The worry hangs over the edge of the saw.

Currently, in the province, the timber processing industry has contributed to solving the employment problem for many rural workers. However, despite the frequent use of machinery with high occupational safety risks such as saws, splitters, and shredders, ensuring occupational safety at these facilities has not yet received adequate attention from facility owners and workers.

Workers at a wood processing factory in Dinh Lap district.

We arrived at the Hoa Hop Agricultural and Forestry Products Cooperative (Hop Thanh commune, Cao Loc district) while workers were busy sawing wood amidst the noisy sounds and swirling dust. Despite working in a dusty environment and frequently using machinery with sharp blades and saws, the workers here used very rudimentary protective equipment, consisting only of cloth gloves. Furthermore, some workers had not received any occupational safety training. Mr. Loc Minh Phu, a worker at the facility, said: "I have worked here for many years, mainly sawing and cutting wood, but I haven't been provided with adequate personal protective equipment. I know the work is dangerous, but I still work here for my family's livelihood."

Similarly, at some other facilities in the district, workers directly involved in wood processing frequently come into contact with machinery such as peeling and cutting machines, but their protective equipment consists only of masks and gloves. Some workers even wear shorts and go bareheaded, without any personal protective equipment, creating a constant risk of occupational safety hazards. Just one moment of carelessness or inattention can lead to an accident at any time, even endangering lives.

Mr. Hua Van Thu, Deputy Head of the District's Internal Affairs Department, stated: The district currently has 7 timber processing facilities, mainly concentrated in the communes of Tan Lien and Gia Cat... These timber processing facilities not only contribute to product diversification and value enhancement but also create jobs for many local workers. However, timber processing activities at these facilities still pose potential occupational safety risks. From 2022 to the present, there has been one occupational accident at a wood peeling facility (Gia Cat commune) in the district, resulting in one death.

According to statistics from the Provincial Forest Protection Department, the province currently has 129 regularly operating and stable timber processing facilities and 34 seasonal facilities. These include 31 enterprises, 2 cooperatives, and 130 individual and household businesses; the main products include veneer, plywood, formwork, wood chips, etc. The average timber processing output is approximately 45,000 m³ of various types of wood per year. These timber processing facilities have created jobs for about 2,400 local workers.

Not only in Cao Loc district, but according to provincial authorities, the reality is that most owners of timber processing facilities and workers in these facilities throughout the province have not received formal training; they lack basic knowledge and techniques in operating machinery, and the operation of production equipment is mainly based on anecdotal experience. Many workers in wood processing facilities are also careless, do not comply with regulations, and do not fully and properly use personal protective equipment during work... These are the underlying causes of a very high risk of occupational accidents. Accidents can occur when workers use cutting machines, winding machines, and wood peeling machines, with risks of electrical and mechanical accidents...

According to statistics from the Department of Internal Affairs, from 2022 to the present, the province has experienced 3 occupational accidents in the timber processing sector, resulting in 3 deaths. These accidents mainly occurred during the operation of specialized machinery and during the transportation and loading of timber materials at processing plants. The causes include the failure of timber processing facility owners to adequately provide personal protective equipment for workers; and the lack of inspection and supervision of workers' compliance with safety regulations. Furthermore, workers were complacent, disregarded the risk of accidents, and did not follow proper safety procedures during work.

Ms. Hoang Thi Le, Head of the Labor, Employment and Social Insurance Department of the Department of Internal Affairs, stated: Forest product processing is a specialized industry with a high risk of occupational accidents. Through inspections and monitoring, the authorities have reminded and required businesses and owners of forest product processing facilities to strictly comply with regulations on occupational safety and hygiene; to provide adequate protective equipment; and to develop, issue, and require workers to strictly adhere to internal regulations, procedures, and safety measures... However, occupational accidents still occur in the forest product processing sector in the province. In the coming time, the department will continue to strengthen inspections and monitoring of compliance with regulations on occupational safety and hygiene, especially measures to ensure occupational safety at the workplace and during operation. At the same time, it will require organizations and individuals involved in forest product processing to strictly comply with the issued safety technical procedures; and workers must absolutely comply with safety regulations when using cutting and peeling machines. Simultaneously, do not operate machinery or work without safety training to ensure absolute occupational safety in the area.

It is evident that the awareness of processing facility owners and workers is the decisive factor in ensuring safety in the timber processing industry. Hopefully, in the future, alongside the state management efforts of relevant agencies, organizations and individuals working in the timber processing sector will proactively raise their awareness and strictly adhere to regulations, so that occupational accidents in timber processing will no longer be a concern.

Source: https://baolangson.vn/noi-lo-tai-cac-co-so-che-bien-lam-san-5050021.html