Launching Ceremony for the 13^th National Week on Occupational Safety – Hygiene (OSH) and Fire-explosion Prevention in 2011 took place at Dungquat Economic Zone on 21^st March 2011. This yearly event is aimed at raising the awareness and the sense of responsibility of employers, employees and relevant authorities on the matters of improving the working conditions for the labours, establishing preventative measures and minimizing accidents and diseases caused by work.

5,125 occupational accidents occurred in Vietnam in 2010 involving 5,307 people, of whom 601 were killed and 1,260 people were badly injured. Meanwhile, the number of fires, explosions in the year rose to 2,260 cases, costing the life of 84 people and making 246 injured. Most of the accidents were caused by unsafe equipment, lack of guidance and training to labourers on labour safety matters, unavailability of labour safety measures and procedures at the working places. Meanwhile, the accumulative number of people affected with occupational disease by 2010 was 26,928  people, most of them suffered from silicosis and hearing impairment caused by noised.

The OSH National Week's launching ceremony 

The selected theme of this year’s HSO National Week is “Labour Safety for the happiness of each family and the sustainable development of each enterprise”. The organizing board for this event called for great efforts of all related parties to create a safe and fresh working environment for the labours, since the good health and safety of employees are important to the development and success of businesses. Enterprises were also encouraged and required to strictly follow the OSH regulations.

Following the launching ceremony, a joint fire-fighting exercise was conducted by the 15 firefighting and rescue forces of Quang Ngai province and the Binh Son Oil Refining – Petrochemical Company (BSR) which is the operator of Dungquat Oil Refinery. The incident practiced included firefighting for an oil tanker under fire when docking at berth No.1 of Dungquat port, containing the fire from widely spreading, rescuing victims from the tanker and bringing them onshore for treatment.

                                                        The joint firefighting practice.

The first National Week on OSH was held in 1999 and this event has been organized on a yearly basis. Dong Nai province will be the host for the next year’s event.

By TVDanh