The 14th National Week for Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) and Fire and Explosion Prevention was launched in the southern province of Dong Nai on March 18 to emphasize the importance of creating a corporate culture of preventing occupational accidents and diseases.

National Assemply Deputy Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Pham Thi Hai Chuyen, and President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour Dang Ngoc Tung attended the launch.

In 2011, nearly 6,000 occupational accidents occurred in Vietnam, 16 percent more than the previous year, resulting in more than VND600 billion in losses. Most of the accidents were concentrated in HCM City and Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Quang Ninh, and Nghe An provinces.

The majority of the incidents were attributed to technical errors and human carelessness.

The national steering committee for OSH and fire prevention will focus on promoting corporate practices for preventing occupational accidents and diseases, inspecting prevention programs nationwide and devising a law fire and explosion prevention and control.

‘The [safety] week is being launched to implement the Prime Minister’s instructions and raise public and business awareness of their responsibilities and improve the role of State management,” said Labour Minister Pham Thi Hai Chuyen.

Dong Nai province recorded the largest number of occupational accidents in 2011.

** The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee held a meeting the same day in response to the National OSH Week.

In 2011, HCMC ranked second in the nation for the number of occupation accidents and reported the most fatalities with 81 accidents that left 82 people dead.

The first quarter of 2012 also saw 53 fires or explosions with two fatalities.

In order to raise public awareness, HCMC has disseminated information about OSH in export processing zone and industrial parks as well as worker residential areas. The municipal authorities also launched campaigns to hoist flags and hang posters to draw public attention to the issue.

At the meeting in HCMC, many businesses in local industrial parks were committed to ensuring OSH and preventing both fires and explosions.

Source: VOV