Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs announces industries, localities about the situation of occupational accidents in the first half of 2007 and some key measures to take work-related problems and occupational accidents prevention measures forward in the second half of 2007 as follows:
A. General situation
I. Number of occupational accidents
As reported by 57/64 provinces, cities in the first half of 2007 there were 2,996 occupational accidents (of which 154 transport accidents were considered occupational accidents) with 3.057 victims, of which 197 occupational accidents killed 224 persons, and 457 seriously injured persons .
II. Situation of occupational accidents in localities.
Localities where many occupational accidents occurred and killed many persons in the first half of the year are:
- Quang Ninh: 136 accidents made 165 persons injured, of which 22 accidents caused 30 death cases (making up 13.4% of the total of death cases), 53 persons seriously injured, especially 12 accidents injured 2 persons and above;
- Ho Chi Minh City: 181 accidents made 184 persons injured, of which 29 accidents led to 29 death cases (making up 12.95% of the total of death cases), and seriously injured 33 persons;
- Da Nang: 22 accidents (of which 7 transport accidents were considered occupational accidents) injured 30 persons, of which 17 accidents killed 20 persons (making up 8.93% of the total of death cases);
- Binh Duong: 321 accidents made 327 persons injured, of which 12 accidents led to 12 deaths (making up 5.36% of the total of death cases);
- Hai Phong: 50 accidents injured 53 persons, of which 9 accidents led to 9 death cases (making up 4.02% of the total of death cases);
- Ninh Binh: 12 accidents injured 16 persons, of which 8 accidents led to 8 death cases (making up 3.57% of the total of death cases);
- Ha Tinh: 7 accidents led to 7 death cases (making up 3.13% of the total of death cases);
- Long An: 19 accidents made 19 persons injured, of which 7 accidents led to 7 death cases (making up 3.13% of the total of death cases), and 12 seriously injured persons;
- Dong Nai: 1,003 accidents made 1,006 persons injured, of which 6 accidents led to 6 death cases (making up 2.68% of the total of death cases), 78 persons seriously injured, especially there were 3 accidents injured 2 persons and above;
- Ha Nam: 17 accidents 19 persons injured, of which 3 accidents led to 6 death cases (making up 2.68% of the total of death cases), and 3 persons seriously injured;
B. Analysis of occupational accidents causes
I. Overview
1. In the first half of year 2007 the total number of occupational accidents increased by 892, and the total of victims by 853 in comparison with the first half of year 2006 but the number of occupational accidents causing deaths decreased by 44 accidents and the number of death cases by 34 persons (in the first half of year 2006, 241 occupational accidents occurred and caused 258 death cases);
2. Localities of high rates of occupational accidents causing deaths in the first half of 2007: Quang Ninh, Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong;
3. New localities where many occupational accidents causing deaths occurred were Ha Tinh, Ninh Binh;
4. Some localities with a much higher number of occupational accidents causing deaths than the same period last year were Da Nang, Kien Giang, Ha Nam, Ha Tinh;
5. Localities with less occupational accidents causing deaths than the first half of year 2006: Can Tho (decreased by 60% of the death cases), Vinh Phuc (decreased by 75% of the death cases), Dong Nai (decreased by 50% of the death cases), Ha Noi (decreased by 37.5% of the death cases).
II. Causes of occupational accidents
1. From employers
- Equipment below required safety standards: many machinery, equipment, production instruments below safety standards were still applied in the production processes; (129 accidents making up 4.32% of the total of the cases);
- No training for work safety for employees: 122 accidents (making up 4.1% of the total of the cases);
- No work safety procedures, measures: 92 accidents (making up 3.1% of the total of the cases);
- No ensured working conditions and working environment safety for employees as stipulated in standards: 88 accidents (making up 2.9% of the total of the cases);
- No safe equipment: 63 accidents (making up 2.1% of the total of the cases);
- Due to work organization (work arranged for employees with no working experience or not suitable for careers and competencies trained): 44 accidents (making up 1.5% of the total of the cases);
- Due to objective, unavoidable factors: 562 accidents (making up 18.8% of the total of the cases);
- Other causes were 1,093 accidents or 30.6% of the total of the cases: due to no regularly checks and reminds of employees to follow State regulations on occupational health and safety; no serious implementation of regulations as stipulated in Joint Circular No. 14/1998/TTLT-BLDTBXH-BYT-TLDLDVN dated 31/10/1998 of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs – Ministry of Health – Vietnam General Confederation of Labour guiding the organization of the implementation of labour protection in enterprises, business and production establishments; no full provision of personal protection equipment for employees, etc.
