Building a safe working environment in the enterprise for sustainable development

Workers of Cat Hai Seafood Processing and Services Joint Stock Company bottle Cat Hai fish sauce. Photo: DUY LAN

In recent years, the movement "Green, clean, beautiful, ensuring occupational safety and hygiene" implemented by the city's Trade Unions at all levels has contributed to building a civilized and safe working environment, protecting the health and lives of workers, creating a foundation for agencies, units and enterprises to develop sustainably. Comrade NGUYEN ANH TUAN, Chairman of the City Labor Federation, talked with reporters of Hai Phong Newspaper, Radio and Television about the results achieved and key solutions in the coming time.

- Could you tell us what specific contents the movement "Green, clean, beautiful, ensuring occupational safety and hygiene" will implement in 2025?

- In 2025, the City Labor Federation launched the Month of Action on Occupational Safety and Hygiene with the theme "Strengthening assessment, identifying hazards and risks and proactively implementing measures to ensure occupational safety and hygiene at the workplace" with the aim of raising awareness and attaching responsibilities to employers and employees. Thereby, contributing to reducing accidents and building a safety culture in enterprises.

The City Labor Federation organized 3 classes of propaganda and training on labor safety and hygiene at the city level; 30 classes at the grassroots Trade Union for union officials, managers, and those in charge of labor safety and hygiene. Strengthened coordination with the city's interdisciplinary delegations to inspect, examine, and supervise the compliance with labor safety and hygiene laws and labor laws at units and enterprises; proposed strict handling of violations of labor safety and hygiene laws. Along with that, organized visits and gave gifts to victims and families of victims of serious labor accidents to promptly share and encourage families to overcome difficulties and stabilize their lives.

Officials of the City Labor Federation trained on occupational safety and hygiene in 2025 to employees of Sin Joo Bo International Co., Ltd. Vietnam.

- Looking back over the past time, what outstanding results has the movement achieved?

- The union participates in supervising the arrangement of safety and hygiene staff; organizes emulation movements on occupational safety and hygiene; propagates and trains to raise awareness among union members and workers. The union also represents workers in giving opinions and recommendations on risk prevention measures, supervising the implementation of business regulations, contributing to building a safe working environment, limiting accidents and occupational diseases.

The city's Trade Unions at all levels have deployed this movement to become a regular and continuous activity, creating a strong spread among cadres, union members and workers of agencies, units and enterprises.

The City Labor Federation conducted 16 monitoring and social criticism sessions, coordinated inspections at 12 enterprises, and directed lower-level unions to inspect 36 units. Through inspections, it was noted that most enterprises arranged and installed machines, equipment, and technological lines in accordance with standards and technical safety regulations; and had internal regulations and procedures for safe operation of machinery.

The good news is that most employers are proactive and active in building and perfecting the apparatus and personnel for occupational safety and hygiene work. They pay attention to and increase investment in funding, machinery and equipment, technological innovation, and application of new technical advances to improve working conditions; the number of enterprises, especially small and medium enterprises, applying occupational safety and hygiene and fire prevention and fighting management systems is increasing.

City Labor Federation officials informed about the labor accident situation to city labor union members.

At the end of July 2025, the City Labor Federation awarded emulation flags to 10 collectives, certificates of merit to 36 collectives, and 54 individuals with outstanding achievements in the emulation movement "Green, clean, beautiful, ensuring occupational safety and hygiene" for the period 2020-2025, aiming to create a positive effect on all agencies, units, and enterprises in the city.

- In reality, work accidents still occur, seriously affecting the health and lives of workers. So what is the cause?

- In 2024, the whole city had 23 occupational accidents causing 23 deaths, an increase of 12 cases and 12 deaths compared to 2023. A positive signal is that in the first 6 months of 2025, in the East Hai Phong area, there were 3 occupational accidents causing 3 deaths, a decrease of 7 cases compared to the same period in 2024. Meanwhile, in the West Hai Phong area, there were 9 accidents causing 9 deaths, of which 6 were related to occupational safety and hygiene. The cause was that employers did not comply with safety procedures, and workers were still subjective in production.

Through inspections and supervision at enterprises, it shows that the health examination and care for employees at some units and enterprises is not up to standard because the examination costs are too low, the examination content is sketchy, and in some enterprises, the examination costs are only 50,000-100,000 VND/person.

There are businesses that do not really take occupational safety and hygiene seriously, such as: raw materials are left haphazardly, near power sources; finished product warehouses and raw material warehouses are not separate from production areas; some machinery and equipment have expired but have not been re-evaluated and re-inspected; occupational safety training has not been conducted for workers according to the correct target groups and with enough training time as prescribed...

Self-inspection of occupational safety and health to detect risks and supplement regulations and safe working procedures is still limited. The team of occupational safety and health officers at the grassroots level is still small, holding many concurrent positions, and lacking in professional knowledge. Notably, the handling of violations is not enough of a deterrent, especially for small businesses.

City Labor Federation officials inform about the labor accident situation to city labor union members.

- In the coming time, what solutions will the City Labor Federation have to promote the effectiveness of the movement and minimize labor accidents?

- From the above reality, it is necessary to have synchronous participation, both strengthening inspection and raising awareness of both enterprises and workers. The City Labor Federation promotes propaganda to raise awareness of compliance and implementation of labor protection work of each unit, enterprise and worker. Organize inter-sectoral inspections and examinations at production and business units in the area; provide guidance and training on occupational safety and hygiene. In addition, it is necessary to prioritize training and coaching of union staff and occupational safety and hygiene networks at enterprises with high risks of occupational safety and hygiene in the production process.

For the movement to be truly effective, the City Labor Federation hopes that businesses will consider occupational safety and hygiene as part of their business strategy, and that workers must voluntarily comply with regulations and procedures. Because occupational safety is the happiness of every family and the sustainable development of businesses.

- Thank you very much, comrade!

In 2024, the whole city will have more than 60,500 workers being educated and trained in occupational safety and hygiene; 26 labor protection corners will be built; 58 new networks of occupational safety and hygiene workers will be established. The City Labor Federation will organize 35 legal education classes for more than 7,500 officials and workers.
THANH HA

Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/xay-dung-moi-truong-lam-viec-an-toan-trong-doanh-nghiep-de-phat-trien-ben-vung-520504.html