The
working conditions of all companies, particularly those in the fields of
footwear and garments in HCM City, are still not at acceptable levels, according
to the city Centre for Protection of Labour’s Health and Working Environment
under the Department of Health.

Labourers work at a garment factory in HCM City. Bad working conditions may cause occupational diseases for labourers. (Photo: VNS)

At a workshop
yesterday, March 31, in HCM City, Huynh Tan Tien, the centre’s head, said
testing samples taken at around 1,200 companies last year failed to meet working
environment standards.

Seventy-two per cent
of the companies had working conditions that could lead to occupational diseases
for their workers, Tien said.

The centre’s report
showed that temperature, light, moisture, dust, noise and toxic gas exceeded
allowed standards.

Vu Xuan Dan, also of
the centre, said the temperature at companies exceeded 20 per cent over the
allowed standard, 17 per cent over light standards and 16 per cent over noise
standards.

Dan warned that
although the rate for excessive toxic gas was low, companies should still take
measures to keep it under control.

Tien noted that there
were few employees specialising in taking care of environmental hygiene and
labour safety at companies.

Nguyen
Quoc Viet, deputy head of the city Department of Labour, Invalids and Social
Affairs’ inspectorate, said the number of companies tested for their working
conditions was too low.

Although there were
more than small- and medium-sized 350,000 companies in the city, only 1.200 were
tested and measured by the centre last year, Viet said.

Many workers with
occupational diseases had not been treated promptly and had not received
payments from social insurance for occupational diseases, he added.

Most companies had
neglected sending their workers to health centres or hospitals to maintain
labour capacity.

The companies also
did not follow through on the necessary procedures that would allow workers to
get social insurance for occupational diseases, he added.

The number of workers
getting social insurance was lower than the number of workers with occupational
diseases, Viet said.

The report showed
that 414 workers last year contracted an occupational disease, with 354 of them
leading to deafness.

The number of workers
contracting such diseases increased three times over 2009.

Low awareness on
regulations on hygiene and safety labour of both employers and employees were
blamed, he added.

Dan added that health
clinics in the city’s districts do not know how to evaluate working conditions
and do not have the right equipment to do so.

According to Tien,
companies should improve methods to upgrade their working environment and make
plans to protect health of labourers.

Dan asked that new
regulations on working environment and labour safety be issued and penalties
increased.

This year, the centre
would continue co-operating with authorities to improve public awareness of the
Labour Law and occupational diseases as well as methods to prevent disease to
employers and employees, he added.

VietNamNet/Viet
Nam News