2. From employees
- Many recruited employees come from rural areas without basic vocational training. At the workplace they were just guided about work operations. Therefore, they lacked knowledge of work safety laws and regulations as well as didnot know about hazards and risks for prevention in their work environments, etc. As a result, there were 793 accidents caused by employees’ breaches to regulations on work safety (making up 26.5 % of the total of the cases);
- There were 196 accidents (making up 6.5% of the total of the cases) due to other persons breaching work safety regulations. Some employees despite being basically and fully vocationally trained for work safety but worked with objective manner, just cared about productivity, and poorly followed disciplines, etc. leading to pitiful occupational accidents for themselves and other co-workers.
- There were 76 accidents (making up 2.5% of the total of the cases) due to no usage of equipment, personal protective equipment at work although they were fully provided and guided by employers.
3. From State authorities
- The direction of State inspectator about work safety was not regular, not timely, thus leading to inefficient implementation on labour protection at enterprises;
- The frequency of inspections, checks about implementation of labour laws at enterprises was inadequate and inefficient. Quantity, quality of inspection did not match the development rates of enterprises in terms of trading and production volume and scale. Due to shortage of labour inspectors many localities just took part in inter-industries checks but organized very few labour inspections. Hence, breaches of labour laws were not timely detected, thus causing many serious occupational accidents;
- Some areas of trading and production that had not been regularly, timely checked, inspected and directed by State authorities, leading to regular infringements of regulations on legislation, technical standards and codes of practice by employees in many non-State enterprises, forestry, agriculture, pisciculture, individual businesses and trade villages;
- The settlement of occupational accidents seriously causing deaths especially was not efficient: in the first half of year 2007 the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs received 71 investigation minutes or quick reports on occupational accidents causing deaths of localities but occupational accidents investigation groups did not sued any accidents. Administrative settlements within competency to breaches leading to serious occupational accidents had not been serious and timely;
- Causes leading to some accidents were not accurately determined, thus, appropriate and full measures to prevent the reoccurrence of occupational accidents were not provided to mitigate some occupational accidents.
III. Physical damages and losses
According to data not fully reported by localities, physical losses after occupational accidents occurring in the first half of 2007 (in terms of medicine, funeral, compensation expenses for related families of death cases and injured persons, asset damages, etc.) were VND9,433,170,000; of which asset damages were VND1,797,440,000. Especially total leaves of absence (including allowed leaves) due to occupational accidents took 137,917 days.
IV. Situation of investigation, statistics and reports on occupational accidents
1. Investigation
Overall, occupational accidents were investigated as regulated in Joint Circular No. 14/2005/TTLT-BLDTBXH-BYT-TLDLDVN dated 08/3/2005 of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs – Ministry of Health – Vietnam General Confederation of Labour. However, many localities did not implement quick reports on serious occupational accidents and still delayed in sending investigation minutes to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs. Of the 193 occupational accidents causing deaths in the first half by 31/7/2007 the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs received only quick investigation minutes or reports on 71 occupational accidents. This delay was explained by many localities that the Public Security delayed in transferring occupational accidents files to occupational accidents investigation groups but competent bodies in each locality needed to have close coordination and consultation with provincial People’s committee provinces, cities to issue detailed regulations on coordination among relevant bodies in localities to help enterprises quickly rehabilitate their trading and production activities after occupational accidents, ensure time for investigation, and prepare minutes on occupational accidents according lawful regulations.
