VNNIOSH: 10 years of implementing the Directive of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat on promoting occupational safety and health
In the field of scientific research and technology on OSH, the Institute has identified the key issues that need to be studied, thereby developing plans and implementing effectively. From 2013 up to now, VNNIOSH has been carrying out 167 research projects in science and technology at all levels, including 02 national-level projects/tasks; 15 projects under the cooperation program between the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor (VGCL); 20 projects belong to the key programs at VGCL level and 130 projects at VGCL level and grassroots level.
Research projects of the Institute are closely followed the direction and tasks assigned by VGCL and Resolution No.16/NQ-BCH of the Executive Board of the 12th congress of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor of Vietnam on promoting scientific research, technology and innovation to serve the tasks of the Trade Union in the new situation. Research activities focus on urgent issues in the field of OSH and environmental protection such as the scientific basis of strategies and policies on OSH and environmental protection; occupational diseases, assessment and forecast of occupational harms to workers’ health; solutions to prevent and take care of workers’ health; OSH and environmental protection solutions in industrial parks and high-risk occupations such as seafood, agriculture-forestry-fishery, mining, shipbuilding, mechanics, etc.
With the investment in tasks to strengthen equipment and improve the potential of scientific research and technology from the budget of science and technology career in recent years, the laboratories of VNNIOSH have been upgraded with scientific and technical equipment, improving research capacity, and developing methods and evaluation processes for scientific research and technological development on OSH. Currently, the Institute has 5 laboratories recognized as laboratories that meet the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025:2005.
In the past 10 years, the Institute has also conducted working environment monitoring for 11.817 units. The results of working environment monitoring have contributed to consulting and helping enterprises to take measures to improve the working environment and conditions, and minimize the negative effects of harmful factors to help prevent occupational diseases. During the monitoring process, some new factors have been discovered in the working environment for which Vietnam has not yet prescribed occupational exposure thresholds. This is the basis for proposing additions and updates to the list of occupational exposure thresholds to these new harmful factors.
Propaganda and training to raise awareness and skills to prevent occupational accidents, occupational diseases and ensure OSH are also interested by the Institute in renewing the content and form. From 2013 until now, the Institute has trained on OSH for about 205.827 employees with more than 2.500 courses. At the same time, the Institute also conducts occupational health training, first aid training for workers of more than 200 enterprises.
In addition, VNNIOSH also participates in assessing the psychophysiological factors at work and ergonomics for more than 1.000 enterprises. Every year, on average, periodical health check-ups and occupational diseases examination are conducted for 50.000 to 90.000 people. By the end of 2022, the Institute has examined 678.920 people from 1.562 enterprises.
In the period of deep globalization and international economic integration, the Institute maintains and promotes cooperation activities with research institutes and international organizations operating in the field of OSH such as the International Labor Organization (ILO), the Asia Pacific Occupational Safety and Health Organization (APOSHO), the Japan Industrial Health and Safety Association (JISHA), the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA), the Korea Industrial Safety Association (KISA), The Institute for Work and Health, Switzerland (IST), etc. In order to strengthen and expand cooperation activities in the coming time, it is expected that the Institute will continue to expand and build cooperation in the field of OSH with partners in the Russian Federation, ASEAN, Korea and Japan, etc.
The Institute has signed bilateral cooperation agreements in the field of OSH with partners such as the Korea Industrial Safety Association (KISA) for the period 2016-2018; The Institute for Work and Health, Switzerland (IST) for the period 2013-2016; the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Administration (KOSHA) for the periods of 2012-2015, 2015-2018, 2018-2021 and is currently in the agreement for the period 2022-2025.
One of the effective activities of the cooperation programs is that the experts of international organizations have provided technical support, expertise exchange, consultation and training on OSH, significantly contributed to strengthening potential, improving research qualification and especially solving OSH issues in order to ensure safety and health for workers.
From the results of 10 years of implementing Directive No. 29-CT/TW dated September 18, 2013 of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat on “Promoting occupational safety and health in the period of industrialization, modernization and international integration”, lessons can be drawn as follows:
– Strengthening the leadership role of the Party committee, the direction and administration of the Institute’s leaders and the synchronous coordination of units under the Institute in the implementation of Directive No. 27-CT/TW, research and implementation of the requirements of Resolution No. 02-NQ/BCT; the contents and requirements of the directive on management and scientific research need to be studied with specific programs and projects.
– Paying attention to and having specific policies and investments for training, building a contingent of qualified staff for scientific research and leading experts in the field of OSH; encourage and support the publication of research results in international journals.
– Promoting international cooperation to exploit the experience and resources of international experts and organizations in OSH work in general and in scientific research and technology on OSH filed in particular.
(Source: Vnniosh.vn)
