Japan helps Viet Nam promote occupational safety and health

The Japanese Government will donate US$720,000 to promote occupational safety and health in Viet Nam through the effective implementation of policy framework in hazardous industries such as construction, mining, and chemicals.

The project, entitled Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) in Hazardous Work, will work in conjunction with the National OSH Programme and address asbestos and other chemicals in hazardous industries in cooperation with Ministry of Health and WHO.

Viet Nam is now implementing the Second National OSH Programme (2010-15) after the successful completion of the first OSH programme (2006-10) to promote OSH as a priority of enterprises and address concerns about the safety and health of workers.

However, under the rapid economic development in the recent years, the country is now facing increasing occupational accidents and diseases.

Statistics from the Ministry of Labour Invalids and Social Affairs show that there were about 6,000 cases of occupational accidents, in which 504 fatal cases left 574 dead and 1,314 seriously injured in 2011. These figures increased 16 per cent compared to 2010. Construction, mining and chemicals are the three of the most hazardous industries with high occupational injury rates and potential to cause major industrial accidents. Construction and mining accidents accounted for 36 per cent and 20 per cent of total work-related accidents respectively from 2005-09. Besides accident risks, workers in construction sites, mines and chemical workplaces are often exposed to high levels of dust and hazardous chemicals, and face the risk of occupational lung diseases including lung cancer.

The project is expected to provide capacity building on prevention of occupational accidents and diseases, chemical safety, as well as protect workers in vulnerable groups through the ILO's  participatory tools and the improvement of reporting systems in conjunction with the development of the National Injury Insurance system.

The beneficiaries include OSH practitioners, workers and employers. In particular, SMEs and rural workplaces in the five provinces and cities of northern Bac Kan, central Ha Tinh and Quang Ngai, southern Dong Nai and northern Hai Phong City.

The project's main government partner is Bureau for Safe Work, MOLISA but other stakeholder Ministries, provincial organizations, and social partners will also play a critical role in its success.

The project is a part of ILO/Japan Multi-bilateral Cooperation Progamme and a component of a regional project on "Occupational safety and health in hazardous work in Southeast Asia". It will accelerate cooperation among ASEAN countries on OSH related issues and promote the One-UN Policy in Viet Nam and the Decent Work Country Programme in 2012-16.

Half-ton whale shark caught in central

Tran Quang Son, a fisherman in the central province of Thu Thien Hue, net-caught a giant fish, that is thought to be a whale shark, off the province this morning.

The species has a length of 4.5m and an estimated weight of 500 kilograms.

There is a belief that the captured often called as “Ca Ong” (whale) is sacred, so Son and other fishermen decided to release it back to sea.

However, it got exhausted and died at 10:20am the same day.

Local residents intend to hand over the fish to concerned authorities to serve scientific research or bury it in accordance with local customs.

Wikipedia statistics show whale shark is the sole member of the genus Rhincodon and the family Rhincodontidae. The species originated approximately 60 million years ago.

The whale shark is found in tropical and warm oceans and lives in the open sea with a lifespan of about 70 years, it added.

HCM City teens start traffic safety campaign

Thousands of teenage volunteers decked in red paraded on bicycles for the annual Red Flamboyant campaign to raise awareness of traffic safety in HCM City last Saturday.

During the one-month campaign, volunteers will educate students and others in traffic laws through contests, stage plays, and mock courts.

The volunteers are encouraged to use bicycles while organising the campaign.

Earlier, at the HCM City Youth Cultural House, the Ho Chi Minh Youth Union launched the campaign called "Red Flamboyant soldiers act for traffic safety" this year.

It has attracted 36 Lao students studying in HCM City who will join local youths in District 10, offering gifts to Viet Nam Heroic Mothers and underprivileged children and stage plays on school violence and other issues.

Coach, truck collision injures 14 people

A coach collided with a heavy truck on Saturday, injuring 14 passengers at an intersection in southern Binh Duong Province's Ben Cat District.

The coach overturned and the truck was damaged in the accident. Six victims remain in Binh Duong General Hospital.

Police have yet to announce the cause of the accident.

Gas cylinder blast kills man in HCM City

A 42-year-old man was killed and another man was injured after a hydrogen cylinder exploded in HCM City's District 4 yesterday morning, June 10.

The accident occurred while the victims were pumping balloons to sell.

The explosion also damaged a nearby house.

Woman doctor killed in suspected robbery

A woman doctor was beaten to death during her nightshift at a health clinic in northern mountainous Lao Cai Province.

Her body was found early morning yesterday after the killer took gold jewellery and fled on the victim's Honda Spacy motorbike.
Investigations are continuing.

VNN/VNS/Tuoi Tre