Nghe An inspects units at risk of labor safety loss
Recently, in Nghe An, there have been a number of tragic work accidents. This shows that the work of ensuring labor safety has not been focused on, many factories and businesses are still negligent in providing equipment and training workers on labor safety, leading to regrettable mistakes.
Tragic accidents
In mid-March 2024, in Quy Hop district, while working in a mine, a worker residing in Chau Quang commune had a rare accident at Hop Thinh quarry, Lien Hop commune. The accident resulted in the death of this worker. The incident was quickly investigated by the authorities to clarify the cause, and the conclusion made by the authorities was that this person performed operations without ensuring labor safety.
Not only is this incident believed to be due to workers not following the correct safety procedures, leading to a tragic accident, but for many years, in Quy Hop district, there have been work accidents with serious consequences almost every year. In 2021, there were 6 work accidents, resulting in 6 deaths; in 2023, there was 1 work accident at Trung Nguyen - Nghe An Company Limited, resulting in 1 death and 1 injury.
Workers are not equipped and informed about methods to ensure occupational safety, and at the same time work in dangerous environments with many risks, leading to accidents and injuries occurring in many places. In November 2023, another occupational accident also occurred in Hung Dao commune, Hung Nguyen district. According to witnesses, during the process of dismantling the formwork of the drainage wall on the residential road belonging to the investment package of the Dien Chau - Bai Vot construction project, a box culvert slab suddenly collapsed, killing 2 workers.
Before that, there was the case of 3 people dying while working at a stone cladding factory in Nghi Hoa commune, Nghi Loc district. The incident took place at around 10:30 a.m. on October 2, 2023. A group of 3 people were transporting stones from a truck to the grinding factory when suddenly an accident occurred, the stones crushed them, killing 2 people on the spot, the remaining person also died after being taken to the hospital for emergency treatment.
Also in the past, due to neglecting the work of inspection, examination, and supervision of occupational safety and hygiene or not strictly handling Chau Tien Company Limited, serious consequences occurred. That is, 62 workers working at this enterprise suffered from silicosis and 5 people died related to silicosis. The cases working at the company who were examined but did not have occupational diseases were mainly management staff and indirect workers in the office.
Recently, the Investigation Police Agency, Nghe An Provincial Police Department, issued Decision No. 20/QD-CSDT-PC01 dated January 29, 2021 to prosecute the criminal case No. 20/QD-CSDT-PC01 on "Violation of labor safety regulations" in Hung Phuc ward, Vinh city, Nghe An province, causing 3 deaths and 8 injuries; Through investigation of the labor accident, the provincial labor accident investigation team drew up a record of administrative violations and proposed to fine Tan Ky Tunnel Brick and Tile Company Limited VND 45 million.
Tightencut bar, check
According to the report of the Provincial People's Committee on compliance with the law on occupational safety and hygiene (OSH) in industrial parks, industrial clusters, and craft villages in Nghe An province from 2021 to March 31, 2024. Accordingly, during this period, the District People's Committees and departments and branches have organized and deployed hundreds of inspections, checks, and supervisions on OSH at more than 1,000 production and business establishments. Through inspections, checks, and supervisions, the delegations have drawn up records of administrative violations and transferred them to competent persons to decide on fines for 23 enterprises with a total amount of VND 648 million for violations of the law on labor and OSH, and requested the units to overcome shortcomings in ensuring OSH.
However, many tragic work accidents still occur in the province. From the beginning of 2023 to June 2024, there were more than 20 work accidents in Nghe An province, causing 16 victims, of which 7 people died, 4 people were seriously injured, 5 people were slightly injured; material damage was more than 50 million VND.
The accidents mainly occurred in areas with high risks of occupational safety and health such as: mineral activities (1 incident, 2 deaths); material handling (2 incidents, 4 deaths); electrical equipment installation (1 incident, 1 death). The main causes of occupational accidents and diseases are that employers do not provide occupational safety and health training to workers, do not organize periodic health check-ups, do not conduct occupational disease detection examinations for workers, do not monitor the working environment; violate technical safety standards, lack of inspection and supervision; workers are still subjective, lack awareness of occupational accident prevention, and violate safe working procedures.
In recent times, the direction and implementation of occupational safety and health, especially in the field of occupational hygiene, by a number of agencies and authorities has not received due attention; coordination between sectors and functional agencies has not been regular and close; awareness and consciousness of the law and the practical significance of occupational safety and health work of many employers and employees are still limited.
Mr. Vi Ngoc Quynh - Deputy Director of Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs
According to Mr. Vi Ngoc Quynh - Deputy Director of the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs of the province, state management officials in charge of the field of occupational safety and hygiene are mainly part-time; the specialized inspection force on occupational safety and hygiene is small in quantity and of uneven quality (most of them are not trained in specialized knowledge of science and technology), while occupational safety and hygiene knowledge is related to all industries, occupations, and production and business fields. The work of propagating and disseminating policies and laws on occupational safety and hygiene has been implemented in many forms, but not regularly and continuously. In particular, the handling of occupational accident inspections, checks and investigations is mainly at the level of reminders and instructions.
To minimize the risk of occupational safety loss, the Department and related agencies as well as local authorities will continue to focus on propaganda and training on occupational safety and health; training in skills for hazard identification, risk assessment and measures to prevent occupational accidents; fully participating in occupational safety and health training sessions organized by competent authorities. Inspecting and fully declaring the use of machinery, equipment and materials with strict requirements on occupational safety.
Regularly self-check and review production locations; proactively prevent, control and eliminate dangerous and harmful factors in production; resolutely implement to promptly overcome shortcomings and problems in occupational safety and health work. Strictly implement regulations on declaration, investigation, statistics and reporting of occupational accidents and technical incidents causing occupational safety loss; strictly comply with periodic and ad hoc reporting on occupational safety and health work according to the provisions of law.
Strengthen inspection, examination and supervision of the implementation of policies and laws on occupational safety and health, focusing on inspection of units and enterprises with conditions and working environments with many heavy, toxic and dangerous factors. Organize inspection and supervision of the implementation of state management functions on occupational safety and health of local authorities at district and commune levels. Strictly handle organizations and individuals violating occupational safety and health, causing serious occupational accidents and diseases.
