| The
Institute for Occupational Health, Safety and
Environment (OHSEI) conducted a 3-day Training of
Trainers for trade union representatives and staff
of the National Institute of Labour Protection (NILP)
in Hanoi, Vietnam. The first half of the training
course focused on training methodology and
approaches applicable to the small and medium
enterprises (SMEs). The other half of the training
was directed at understanding the occupational
safety, health and environment (OSHE) issues for
SMEs and the importance of using action-based
approaches such as the Work Improvement in Small
Enterprises (WISE) and Work Improvement in
Neighbourhood Development (WIND) in training SME
owners, managers and workers. The Union Aid Abroad (APHEDA)
funded the training. Twenty-one (21) participants (5
- female and 16 - male) attended the training.
Vietnam has
enjoyed rapid economic growth since the launch of
the doi moi or renovation policy in 1986. Foreign
investment in this country for 2005 is estimated at
US$5.4 billion, only a little less than investment
in India, and Vietnam is expected to enter the World
Trade Organization in mid-2006. This growth makes
Vietnam a duality of a country, on the one hand
facing the environmental problems typical of the
rural countryside (such as those related to poor
sanitation), and on the other facing the
occupational and environmental health consequences
of rapid industrialization.
As in other
Asian countries, in Vietnam, aside from the Labour
Code, there are many OSH-related laws, decrees,
regulations and decisions that are enforceable but
the main problem is the weak enforcement. A study
presented by Ta Quang Buu of the Hai Phong
Preventive Medicine Center showed that only 3% of
enterprises in the region implemented guidelines for
injury prevention. The average number of workday
losses due to occupational injuries was 14.5 per
person between the years 2000 and 2004, with 70% of
these injuries attributable to violations of
occupational safety rules. Nguyen The Cong and
colleagues at the NILP studied data obtained from
24,482 annual medical checkups of workers in the
chemical industry, which showed that the most
prevalent diseases in this sector were acute
ophthalmologic diseases, followed by respiratory and
allergic conditions (from 26.8% to 75.1%). There
were also findings of silicosis, lead poisoning, and
hearing loss among these workers, and the health
status of as many as 15.9% of workers was
categorized as "unacceptable." They said
that Vietnam has become home to more technical types
of ventures that require increased use of industrial
chemicals and heavy machinery, these kinds of
occupational injuries can be expected to increase
unless worker protection guidelines are implemented
and enforced.2 (Source, 1 & 2: http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2006/114-3/niehsnews.html)
Based
on lessons learnt in the training, there is a lot of
potential in implementing practical OSHE programs in
SMEs in Vietnam. Even in the medium-sized factory
visited during the course, basic OSHE concerns such
as housekeeping, materials storage and handling,
electrical safety, fire safety and welfare
facilities can be improved using low-cost methods.
Thus, it is in the best interest of SMEs in the
Vietnam that action-oriented approaches are
implemented in their workplaces by using practical
improvements in OSHE and productivity.
|
Newsletter No. 20
