Poor labour safety compliance and a lack of knowledge about safety regulations were blamed for the increasing number of workplace accidents in HCM City

Coal miners with Vang Danh Company in northern Quang Ninh province. Companies are encouraged to provide regular medical check-ups for workers to reduce job-related illness.

The accidents killed 71 people and injured 18 people. Of the total, 31 deaths were due to electricity-related incidents and 17 to falls from high places, according to Danh.

Labour safety officials are recommending that companies sign contracts with physicians to provide regular medical check-ups for their workers in an aim to reduce occupational disease.

The National Programme on Labour Safety and Hygiene for the 2006-10 period has targeted a 10 per cent reduction in the number of job-related illnesses, according to Doan Minh Hoa, head of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs’ Labour Safety Department.

Reports made by provinces at the end of 2008 showed that 24,175 workers suffered from occupational disease, an increase of 300 cases compared with 2007.

Of the total, 75 per cent involved pneumonia, 15 per cent hearing impairments, and the rest asthma, rheumatism and skin problems.

Most large companies provide regular check-ups, but most medium – and small-sized enterprises do not.

By 2010, the number of workers hit by occupational diseases could rise to more than 30,000.

Nguyen Khac Hai, head of the Labour, Health and Environmental Sanitation Institute, attributed the increasing number of cases to exposure to dust, noise, poisonous gas emissions and chemicals.

He said poor working conditions, outdated equipment and lack of job safety clothing had led to work hazards and more cases of job-related disease.

Hai said labour authorities should encourage companies from the grassroots to central levels to set up or upgrade health care.

He also suggested that clinics and hospitals have at least one room for examinations of patients with occupational diseases since only half of preventive medicine centres have such rooms.

Hoa said the need to conduct regular inspections of workplaces that have a high risk of acquiring an occupational disease.

During 2011-15, the programme targets medical check-ups to 80 per cent of staff exposed to risks.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News