Put safety first

Still negligent about labor safety procedures

In April, a number of serious work accidents occurred across the country. On April 3, 2024, a methane gas fire in a mine in Quang Ninh killed four workers. Then, on April 9, an explosion at the Phu Lam industrial cluster in Bac Ninh province killed one person and injured two.

Yen Bai Cement Factory, Yen Binh town, Yen Binh district, Yen Bai province, where a work accident occurred, killing and injuring 10 people.

The most recent was a work accident at Yen Bai Cement and Minerals Joint Stock Company that killed 7 workers and injured 3 others. Currently, the police are investigating the cause of the incident and have prosecuted and temporarily detained a material weighing employee at this company.

According to Nong Van Tuan (29 years old), the worker injured in this work accident, Tuan's group had been repairing and maintaining the production line for 15 days. On April 22, after lunch, they started working. Tuan's team of 3 workers did the repair work outside the crusher, while 7 workers went inside the crusher (a 7m long, 5m high cylinder) to replace worn tiles. The work did not require high technical skills, mainly requiring people from outside to coordinate inside to screw the tiles in place. At the time of the accident, the crusher maintenance process was going on normally. But about 30 minutes later, the crusher, which had stopped working, suddenly turned violently, throwing 3 people outside to the ground and killing 7 people inside the crusher.

Dr. Nguyen Anh Tho, Director of the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health Science (Vietnam General Confederation of Labor) analyzed: Through this incident, it can be seen that occupational safety and health training needs to be inspected and clarified. The factor of human error needs to be considered from business owners to training units, workers...

Sharing this view, Dr. Dang Xuan Trong, an expert in occupational safety and hygiene inspection and training, said: The authorities need to organize an investigation, analyze the developments and causes of the accident, strictly handle violations by organizations or individuals (if any) in complying with occupational safety and hygiene regulations at the unit where the accident occurred, and quickly stabilize the production situation and the psychology of workers. In particular, after this incident, lessons need to be drawn to avoid similar incidents in other workplaces.

“The system of legal documents from the Law on Occupational Safety and Hygiene, decrees, circulars, etc. is basically complete and consistent. However, to apply in life, these legal regulations are far from being applied. Every year, the State launches the Month of Action for Occupational Safety and Hygiene associated with the Month of Workers to raise awareness, but businesses and employers have not really paid attention to and focused on occupational safety and hygiene training and vocational skills training for workers. The training is still formal, not close to reality, and does not focus on workers, the work they do, handling skills, correct operations, specific safe working procedures and measures,” said Dr. Dang Xuan Trong.

Raising awareness, control, prevention

The Department of Labor Safety (Ministry of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs) assessed that currently, there are still shortcomings in labor safety and hygiene. The number of labor accidents has decreased, but the number of serious cases remains high. The development of labor accidents in areas without labor relations shows signs of increasing in the number of cases and the number of victims.

Explaining the reason for the high number of serious labor incidents, Mr. Ha Tat Thang, Director of the Department of Labor Safety, said: Many employers have not paid attention to and implemented legal regulations on management and control of risks; many workers have not been trained in labor safety and hygiene, lack knowledge and skills in safe working, and industrial work style is very limited and subjective. Information and propaganda work on labor safety and hygiene for areas without labor relations is limited in resources.

Therefore, in terms of solutions, raising awareness for prevention is still the main focus, especially strengthening prevention propaganda and supporting training from the Social Insurance Fund on occupational accidents and diseases, targeting the group of self-employed workers.

Enterprises also need to further strengthen the work of ensuring occupational safety and hygiene, focusing on self-inspection activities, proactively controlling and preventing dangerous and harmful factors in enterprises, preventing occupational accidents; organizing occupational safety and hygiene training for employees.

On March 19, 2024, the Secretariat issued Directive No. 31-CT/TW on continuing to strengthen the Party's leadership over occupational safety and hygiene in the new situation, stating: Strive to reduce occupational accidents, especially serious occupational accidents, the rate of fatal occupational accidents decreases by at least 4%/year; the number of workers working in environments exposed to risk factors who are examined and detected for occupational diseases increases by at least 5%/year; the number of establishments generating harmful factors whose working environment is monitored increases by at least 5%/year.

Implementing Directive 31-CT/TW, the 2024 Labor Safety and Hygiene Action Month, together with Workers' Month, has identified the theme: "Strengthening occupational safety and hygiene at the workplace and in the supply chain".

“The reason for choosing this theme this year is that workers and laborers are often in contact with machines and equipment in a chain, so the working environment needs to be enhanced, improved, and working conditions for workers need to be ensured. This is a factor related to their health and lives,” the Director of the Department of Labor Safety emphasized.

According to baotintuc.vn

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