Labour safety and hygienic standards at enterprises in HCM City last year improved but only modestly, according to the city's Centre of Occupational Health and Environmental Protection.

At a workshop held yesterday by the centre, Dang Ngoc Loan, the centre's deputy head, said that 59 per cent of enterprises still had hazardous elements causing occupational diseases.

In particular, the centre checked the environment at 1,438 establishments including state-owned, joint ventures, private, joint-stock and foreign companies.

The results showed that 5.25 per cent of 1,438 establishments failed to meet temperature standards.

Of these, 10.14 per cent exceeded noise standards. And 12.33 per cent of them exceeded lighting standards.

Health exams for workers in companies that have hazardous elements were not carried out well, Loan said, adding that only 25 per cent of the enterprises sent their workers to health facilities for examination of occupational diseases.

Of the workers who had health exams, 99 workers were diagnosed with an occupational disease, with 38 having occupational deafness.

Last year, exams were conducted to diagnose hepatitis and diseases caused by X ray and radioactive substances, Loan said, adding that there were 11 hepatitis cases and one related to radioactive exposure.

Pham Thi Nguyet Anh of the centre's division that specialises in healthcare at schools, said that the centre had carried out a survey on the environment at 387 secondary and high schools from 2012 to 2014.

Forty per cent of the classrooms failed to meet lighting standards mandated by the Ministry of Health, said Anh.

The survey showed that 48 per cent of the schools had temperatures higher than the ministry's standards.

Only 17.8-21 per cent of 334 classrooms with air conditioners met the standards of carbon dioxide emissions.

The classrooms met the standards for boards and tables.

The centre has worked with schools in the city to examine the health of their students.

The results showed that 40.1 per cent of the total number of high school students had an eye refraction. The figure was 36.55 per cent for secondary students and 16.07 per cent for primary students.

Moreover, students had other health problems, including those related to teeth, ears, nose and throat, scoliosis and obesity.

VNS