Current features on OSH work in non- state-owned enterprises in Vietnam
Vice President of National Council for Labour Protection
General Director of NILP
1. Foreword
According to statistics, the number of non-state-owned enterprises currently in Vietnam is more than 500,000 (actually there are many enterprises having their staff fewer than 20 persons) with total capital of around 1 hundred trillion Vietnam dong and attract over 90% of new labourers every year.
Therefore, it is necessary to improve appropriate working conditions for workers of every production sector in order to protect their health, prevent occupational diseases and also raise up productivity and production quality.
2. Current situation of OSH work in non-state-owned enterprises in Vietnam
Based on results from surveys conducted by the National station for working environment monitoring, the National Institute of Labour Protection in 1,036 enterprises across the country (2004-2008); with consideration of the number of the industries and the number of the labourers revealed the findings as follows:
Level of working environmental pollution
Approximately 45-85% of non-state-owned enterprises had their working environments which were polluted mostly by heat pollution, toxic gases, chemicals and dust respectively.
Figure 1. Level of environmental pollution according to polluted factors
Source: National Institute of Labour Protection
Health and diseases
According to survey results, occupational diseases that workers mostly suffered from was respiratory diseases, then intestinal and joint- skeleton muscular diseases respectively. These diseases were related closely to working environments and working conditions. At the moment, 25 occupational diseases have been insured by the State.
Occupational accidents and diseases
Although the State has promulgated ordinance on statistics, many decrees and joint circulars have also required submitting statistics and reports on occupational accidents and diseases to authorities. Up to now, the requirement for these activities are poor and can be manifested by cross inspection results as follows:
1. Statistics of MOLISA, from 2005 to 2009 in the whole country there was 27,968 occupational accidents including 24,887 injuries, 7,204 serious injuries, 2,468 fatal cases and 2,753 deaths.
2. Statistics of Ministry of Health (MOH) in 2008: in the total number of 1 million worker having health checking: 26.9% suffered from respiratory diseases; 7.3% of eye diseases and 5.1% of joint skeleton muscular diseases. In the total number of 58,000 workers having occupational disease checking: 7,900 diagnosed as occupational diseases (13.8%), 67.5% of silicosis and occupational deafness accounted for 16.6%.
3. Statistics from surveys of NILP, VGCL (2004-2009): in 2,536 enterprises accounted for 3-5% of enterprises nationwide) 5,869 occupational accidents occurred, 6,128 injuries and 928 serious injuries; fatal accidents were 314 cases with 349 deaths.
Regarding to health and diseases: 40.26% workers suffered from respiratory diseases, 11.55% of eye diseases, 12.86% of joint skeleton muscular diseases, 0.86% of occupational diseases, etc.
It can be seen that the number in reality was much higher from 5-10 times than reported.
From general review of current OSH implementation in non-state-owned enterprises in Vietnam, it can be said that assuring OSH in production activities in general and at enterprises in particular is considered as one of the most crucial issues in the socio-economic strategy of the country, especially in the process of opening and international economic integration. This process requires applying practical and effective measures including measures of organization and management, scientific technology, economy-society, culture-education; and it is necessary to have a synchronous implementation for these measures in order to well execute OSH contents. Hence, it is necessary to implement working environment improvement, health care and strengthen managing effect of the State in general and of OSH authorities in particular.
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