Proactively prevent occupational safety risks

In 2024, Dong Nai was among the top provinces and cities with many fatal occupational accidents, leaving serious consequences for workers and businesses. The causes include falls from height, being struck by objects, asphyxiation, electrocution, toxic gas inhalation, equipment explosions, and accidents in the construction industry.

To proactively prevent occupational safety risks, many drastic solutions are needed to deter and severely punish businesses that are negligent or indifferent in implementing occupational safety and health (OSH) regulations.

Recent inspections of OSH by provincial functional agencies at businesses show that in many places, employers have not proactively applied measures to ensure occupational safety during production and business. Specifically, they do not organize OSH training for workers or organize training in a perfunctory, superficial manner, lacking sufficient time, content, and programs. Some businesses do not provide warning signs or safety instructions in workshops with many machines and equipment in production.

In particular, some businesses use equipment with strict OSH requirements such as boilers, air compressors, forklifts, etc., that are past their inspection dates, or have not reported the equipment to functional agencies. Meanwhile, workers operating the equipment do not have certificates, or have not been trained or instructed in occupational safety. In addition, the provision of personal protective equipment has not been given due attention by businesses and workers.

The Action Month for OSH in 2025 is a peak period to promote specific solutions and action programs for preventing occupational accidents and diseases for business owners and workers. At the same time, it aims to strengthen communication and training to raise awareness of OSH legal compliance.

F.W Co., Ltd. (in Long Khanh city) currently has over 1,000 workers. At the time of inspection, the business had not classified workers performing heavy, hazardous, and dangerous jobs as regulated. Some equipment with strict occupational safety requirements had expired inspection dates since October 2024. The equipment operators had not been trained and certified.

In the past, fatal occupational accidents occurred not only due to worker negligence but also because businesses did not comply with OSH regulations. For example, the boiler explosion at Binh Minh Vietnam Wood Production and Trading Co., Ltd. (Vinh Cuu district) in 2024, which killed 6 victims and seriously injured 5, was due to the boiler being past its inspection date and the business failing to conduct periodic inspections, leading to unsafe equipment.

Reported by L.M