nor had they implemented the mandatory eight-hour OSH orientation for its employees.

Moreover, DOLE learned that the healthcare establishment failed to institute workplace policies on mental health and anti-sexual harassment, and lacked a Committee on Decorum and Investigation (CODI) as well as a workplace lactation program.

In a mandatory conference, the clinic’s management said they had devised corrective measures, such as designating and training safety personnel and preparing required workplace policies and OSH documents.

The clinic committed to putting these measures into effect within the mandated 20-day period.

However, the Labor department still issued the work stoppage order, citing “imminent danger” due to the absence of an HIRAC framework to ensure that medical and cosmetic equipment meet safety standards.

Labor Chief Francis Tolentino stressed that establishments must ascertain that their employees work in a safe, labor code-compliant environment.