Assessment of occupational safety and health compliance among the ice industry of Bislig City, Philippines.

BackgroundIndustrial ice manufacturing utilizing anhydrous ammonia (NH3) refrigeration presents high-severity occupational risks. While strictly mandated in the Philippines by Republic Act No. 11058, a profound execution gap often persists within decentralized provincial economies.ObjectiveThis research evaluates baseline levels, structural gaps, and predictive factors of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) compliance, hazard awareness, and operational practices among ice manufacturers in Bislig City, Philippines.MethodsUtilizing a quantitative cross-sectional design, data was gathered via a total population census (N = 25) from a commercial plant (CC Ice Plant) and a cooperative facility (MAFISCO). Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) was executed to isolate institutional predictors of worker hazard awareness.ResultsThe workforce is male dominated (96%) and extraordinarily junior, with 64% possessing five years of experience or less. Hazard mapping demonstrated a "catastrophe bias," where 80% of workers prioritize acute chemical threats (ammonia leaks) while systematically under-prioritizing chronic physical hazards like slips, trips, and falls (44%). The MLR model demonstrated exceptional predictive capacity, explaining 93.5% of the variance in hazard awareness (p = 0.009, Adjusted R2 = 0.935). Training Frequency functioned as the strongest relative predictor (β = 0.613, p = 0.001), closely supported by floor-level Supervisory Support (β = 0.479, p = 0.001) and visible Compliance Enforcement (β = 0.395, p = 0.001).ConclusionsExpanding administrative training hours in isolation is insufficient; its real-world utility in enhancing hazard awareness hinges entirely on concurrent, visible shop-floor enforcement and active supervisory reinforcement.