Some localities such as Quang Ninh, Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Noi, and Hai Phong Cities promptly and timely investigated occupational accidents, of which Quang Ninh and Ho Chi Minh City were localities seriously implementing quick reports on serious occupational accidents.
2. Report on occupational accidents.
Many localities implemented well reports on situations of occupational accidents according to the new template as provided in Joint Circular No. 14/2005/TTLT-BLDTBXH-BYT-TLDLDVN dated 08/3/2005 of Ministry and Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs– Ministry of Health – General Vietnam Confederation of Labour. Some localities still made reports according to the previous template as referred to Circular No. 23/LDTBXH-TT dated 18/11/1996 of Ministry and Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs. However, some localities had not well analyzed situations of occupational accidents in general but just recorded statistics data of the total number of occupational accidents causing deaths. Many localities had not recorded statistics data and fully reported the number of enterprises within the localities and the number of enterprises having reports. Some criteria in the report template were not updated and the summarized data were not full and accurate. Some localities reported data in an irrational way. Therefore, summarizing and evaluating situations of occupational accidents nationwide in the first half of year 2007 still faced some difficulties. By 31/7/2007 07 provinces being Ha Tay, Yen Bai, Thai Nguyen, Quang Binh, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Ca Mau had not reported situations of occupational accidents for the first half of year 2007;
The trend that enterprises did not report required occupational accidents had kept increasing high. In the first half of 2007 only 4,052 enterprises got involved in report preparation. Ha Noi had 144 enterprises having reports, making up 0.29% of the total of 50,317 enterprises; Da Nang had 26 enterprises having reports, or 0.66% of the total of 3944 enterprises, Ho Chi Minh City had 130 enterprises having reports, or 0.12% of the total of 107,127 enterprises, etc.;
Some localities having high percentages of enterprises reporting occupational accidents in the first half of year were: Son La with 62.43% of the enterprises having reports, An Giang with 42.96% of the enterprises; Hoa Binh with 15.32% of the enterprises, and Hai Phong with 7.96 % of the enterprises.
C. Some key contents need implementing in the short term
Basing on the situations and causes of occupational accidents occurring in the first half of 2007, to take the prevention against occupational accidents forward in the near future, Ministry and Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs requests ministries, industries, localities and enterprises to well implement key contents as follows:
1- Labour inspectors shall strengthen inspection of the implementation of State regulations on occupational health and safety in all enterprises of all economic sectors. More attention shall be paid to non-State enterprises and sectors of construction, electricity-related repair and usage; mineral and stone mining; usage of equipment with strict requirements on work safety. In addition, there shall be resolute and timely measures to infringements of labour laws as stipulated in Decree No. 113/2004/ND-CP dated 16/4/2004 of the Government;
2- Ministries, industries, and corporations shall strengthen checks and directions to their sub-units to fully implement State regulations on occupational health and safety and labour protection regimes as well as organize training for work safety for employers as stipulated at Circular No. 37/2005/TT-BLDTBXH dated 29/12/2005 of Ministry and Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs;
3- Employers shall regularly check machinery, equipment for improved working conditions to ensure safe work environment for employees; fully set up procedures, measures for occupational health and safety as guided by safety standards, and codes of practice and guide employees before they start work; organize training on occupational health and safety for employees as stipulated at Circular No. 37/2005/TT-BLDTBXH dated 29/12/2005 of Ministry and Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and propagandize and educate employees in self-following regulations on occupational health and safety; especially pay attention to employees engaged in hard, dangerous and hazardous jobs or exposed to objects under strict requirements on occupational health and safety;
4- Consolidate statistics and reports requirements on occupational accidents nationwide; inspect, check special topics about reports as well as financial regulations towards organizations who donot seriously follow requirements on report on occupational accidents;
5- Coordinate with competent organizations to accurately and timely investigate occupational accidents causing deaths in all economic sectors, particularly small-and medium-sized enterprises of complicated, hazardous production procedures negatively affecting work environments but with poor awareness of occupational accidents prevention;
6- Strengthen propaganda on legislations on occupational health and safety to enhance responsibility of units, business and production establishments and employees so that every one has better awareness of occupational accidents prevention./.
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