Occupational Safety and Hygiene: Enterprises complain because of general regulations

According to the ILO, young workers have a 40% higher rate of occupational accidents than older workers. Picture: Thuy Linh.

Cut down on many business conditions

National Council on Occupational Safety and Health held a periodic dialogue in 2018 on 11 of April to discuss about the difficulties and obstacles in the implementation of the law on labor safety and hygiene and opinions on amendments and supplements to policies and laws.

Speaking at the dialogue, Vice Chairman of the National Council on Occupational Safety and Health, Deputy Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, Le Tan Dung, said that after the discussion with businesses and business association about the difficulties and obstacles in the implementation of the law on labor safety and hygiene in 2017, The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs has reviewed and cut down 50% of business conditions and 50% of administrative procedures in the field of occupational safety and health training (human conditions, material facilities, procedural dossiers are all reviewed and cut to create maximum conditions for enterprises to operate).

At the same time, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs has also reviewed and abolished procedures for the issuance of Grade A certificates at the central level, ministries and branches to the local level. Shortening the time for appraisal and grant of certificates of eligibility for conducting occupational safety and health training services from 30 days to 25 days for new issuance and 20 days for re-issue or extension of certificates The competent authorities must conduct the appraisal and issue a certificate of eligibility for the operation, as from the date of receipt of a complete and valid dossier.

"Three years of bathroom construction without using"

According to the International Labor Organization (ILO)’s estimates, around 6,400 people die each day because of occupational accidents and illnesses, and 680,000 people are injured at work. The burden of injury, sickness, and death has led to severe human and economic damage, putting an urgent need for adequate investment in occupational safety and health at the international level, national and enterprise level. In Vietnam, more than 1 million young workers enter the labor market every year; Among these figures, workers between the ages of 15-24 account for 15% of the total labor force in the country. Young workers have a higher occupational accident rate of 40% than older workers.

Recommendations on some specific provisions in the Law on Occupational Safety and Health, Ms. Dao Thi Thu Huyen, member of the Labor Committee, representative of the Japan Business Association in Vietnam, said that most of the Japanese businesses in Vietnam have done their job properly and fully with the regulations on labor safety. From the prevention to occurrence, we have the Labor Committee to help the workers. In addition, Japanese businesses in Vietnam invest mostly in light industry, very little hard labor to lead to occupational accidents, occupational disease. However, there is some work in the Vietnamese legal system that defines a very general category.

"For example, in terms of noise, dust, they turn to hard and toxic work. We expect the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs to specify more clearly the permitted limits of each occupation and the attached conditions to the labor protection equipment. Regarding the treatment regulation, what is stable treatment? We look forward to the guidance of the Ministry of Health so that businesses can carry it out easier. In addition, we have made numerous recommendations on the construction of bathrooms and toilets in enterprises. The ministries and sectors have also recognized that for the industries related to office, light industry, such as Japanese businesses that have built bathrooms three years ago but no one has yet used them. In this regard, we recommend to specify that some industries do not need to build bathrooms so that enterprises do not get trapped in the inspection process to avoid causing waste to businesses," Ms Huyen said.

At the dialogue, the representatives of the ministries and agencies answered questions and suggestions of the representatives of the associations, and also absorbed, studied and shared information between the authorities and enterprises.

Mr Chang Hee Lee, Director of the ILO Office in Hanoi, said that the goal of improving labor safety and sanitation could only be achieved through collective efforts from various stakeholders such as employers, organizations representing employers and workers, especially important are young people and youth organizations.