Still neglecting workplace safety procedures.
In April alone, several serious workplace accidents occurred across the country. On April 3, 2024, a methane gas fire in a mine in Quang Ninh province killed four workers. Following that, on April 9, an explosion at the Phu Lam industrial cluster in Bac Ninh province resulted in one death and two injuries.
The Yen Bai Cement Factory, Yen Binh town, Yen Binh district, Yen Bai province, is where a labor accident occurred resulting in 10 casualties.
Most recently, a workplace accident occurred at Yen Bai Cement and Mineral Joint Stock Company, resulting in the deaths of 7 workers and injuries to 3 others. Currently, the police are investigating the cause of the incident and have initiated legal proceedings and temporarily detained one material weighing employee at the company.
According to Nong Van Tuan (29 years old), a worker injured in this industrial accident, his team had been repairing and maintaining the production line for 15 days. On April 22nd, after lunch, they began their work. Tuan's team of three workers was repairing the outside of the crusher, while seven workers went inside the crusher (a cylindrical machine 7 meters long and 5 meters high) to replace worn plates. The work did not require high technical skills; it mainly involved people outside coordinating with those inside to secure the plates with screws. At the time of the accident, the crusher maintenance process was proceeding normally. However, about 30 minutes later, the crusher, which had been stopped, suddenly spun violently, throwing three people outside to the ground and killing seven people inside.
Dr. Nguyen Anh Tho, Director of the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health Sciences (Vietnam General Confederation of Labor), analyzed: This incident shows that occupational safety and health training needs to be reviewed and clarified. The element of human error needs to be considered, from the business owner to the training unit and the workers themselves...
Sharing this view, Dr. Dang Xuan Trong, an expert in occupational safety and health inspection and training, stated that: Authorities need to investigate and analyze the circumstances and causes of the accident, strictly handle any violations by organizations or individuals (if any) in complying with occupational safety and health regulations at the accident site, and quickly stabilize production and the morale of workers. In particular, lessons learned from this incident are necessary to prevent similar incidents from occurring in other workplaces.
“The system of legal documents, from the Law on Occupational Safety and Health to decrees and circulars, is basically complete and synchronized. However, there is a significant gap between these legal regulations and their application in daily life. Every year, the State launches the Occupational Safety and Health Action Month in conjunction with the Workers' Month to raise awareness, but businesses and employers have not truly paid attention to or prioritized occupational safety and health training and vocational skills training for workers. The training is still superficial, not closely aligned with reality, and does not focus on the workers, their jobs, correct handling skills, procedures, and specific safe working methods,” Dr. Dang Xuan Trong commented.
Raising awareness, controlling, and preventing
The Department of Occupational Safety (Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs) assesses that there are still shortcomings in occupational safety and hygiene. While the number of occupational accidents has decreased, the number of serious accidents remains high. The situation regarding occupational accidents in the informal sector shows signs of increasing in both the number of incidents and the number of victims.
Explaining the reasons for the high number of serious labor accidents, Mr. Ha Tat Thang, Director of the Department of Labor Safety, said: Many employers have not paid attention to or implemented legal regulations on managing and controlling risks; many workers have not received occupational safety and health training, lack knowledge and skills in safe work practices, and have very limited and subjective industrial work ethics. Information and communication on occupational safety and health for the non-labor-related sector are severely limited in resources.
Therefore, in terms of solutions, raising awareness for prevention remains key, especially strengthening preventive communication and providing training support from the Social Insurance Fund on occupational accidents and diseases, targeting self-employed workers.
Businesses also need to further strengthen their efforts in ensuring occupational safety and hygiene, focusing on self-inspection activities, proactively controlling and preventing hazardous and harmful factors within the enterprise, preventing workplace accidents; and organizing occupational safety and hygiene training for employees.
On March 19, 2024, the Party Central Committee issued Directive No. 31-CT/TW on continuing to strengthen the Party's leadership over occupational safety and health in the new situation, stating: Striving to reduce occupational accidents, especially serious occupational accidents, with the rate of fatal occupational accidents decreasing by at least 4% per year; the number of workers working in environments exposed to hazardous factors who are examined and diagnosed for occupational diseases increasing by at least 5% per year; and the number of establishments generating harmful factors whose working environment is monitored increasing by at least 5% per year.
In implementing Directive 31-CT/TW, the 2024 Occupational Safety and Health Action Month, along with the Workers' Month, has been assigned the theme: "Strengthening occupational safety and health at the workplace and in the supply chain".
"The reason for choosing this theme this year is that workers are constantly in contact with machinery and equipment, so the working environment needs to be enhanced and improved to ensure safe working conditions for employees. This is a factor related to their health and lives," the Director of the Department of Occupational Safety emphasized.
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